Dec 27, 2008–Fox's “Marley and Me” continued to lead the crowded field of Christmas films on Friday. “Marley” grossed an estimated $14 million from 3,480 runs for a very merry two-day cume of $28.8 million, well ahead of expectations. The Jennifer Aniston–Owen Wilson film could jump the $50 million mark for the four-day holiday weekend.

Dec 25, 2008–Eartha Kitt, the singer, dancer and actress who rose from South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, has died. She was 81. Kitt died Thursday of colon cancer and was recently treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York.

Harold Pinter, the most influential British playwright of his generation and a longtime voice of political protest, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 78.  He wrote 32 plays; one novel, “The Dwarfs,” in 1990; and 22 screenplays including “The French Lieutenant's Woman” (1980).

Dec 12, 2008–Actor/comedian Steve Coogan will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the 2009 Spirit Awards, to take place in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica on Saturday, February 21, 2009.  The 2009 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards ceremony will air uncut, uncensored, and commercial free on IFC (Independent Film Channel) LIVE at 5 pm EST/2 pm PST. An edited re-broadcast of the ceremony will air later that evening on AMC. Nominations for the 2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced on Tuesday, December 2, 2008. Diana Zahn-Storey returns to produce the event for the fifteenth consecutive year.

Dec 13, 2008–Summit Entertainment has officially hired Chris Weitz to direct “New Moon,” the sequel to “Twilight.” Summit made the announcement Saturday morning. It was unable to reach an agreement for “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke to return for the sequel.  “Twilight” has generated domestic grosses of more than $144 million and another $33 million overseas. The vampire thriller is a franchise for Summit with the four books in Stephenie Meyer's series, already selling over 17 million copies worldwide.