X17 Industry Wrap

The Vatican Gives Avatar A Thumbs Down
The Pope isn't among James Cameron's millions of fans. The official Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano calls the box office hit without "genuine emotions" and calls the plot simplistic and futuristic: "So much stupefying, enchanting technology, but few genuine emotions."

Vatican Radio called it "rather harmless," but said: "We doubt that this is an heir to those sci-fi masterpieces that — for reasons other than special effects — have marked cinema history."

Despite the church's criticism, the film has made over $1.1 billion so far at the box office. The critiques came after a red carpet premiere for the film in Rome.

Writers' Guild Noms Announced
Box office blockbusters were among the nominees for the WGA Awards announced yesterday. The Hangover and Avatar are up for Best Screenplay along with The Hurt Locker, the Coen brothers' A Serious Man, and surprise nom, 500 Days of Summer.

High-profile films like Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds, Disney feature Up, and Tom Ford's A Single Man were all ineligible because they didn't meet the WGA's Minimum Basic Agreement for movies filmed abroad.

The awards will be presented in simultaneous ceremonies in New York and in Los Angeles on February 20.

Jerry Seinfeld Returns To TV With The Marriage Ref
Jerry Seinfeld will executive produce and appear as a panelist on his new show The Marriage Ref -- a primetime "game show" featuring fighting marriage couples fighting out their issues on NBC.

Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Eva Longoria, and Larry David are a few of the celebs confirmed to appear as celebrity panelists who will help decide which of the spouses wins.

The show debuts February 28.