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‘Prisoners’ Breaks Out For #1 With $7.5M Friday And $22M Weekend Opening; ‘Battle Of The Year’ #4 With $1.4M/$4.1M

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday, 21 September 2013 05:49 UKTags: Alcon, Box Office, Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Prisoners

FRIDAY 10 PM UPDATE: Refined numbers later. But with the 65th Emmys broadcasting this weekend, Hollywood is only talking television, television, television. Yes, I’ll be interrupting my vacation and live-snarking the small screen awards starting Sunday at 5:00 PM PT. But only because the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was hoping I wouldn’t. As for the big screen, both Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal plugged, plugged, plugged R-rated newcomer Prisoners (playing in 3,260 theaters) to a $7.5M today and most likely a $22M domestic weekend. Which means both stars did their jobs to open this Alcon kidnapping thriller distributed by Warner Bros to a $20+M debut despite a longish 2 hour, 26 minute running time. (Who was the bigger draw? Definitely Hugh… Jake can’t open an envelope.) With a ‘B+’ CinemaScore for a lean budget of only $46M and a stellar supporting cast (Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo) during a slow September, this adult drama directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Aaron Guzikowski could have legs and make coin here and overseas. This weekend’s other newcomer is Sony Pictures’ 3D teen dance pic Battle Of The Year (releasing not wide in 2,009 theaters) starring Josh Holloway (Lost) and music’s bad boy Chris Brown. Talk about a tired genre despite a fresh ‘A-’ CinemaScore from audiences which may help word of mouth, this gross is half what the studio was forecasting for it $20M cost.

Also playing this weekend are The Wizard Of Oz: IMAX 3D whose pre-sales big online ticketseller Fandango proclaimed were “looking great and powerful” in limited release. The PG upgrade of the 1939 classic released into 318 theaters and made $750K Friday and is targeting $2.8M this weekend. Platforming in 5 theaters this weekend is Universal’s critical darling, Ron Howard’s auto racing pic Rush starring Chris Hemsworth, for $55K Friday and a $168K weekend. Interestingly, its per screen average of $33,688 was handily beaten by Fox Searchlight’s James Gandolfini-Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, Enough Said, which opened Wednesday in 4 runs. With $70K today and a $246K weekend for a per screen average of $61,600, the final movie from The Sopranos star set a new cume of $300K. Then again, Hollywood knows that car racing pics are cursed at the box office.

Here’s the Top Ten list based on Friday estimates:

1. Prisoners (Alcon/Warner Bros) NEW [Runs 3,260] R
Friday $7.5M, Weekend $21.9M

2. Insidious: Chapter 2 (FilmDistrict) Week 2 [Runs 3,155] PG13
Friday $4.8M, Weekend $13.5M, Cume $60.0M

3. The Family (Relativity) Week 2 [Runs 3,091] R
Friday $2.1M, Weekend $6.6M, Cume $25.3M

4. Battle Of The Year (Sony) NEW [Runs 2,008] PG13
Friday $1.4M, Weekend $4.0M

5. We’re The Millers (New Line/Warner Bros) Week 7 [Runs 3,008] R
Friday $1.3M, Weekend $4.2M, Cume $137.7M

6. Lee Daniels’ The Butler (Weinstein) Week 6 [Runs 2,931] PG13
Friday $1.2M, Weekend $4.1M, Cume $106.3M

7. Instructions Not Included (Lionsgate) Week 4 [Runs 978] PG13
Friday $1.1M, Weekend $4.3M, Cume $32.9M

8. Riddick (Universal) Week 3 [Runs 3,022] R
Friday $1.0M, Weekend $3.4M, Cume $37.0M

9. Wizard of Oz: IMAX 3D (Warner Bros) NEW [Runs 318] PG
Friday $750K, Weekend $2.8M, Cume $2.9M

10. Planes (Disney) Week 7 [Runs 2,446] PG
Friday $532K, Weekend $2.5M, Cume $86.2M

Enough Said (Fox Searchlight) Week 1 [Runs 4] PG13
Friday $70K, Weekend $246K, Cume $300K

Rush (Universal) NEW [Runs 5] R
Friday $55K, Weekend $168K

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Global Showbiz Briefs: Pierre Lescure Honorary Chief Of Dijon Event; Sky Atlantic HD Sets ‘Hello Ladies’, ‘Veep’ Bows; More

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Saturday, 21 September 2013 05:45 UKTags: Costa Gavras, Global Showbiz Briefs, Hello Ladies, Joe Eszterhas, London Screenwriters Festival, Pierre Lescure, Sky Atlantic HD, Veep

Pierre Lescure Named Honorary President of Dijon Film Meetings
Former Canal Plus president Pierre Lescure has been named the honorary president of the annual Rencontres Cinématographiques de Dijon, set to take place next month in the French town. The executive, who was co-director general of Vivendi Universal following the French giant’s ill-fated acquisition of the studio in 2000, recently completed a government-commissioned study on anti-piracy laws and France’s fiercely protected Cultural Exception in the digital era. The film meetings in Dijon are organized by writers, directors and producers association ARP. The annual three-day confab includes several panels on issues facing the French and European film industry and regularly attracts heavy-hitters from the media and film sector as well as the Motion Picture Association and some of the U.S. guilds. Michel Hazanavicius is president of the org, but will be absent this year due to a scheduling conflict. VP Costa-Gavras will run the show in his stead. The event is set for October 24-26.

Sky Atlantic Sets Premiere Dates For HBO’s ‘Hello Ladies,’ ‘Veep’
Sky Atlantic HD, the exclusive UK home to HBO, will debut Stephen Merchant’s new sitcom Hello Ladies and the second season of Armando Iannucci’s Veep on October 16. Hello Ladies stars Merchant as a gawky Englishman searching for the woman of his dreams in Los Angeles. It is executive produced by Merchant, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Supnitsky, who also write several episodes. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is up for an Emmy this weekend as the put-upon U.S. Vice President in Veep. The show, which also is vying for outstanding comedy series, is executive produced by Iannucci, Frank Rich and Christopher Godsick. Sky customers with connected boxes will be able to see the premiere episodes of both series on demand starting October 10. Read More »

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Shiri Appleby To Topline Lifetime Pilot ‘Unreal’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday, 21 September 2013 04:16 UKTags: Lifetime, Marti Noxon, Shiri Appleby, Unreal
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Shiri Appleby is set as the lead in Lifetime’s drama pilot Unreal, inspired by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro’s award-winning independent short Sequin Raze. Marti Noxon and Shapiro wrote Unreal, which goes behind the scenes of a hit competition dating show to follow the experiences of a young staffer (Appleby) whose sole job is to manipulate her relationships with (and among) the contestants to get the vital dramatic and outrageous footage the program’s producers demand. What ensues is a humorous yet vexing look at what happens in the world of unscripted television, where being a contestant can be vicious and producing it is a whole other reality. Appleby, repped by Gersh and manager John Carrabino, has recurring roles on HBO comedy Girls and NBC drama Chicago Fire.

Related: Lifetime Orders Marti Noxon Drama Pilot Based On ‘Sequin Raze’

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SAG-AFTRA Prez Ken Howard Endorses NY Local Exec For Union EVP Slot

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Saturday, 21 September 2013 03:59 UKTags: Ken Howard, Mike Hodge, Roberta Reardon, SAG AFTRA

With just under a week to go before the election for the influential EVP position at SAG-AFTRA‘s first national convention since merging, National President Ken Howard today threw his weight behind NY local President Mike Hodge for the slot. Recently re-elected to his East Coast position, Hodge becomes the second formal candidate for the EVP job. Earlier this week, former AFTRA LA local President Gabrielle Carteris threw her hat in the ring. She is endorsed by former National Co-President Roberta Reardon, who narrowly lost her bid to be NY local president to incumbent Hodge in last month’s local elections. Prior that loss, Reardon was widely expected to run for the national EVP slot. Hodge had endorsed Howard for National President in last month’s SAG-AFTRA election, and Howard in turn backed Hodge and his slate in NY. “Mike Hodge is someone I’ve counted on for strong, steady leadership from the very start of my union service, and he has never failed to deliver,” Howard said in a statement. “I’m tremendously impressed with the way he’s handled things in New York, and it’s important that our national union have leadership that reflects our national footprint. Mike is an independent thinker who members can trust to put the interests of our union first.” The EVP election, voted on by the union’s recently elected delegates, … Read More »

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APA Signs Yule Caise; Will Yun Lee Inks With Zero Gravity Management; Resolution Reps Lamorne Morris

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday, 21 September 2013 03:50 UKTags: APA, Will Yun Lee, Yule Caise, Zero Gravity Management

Yule Caise has signed with APA. In July, he was selected as the Fox Writers Intensive Fellow from among 10 finalists. Caise inked a development deal with FX Networks, in conjunction with Fox Broadcasting Co and 20th Century Fox Television, and will pitch a new original script to FX. His credits including writing and directing the 2010 comedy Swishbucklers.

Related: Fox’s Diverse Writers Program Sets Winner

Will Yun Lee has inked with Zero Gravity Management. The actor’s recent credits include The Wolverine and Total Recall and recurring roles on Hawaii Five-O and the new drama Intelligence. He also appeared in such films as Die Another Day and Elektra.

Related: Zero Gravity Inks Helmer Kellie Madison

Lamorne Morris has signed with Resolution in all areas. He stars as Winston on Fox’s New Girl and recently joined the cast of the indie drama Sex Ed. Morris’ credits also include Comedy Central’s Drunk History and several independent features and shorts.

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Fox Orders JB Benn Magic Special

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday, 21 September 2013 02:54 UKTags: Fox, JB Benn
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Fox has ordered Unreal (working title), a reality special starring close-up magician JB Benn. The special, currently in production, will feature Benn performing magic tricks on celebrities and athletes. Juma Entertainment is producing, with Bob Horowitz and Len Webber executive producing. Benn has traveled the globe and performed for a slew of celebrities, including Warren Buffet, Oprah and Bono. He hosts Travel Channel’s Magic Man. Watch video of him performing street magic after the jump: Read More »

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‘Community’s Ken Jeong To Star In & Produce Medical Comedy Project For NBC

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday, 21 September 2013 02:37 UKTags: Dr. Ken, Ken Jeong, NBC, Sony Pictures TV
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Besides being a comedy star, Community and The Hangover standout Ken Jeong is a licensed physician. His life before going into comedy will be the subject of Dr. Ken, a multi-camera comedy that has landed at NBC with a significant penalty. Feature comedy writer Jared Stern (The Internship) is writing the project, from Community producer Sony Pictures TV and John Davis and John Fox’s studio-based Davis Entertainment. Stern, Davis and Fox executive produce, with Jeong co-executive producing. Jeong is a regular on Community, whose upcoming fifth season is rumored to be the cult comedy’s last — but that is never certain as Community has defied the odds before. But even if Community continues for another season and Dr. Ken goes to series, things could be worked out as both shows are with NBC and Sony TV. Read More »

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Comedy From Roberto Benabib, Jay Roach, Jerry Weintraub Gets HBO Pilot Order

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday, 21 September 2013 02:30 UKTags: HBO, Jay Roach, Jerry Weintraub, Roberto Benabib, The Brink
Nellie Andreeva

Former Weeds executive producer Roberto Benabib is taking on another dark comedy premium cable project. He has teamed with HBO-based producers Jay Roach and Jerry Weintraub for The Brink, a half-hour comedy, which has received a pilot order from the network. Directed by Roach and written by Benabib and his brother, Kim Benabib, The Brink is described as an epic dark comedy focusing on a  geopolitical crisis and its effect on three disparate and desperate men: U.S. Secretary of State Walter Hollander, lowly Foreign Service officer Alex Coppins and ace Navy fighter pilot Zeke Callahan. These three compromised souls must pull through the chaos around them to save the planet from World War III. Roberto Benabib, Weintraub and Roach are executive producing, with Kim Benabib serving as a co-executive producer. Roach won Emmys for directing and executive producing the HBO movies Recount and Game Change, both of which dealt with political events.

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‘King & Maxwell’ Cancelled By TNT

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday, 21 September 2013 01:45 UKTags: King & Maxwell, TNT
Nellie Andreeva

King And Maxwell Cancelled TNTThere will be no second season for TNT drama King & Maxwell. The procedural, starring Rebecca Romijn and Jon Tenney as Secret Service agents-turned-private investigators, was pretty stable during his run, opening with 3.5 million viewers in June and closing out its first season with the same viewership. But it followed Major Crimes, which consistently drew 5 million-plus. With the cancellation of King & Maxwell, the only one remaining TNT bubble series is Franklin & Bash. The cable net last month renewed Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Perception and Falling Skies.

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CAA & Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Sued For $2M By Producer Over DMV Reality Series

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Saturday, 21 September 2013 01:40 UKTags: Ashton Kutcher, CAA, Hedda, Katalyst, Lawsuit

Producer Hedda Muskat claims that CAA and Ashton Kutcher’s production company deceived her and pushed her out as Co-Executive Producer on a reality series about the DMV. Claiming breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, and promissory fraud in the complaint filed today in L.A. Superior Court (read it here), the Emmy-winning producer is seeking more than $2 million in damages plus other costs from the agency, Kutcher’s Katalyst Media and company co-owner Jason Goldberg. And she’s very clear about what the fallout from the now scrapped series cost her. “Katalyst’s reckless conduct and CAA’s failure to properly represent or protect Plaintiff has had the ultimate consequence of obliterating Plaintiff’s career in the entertainment industry and her reputation as a producer,” says the 16-page lawsuit. Katalyst sued the state agency for $1.4 million in August 2012 after the DMV pulled out of the proposed TRuTV series. After counterclaims and other legal actions, the parties settled the case earlier this year for $450,000. Some of that money, among other damages, is due to her, says Muskat. A producer on America’s Got Talent and A Current Affair among others, Muskat signed with CAA in April of 2009, according to Friday’s filing.
Read More »

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Cancelled BBC America Series ‘Copper’ Could Continue As A Movie

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Saturday, 21 September 2013 01:19 UKTags: Barry Levinson, BBC America, Copper, Tom Fontana

Copper Movie PossibleEXCLUSIVE: The BBC America series ends Sunday but Copper may get a second life on the big screen. One day after the network announced that the Civil War-era series would be cancelled after two seasons, I’ve learned that co-creator/executive producer Tom Fontana and fellow EPs Barry Levinson and Tom Kelly are considering a movie version. The extensive story arc work Fontana did on a third season has the veteran producer eyeing revamping the material for a movie, sources say, with the potential big-screen version said to look at examining life in America after the death of Abraham Lincoln and the years of Reconstruction. Copper, which Fontana co-created with Will Rokos, was BBC America’s first original scripted series and centers on Irish immigrant cop Kevin Corcoran in 1860s New York City. It premiered in August 2012 with 1.1 million total viewers, the largest audience ever for a BBC America series debut. Copper was renewed last October but lost momentum after its June 23 Season 2 premiere.

Related: BBC America’s ‘Copper’ Cancelled After Two Seasons Read More »

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Fox Nabs Immigrant Comedy From Sofia Vergara, Ben Silverman, Andrew Lenchewski

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday, 21 September 2013 01:10 UKTags: Ben Silverman, Electus, Fox, Latin World Entertainment, Sofia Vergara, Speak American
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Sofia Vergara and Luis Balaguer’s Latin World Entertainment and Ben Silverman’s Electus have teamed with Royal Pains co-creator Andrew Lenchewski and writer Benjamin Brand for Speak American, a half-hour comedy that has been sold to Fox. Universal Cable Prods, where Lenchewski is under an overall deal, is producing. Written by Brand (IFC’s Bollywood Hero), Speak American centers on America Aviles, a young accent-reduction teacher of Latin descent who hires a stranger with unconventional methods to teach her class. Brand and Lenchewski originally developed Speak American at USA with the lead of European heritage. The two then changed direction and approached Silverman and Modern Family star Vergara, who have extensive experience in Latino-themed projects. Silverman executive produced ABC’s Ugly Betty, based on a Colombian telenovela, and he and Vergara executive produce ABC’s upcoming drama Killer Women, based on an Argentine series. They also have partnered on their premium YouTube channel, NuevOn along with an Electus/LatinWE partnership to bring programming formats to the U.S. Read More »

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Magnet Nabs U.S. Rights To ‘Grand Piano’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday, 21 September 2013 01:09 UKTags: Elijah Wood, Grand Piano, John Cusack, Magnet Releasing

Magnet Releasing has acquired U.S. rights to the Eugenio Mira-helmed Grand Piano, which world premiered this afternoon at Fantastic Fest in Austin. Elijah Wood and John Cusack star in the psychological thriller from the producing team of Adrián Guerra and Rodrigo Cortés. Story sets Wood as a piano virtuoso forced into early retirement because of crippling stage fright. When he returns to the stage, the recital turns deadly and he is forced to literally play for his life. It’s slated for a 2014 release.

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CAA Signs ‘Can A Song Save Your Life?’ Star James Corden

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Saturday, 21 September 2013 00:53 UKTags: CAA, James Corden
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: CAA has landed James Corden, who was great opposite Keira Knightley in the John Carney-directed Can A Song Save Your Life?, which premiered at Toronto and was quickly acquired by The Weinstein Company after a bidding war. Corden also stars in TWC’s Paul Potts biopic One Chance as the unknown-turned-opera star, and opposite Meryl Strep and Johnny Depp in Rob Marshall’s Into The Woods. A Tony winner last year for his Broadway turn in One Man, Two Guvnors, Coreden also won a Best Comedy Performance BAFTA for the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey, which he co-created, co-wrote, and starred in. He continues to be repped in the UK by Ruth Young United Agents and his attorney is Jason Sloane.

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ABC Buys Paul Scheer Relationship Comedy

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday, 21 September 2013 00:45 UKTags: Paul Scheer, Sony Pictures Television, Will Gluck
Nellie Andreeva

ABC has put in development an untitled single-camera comedy from NTSF:SD:SUV:: creator/executive producer/star Paul Scheer. Written by Scheer and produced by Sony Pictures TV and Will Gluck‘s studio-based Olive Bridge, the project centers on a couple trying to keep their relationship together while juggling the dynamics of multiple sets of parents, their spouses and their children. Scheer is executive producing with Olive Bridge’s Gluck and Richie Schwartz as well as former 30 Rock writer-producers Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan who are under an overall deal at Sony TV. Scheer, repped by UTA and Principato Young, is a cast member and writer on FXX’s The League and creator of web series ArScheerio Paul.

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News Corp Reports $1.4B Writedown As Newspaper Valuations Slide

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Financial Editor | Saturday, 21 September 2013 00:14 UKTags: News Corp, News Corp Finance

It’s hard to say that the write-down hurt the publishing operation for the fiscal year that ended in June. The noncash charge, disclosed today in the company’s first annual report since being separated from Rupert Murdoch‘s Fox entertainment assets, is an improvement over the $2.6B charge it took last year. All told, News Corp ended the year with net income of $506M, up from a $2.1B loss last year, on revenues of $8.9B, +2.7%. The revenue figure is short of the $8.96B that analysts anticipated. Earnings at 87 cents a share beat forecasts for 57 cents. The uptick in revenues reflects News Corp’s consolidation of Fox Sports Australia and acquisition of publishing company Thomas Nelson, and includes contributions from the introduction in February 2012 of the Sunday edition of UK’s The Sun. But ad sales overall fell by 7.4% cutting the revenue contribution of the Australian newspapers by $350M, and Dow Jones — which includes The Wall Street Journal — by $76M. The slowdowns were a factor in News Corp’s impairment charge which it says reflects its diminished assessment of the prospects for the News and Information Services businesses in Australia and the U.S. News Corp share prices rose 1% in after-market trading.

Related: Tech Blog AllThingsD Leaving Dow Jones

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Romantic Comedy From Ben Queen, Rashida Jones & Will McCormack Gets NBC Put Pilot Commitment

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Saturday, 21 September 2013 00:10 UKTags: A To Z, Ben Queen, Le Train Train, Rashida Jones, Unthinkable
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: There are a lot of overachieving writers and producers scoring multiple big commitments this buying season. Writer Ben Queen (Cars 2) and Rashida Jones and Will McCormack‘s Le Train Train — each already behind a put pilot commitment — have teamed up for A To Z, a single-camera romantic comedy, which has landed at NBC with a put pilot commitment. Written by Queen, A To Z follows a relationship between a young couple, comprehensively, from meeting to breakup, over the course of a season. There are no current plans for Jones and McCormack to star. The two are executive producing with Queen. Read More »

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Fox Film Taps NBCU’s Salil Mehta To Be President Of Content Mangement

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday, 21 September 2013 00:08 UKTags: 20th Century Fox, NBCUniversal, Salil Mehta

Salil Mehta had been COO and CFO of NBCUniversal‘s Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media division since 2011. Now he has jumped to join 20th Century Fox Film as President of Content Management, a newly created position in which he will coordinate the studio’s content distribution in all media to maximize returns and generate new revenue opportunities. He also will be responsible for the digital media division and overseeing the studio’s worldwide TV distribution. In addition, he will be responsible for the company’s strategic planning and business development, including emerging media platforms, and will oversee Fox’s technology and engineering activities. He’ll report to Fox Film chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos. Read More »

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Apple’s Tim Cook Joins Twitter But He’s No Rupert Murdoch

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday, 20 September 2013 23:32 UKTags: Apple, Rupert Murdoch, Tim Cook, Twitter

Steve Jobs never did it but today Apple’s current boss Tim Cook made his social media presence official. Right now let’s just say Rupert Murdoch doesn’t have to worry about the executive Twitter competition. Unlike the wide ranging and often highly opinionated tweets the News Corp boss blasts out to his almost 470,000 followers, Cook, as you can see from his tweet on the left, kept it all very bland. His inaugural tweet Friday was about Apple and how proud he is of the company’s commitment to its customers. Still that didn’t prevent Cook form racking up followers. Within a couple of hours of the verified account’s first activity, Cook had over 85,000 followers on Twitter. More were joining him by the minute. Currently, the CEO himself is only following 11 people on Twitter including Job’s widow Laurene, who has yet to tweet herself, NBC’s Jimmy Fallon and CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Cook’s not the only new Twitter presence from Apple – there’s an @iTunes account that started tweeting on September 18. The newly announced iPhones and iOS Update are not yet on Twitter, but give them time.

Related: Apple’s Shares Slip After It Introduces New iPhones

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