Search Results for: “"Alan Arkin"”

Cannes: Brian Grazer, Ron Howard Introduce Imagine 2.0; A Pele Pic On The Croisette, A Crowd-Funded ‘Friday Night Lights’, ‘Dark Tower’, Jay-Z And One Angry White Whale

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 7:22am PDTTags: Brian Grazer, Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Wrap-Up, Friday Night Lights, Imagine Entertainment, Pele, Ron Howard, The Dark Tower
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE:When Imagine Entertainment partners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard re-upped in their 26th year at Universal in early 2012, like all studio term producers they watched the deal get smaller. They also went from exclusive to first look and while that might have humbled less energetic founders who’d made 50 films for the same studio, Grazer and Howard took it as license to tap into new avenues of distribution and funding to be more productive than ever.

Consider that while Howard tinkers with the finished Formula One drama Rush and casts the Warner Bros adaptation of the Nathaniel Philbrick novel In The Heart Of The Sea with Chris Hemsworth, Grazer is on the Croisette, beating the drum for a Pele biopic to be directed by The Two Escobars helmer Jeff Zimbalist and his brother Michael. Grazer and production president Kim Roth called the film a close cousin to the search for genius depicted in 8 Mile, only here it’s a dirt-poor kid’s journey from being part of the Shoeless Wonders (a band of soccer wunderkinds too poor to afford shoes) to a phenom who at 17 led Brazil to the World Cup. Grazer and his partners will have the film ready by the time the world is whipped into a frenzy for World Cup action next year.

* While they’ve temporarily halted the move to turn Jack Bauer loose in a 24 feature, they’ve instead decided to bring him back in a limited series, this after selling an Arrested Development revival directly to Netflix. Grazer tells me they are absolutely moving forward with a movie version of another Imagine series, Friday Night Lights, and they will likely use crowdfunding to directly tap the rabid fan base of that drama for some of the budget. “We made a terrific feature with Pete Berg, turned it into a terrific TV series and will now make a movie from that series,” Grazer said. “I’m not sure such a thing has been done before.” Read More »

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#1 ‘Oz’ Holds For $281.8M Worldwide Cume; Halle Berry In #2 ‘The Call’ Beats Carell-Carrey In #3 Bomb ‘Burt Wonderstone’

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Sunday March 17, 2013 @ 8:07am PDTTags: Box Office, Oz: The Great and Powerful, The Call, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

SUNDAY 8 AM, 4TH UPDATE: Jetlagged from traveling but home at last. Let’s start with the domestic bad news because that’s what Hollywood craves. New Line’s The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (3,160 theaters) is a complete disaster despite no fresh comedy at the multiplex since Identity Thief opened five weeks ago. This is Warner Bros’ 5th straight box office dud, continuing what has been an abysmal beginning of the year. Despite Warner Bros’ Best Picture Oscar win for Ben Affleck’s Argo, the studio’s woes began with Gangster Squad in January and continued with Bullet To The Head and Beautiful Creatures through February, and festered with the $200 million flop Jack The Giant Slayer on March 1st. Now the studio is counting on May to deliver big grosses again with The Great Gatsby, The Hangover Part III, and the much anticipated Man Of Steel. Any hope for an upside because of the casting of Steve Carell and Jim Carrey (who’s in the Witness Protection Program in the trailers) is gone even with a modest $32M production budget. Those stars should have delivered at least a $20M if not $30M opening. Instead their pic only maxed $10.3M for its first weekend after grossing only $3.7M Friday and $4.1M Saturday. And, remember, that includes 1,800 Thursday late shows, too. Even worse, pic scored a ‘C+’ CinemaScore which will hurt word of … Read More »

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OSCARS: Hammond’s Down-To-The-Wire Predictions For 2013 Winners & Losers

By PETE HAMMOND | Monday February 18, 2013 @ 7:45pm PSTTags: Awardsline, Oscars
Pete Hammond

Can’t we just end all this suspense about winners or losers and call it one massive tie this year? The 2012 crop of Oscar nominees, and films in general, is so impressively dense with quality it seems a shame the Academy has to pick just one winner in each category. But that’s the name of the game we play this time of year, and with ballots going out just as I had to turn this piece in, it is still a fluid situation as to just what the final results will be. With so many movies spread across many categories that are genuine contenders, a split vote resulting in some surprising twists and turns is possible, even though the various guild awards give strong clues about industry sentiment. If the past is any indication, I am aware some readers might take these predictions as gospel and bet the farm on it in their Oscar pools, so I offer a disclaimer before we begin. I am not responsible for any monetary loss you might incur, nor do I expect 10% of any winnings. I am just trying to read the winds of Oscar after several months of analyzing every tea leaf. Here is where I have a hunch it stands, but please note I have made a few tweaks since the original version of these predictions were published in last week’s print edition of AwardsLine (I switched in production design and makeup/hairstyling). Results at BAFTA, WGA, and several other guild award shows have now been taken into account since then, but it is all still a crap shoot in one of the craziest Oscar years in memory.

BEST PICTURE

All season long, this has been about as wide open a race, and as competitive a field of contenders, as we have seen in many years. With nine nominees, the same number as last year, it has taken a while to figure out a surefire winner. But with key awards from the PGA, DGA, WGA, BAFTA and SAG, in addition to best picture honors at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Movie Awards, Argo has clearly emerged as the frontrunner, a remarkable turn of events considering its director, Ben Affleck, was snubbed by the Academy’s directing branch Jan. 10. Oh, what a difference a few weeks makes. The big question is, can the Warner Bros. juggernaut maintain momentum and win Oscar’s top prize, even without that directing nomination? If so, it would be only the second film to win without a directing nom, following Driving Miss Daisy’s feat at the 1990 ceremony. With the best picture category holding the strongest possibility for success among Argo’s seven nominations, could it actually win here and nowhere else? Not likely, but it’s possible, especially in a year in which I think the Academy will be spreading the wealth. Lincoln, with a leading 12 nominations (a good, if not always correct, indicator), Silver Linings Playbook, and Life of Pi are probably still in the mix here as well but…

The Winner: Argo

The Competition: Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty

RELATED: OSCARS: Best Picture Nominees Had Uphill Production Battles

BEST DIRECTOR

With the quirky director’s branch going out of their way to snub DGA nominees Kathryn Bigelow, Tom Hooper, and DGA winner Ben Affleck, we know for sure we can’t count on the usual spot-on correlation between the DGA winner and the eventual victor in this category. Affleck actually would have been my prediction to win here, but, alas, he’s not even nominated, which means voters might very well be splitting their vote for director and picture this year — certainly not unheard of in recent years but increasingly rare. As directors of the two films with the most nominations, Steven Spielberg for Lincoln and Ang Lee for Life of Pi, are the likely frontrunners, with Silver Linings Playbook’s David O. Russell coming up on the outside. If initial frontrunner Lincoln has been eclipsed in the Best Picture race, this is the place voters could come to kneel at the Spielberg-ian altar. Or not. Lee’s triumph in even managing to bring the “unfilmable” Pi to the screen just screams “directing”, and that could play very well here.

The Winner: Ang Lee, Life of Pi

The Competition: Michael Haneke, Amour; Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild; Steven Spielberg, Lincoln; David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ACTOR

This is Daniel Day-Lewis’ to lose at this point. Playing such a well-known biographical figure is, of course, a big plus. But Day-Lewis brought a lot to the table and remains the guy to beat in an impossibly fine field of contenders. Day-Lewis’ biggest drawback is that he has already won this prize twice, and a third would be unprecedented for lead actors in Oscar history. Also no actor has ever won an Oscar for playing a U.S. president, another potential first. The Academy might want to reward equally deserving newcomers to the category like Hugh Jackman or Bradley Cooper instead, but judging from the pile of precursor awards Day-Lewis has already won, it looks like you can bet a very large pile of $5 bills that he will make Oscar history with honest Abe.

The Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

The Competition: Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook; Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables; Joaquin Phoenix, The Master; Denzel Washington, Flight

RELATED: OSCARS: Best Actor/Best Actress Race Handicap

BEST ACTRESS

I got this one wrong last year when Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) beat Viola Davis (The Help), and this is another tough one. The race for lead actress is hotly competitive, with both Silver Linings Playbook’s Jennifer Lawrence and Zero Dark Thirty’s Jessica Chastain claiming other early awards and also impressing with strong performances (Naomi Watts is magnificent in The Impossible, but that film got no other nominations, putting it at a disadvantage here against four other actress nominees from Best Picture contenders). Plus, never underestimate the so-called “babe factor” (thanks to the Academy’s dominant male membership) that this category often, but not always, favors. A win here for either one could be a chance to give either of their movies an important award, while shutting them out elsewhere. The real wild card in this race is 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva, whose performance in the foreign language film Amour has been widely praised and admired, particularly by her fellow actors, who comprise the Academy’s largest voting block. As the oldest Best Actress nominee ever (she actually turns 86 on Oscar Sunday), she could trigger a sentimental factor and a feeling that the others will have another shot someday. SAG champ Lawrence probably has the edge and is where the smart money’s going, but a split in this very fluid category could provide one of the evening’s most interesting stories. So going way out on a limb…

The Winner: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

The Competition: Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty; Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook; Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild; Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Read More »

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OSCARS: The Adapted Screenplay Nominees

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday February 18, 2013 @ 6:30pm PSTTags: Argo, Awardsline, Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Oscars, Silver Linings Playbook

Chris Terrio | Argo

Chris Terrio had a trove of primary and secondary material to consult in writing the screenplay for Argo, most notably the memoir Master of Disguise, by former CIA agent Tony Mendez, and Joshuah Bearman’s 2007 article in Wired magazine based on declassified documents about the remarkable clandestine Iran hostage-rescue caper.

Ben Affleck and Chris TerrioBut this hardly gave Terrio a blueprint for a screenplay that deftly blends Hollywood satire with a historical international crisis. Terrio says his biggest fear was that the Hollywood scenes of the Argo screenplay would slide the movie too far into show-business farce.

RELATED: OSCARS Q&A: Alan Arkin

However, a passage in Mendez’s book gave him license to go there in one case. “In Tony’s book”, Terrio says, “there’s a passage in it where Tony’s describing being with (makeup artist) John Chambers and figuring out that they’re going to call the fake movie Argo. And then it describes how that title both comes from a joke—which literally was a joke that Chambers and Tony used to make, which is the ‘Ah, go fuck yourself’ joke—but also that it has these mythological connotations to it, which Chambers and Mendez were aware of and chose. I feel that somewhere in that passage is the root of the tone of the film, which in some sense was a harder thing to … Read More »

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OSCARS: The Supporting Actor/Actress Races

By PETE HAMMOND | Monday February 11, 2013 @ 8:00pm PSTTags: Argo, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, The Master, The Sessions
Pete Hammond

This season’s supporting actor and actress Oscar races can be summed up in one word: Winners! A remarkable seven of the 10 nominees actually already have at least one Oscar on their mantel, and all of them have been previously nominated. Unlike the marquee lead races, not a single newcomer has been invited to the supporting party. In fact, all five supporting actor nominees are past winners, a rare occurrence that proves Feb. 24 will indeed be veterans’ day at the Dolby Theater. And though there is a strong frontrunner emerging for the women, the male race is one of the most wide open in years, with no one taking the lead to date and the outcome a real question mark. So how did they all get here? Here’s the rundown.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin | Argo

This veteran actor got his first lead actor Oscar nomination in 1966 for his film debut in The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. And then a second just two years later for The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. But it was a near-record 38 years before Arkin returned to Oscar’s inner circle, finally winning a supporting actor prize for Little Miss Sunshine. Now, six years later, he is back in contention as the Hollywood film producer in Argo, and the reason is simple: He not only gets the best lines, he’s playing … Read More »

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Big BAFTA Best Film Win Sends ‘Argo’ Into Oscars With Huge Momentum

By PETE HAMMOND | Sunday February 10, 2013 @ 3:36pm PSTTags: Amour, Argo, BAFTA, Ben Affleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, Django Unchained, Emmanuelle Riva, George Clooney, Les Miserables, Quentin Tarantino, Skyfall
Pete Hammond

Actual betting on the Oscars is outlawed in the U.S.. But it is permissible in England – and afterBAFTA today’s British Academy Awards show which just wrapped in London, people would be wise to put some pounds on Argo‘s Best Picture Oscar chances. In what is becoming a familiar sight every weekend, Ben Affleck once again was in the winner’s circle at BAFTA, and along with Best Film he also took Best Director, a prize for which he is famously not nominated at the Oscars even though his movie has 7 nominations – just as it did at BAFTA. So add another strong precursor award to the Argo stockpile that now includes PGA, DGA, SAG, Golden Globes, Critics Choice Movie Awards. Last night, it also added an honor for Chris Terrio’s adaptation at the USC Scripter Awards. (Terrio wasn’t there to accept; instead he was in London for the BAFTAs where he lost to David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook – the only award that film picked up.)

Related: BAFTA Winners: ‘Argo’, Ben Affleck, Daniel Day-Lewis, Emmanuelle Riva

So how reliable is BAFTA as an Oscar predictor? Pretty good in recent years, although spotty sometimes in acting categories. But the two organizations  have several hundred of the same members, and last year BAFTA and Oscar matched … Read More »

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OSCARS Q&A: Alan Arkin

By PETE HAMMOND | Saturday February 9, 2013 @ 7:00pm PSTTags: Alan Arkin, Argo, Oscars
Pete Hammond

With a best actor Oscar nomination for his very first film, the comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, and a second one for the drama The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter just two years later, Alan Arkin got off on the right foot early in his career. It would be 38 years later before he got a third nomination, and it turned out the third time was the charm when he won best supporting actor for Little Miss Sunshine. But don’t think the long wait to get to Oscar’s stage mattered much to Arkin. He has a tough time dealing with the whole idea of competition between actors and is happy just letting his work speak for itself. This versatile actor, who is now 78 years old, is still going strong all these years after getting his start as a founding member of The Second City comedy troupe in Chicago. Memorable performances in films as varied as Catch-22, Wait Until Dark, The In-Laws, Glengarry Glen Ross, Edward Scissorhands, and so many others have marked a long career that seemed to win a second life after the Oscar. His fourth nomination is for Argo, in which he plays the ultimate insider Hollywood producer, Lester Siegel, who is called upon to use his expertise in a very different and important way. In typical … Read More »

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OSCARS: Nominees Lunch Spreads Good Vibes As Balloting Is Set To Begin This Week

By PETE HAMMOND | Tuesday February 5, 2013 @ 2:49am PSTTags: Denzel Washington, Kathleen Kennedy, Oscars, Robert De Niro
Pete Hammond

Unquestionably one of the highlights of any awards season is the feel-good, everyone’s-still-a-winner Oscar Nominees Luncheon, which was held Monday at the Beverly Hilton. Academy Award nominees gather together and get to meet each other in a pressure-free zone — except for the huge press turnout to cover their arrivals (there are also press conference-style interviews and poolside one-on-one opportunities for TV cameras afterwards for some of the higher-profile nominees). Basically all they have to do is report to the risers set up in the Hilton’s International Ballroom as their name is called for the big group photo of the Oscar Class of 2012.

Related: 85th Academy Awards Nominees Photo

This year, rather than going alphabetically, the Academy summoned nominees by the table number they were sitting at. The table where I was lucky enough to be invited happened to be No. 1, smack dab in front of those risers, and so nominees Denzel Washington (Best Actor, Flight), producer Kathleen Kennedy (Lincoln), costume designer Colleen Atwood (Snow White And The Huntsman), and Makeup and Hairstyling contender Howard Berger (Hitchcock) were first to be called and had to stand the longest before the shot was taken. Actually, the roll call was bookended with longtime colleagues Kennedy — who was first up — and Lincoln director Steven Spielberg, who was dead-last (just after 9-year-old Best Actress nominee Quvenzhane Wallis, who got a rip-roaring reception when her name was announced).

Overall, 16 of the acting nominees (excluding Emmanuelle Riva, Alan Arkin and Philip Seymour Hoffman) and four of the directors (Michael Haneke is directing an opera in Europe) were in attendance, along with approximately 140 others who showed up and really seemed to have a good time at the annual affair, where the nominees also get their official certificate and a sweatshirt. Another acting contender, Daniel Day-Lewis came down with the flu and was very disappointed he couldn’t make it I am told. Like Day-Lewis, I also heard Quentin Tarantino was really bummed he couldn’t attend due to a bout with the flu. Seems to be rampant these days. Read More »

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OSCARS: Best Picture Contenders Part 2

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday February 2, 2013 @ 2:00pm PSTTags: Amour, Argo, Awardsline, Silver Linings Playbook

The second in a three-part series in which AwardsLine breaks down all nine of the best picture contenders.

Silver Linings Playbook

What the Academy says:  8 nominations (Picture: Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen, Jonathan Gordon; Directing: David O. Russell; Lead Actor: Bradley Cooper; Lead Actress: Jennifer Lawrence; Supporting Actor: Robert De Niro; Supporting Actress: Jacki Weaver; Film Editing: Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers; Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell)

What the public says: $71.4M domestic boxoffice; $19.8M international (as of Feb. 1)

What Pete Hammond says: Because it is a comedy, albeit one laced with drama, Silver Linings Playbook is at a disadvantage right out of the starting gate because comedies don’t traditionally win best picture Oscars. But this critically acclaimed story about two broken people who are trying to get their lives back together benefits from a passionate base of admirers, and that’s key Read More »

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SXSW 2013: Line-Up Includes Joss Whedon’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ U.S. Premiere & ‘Bates Motel’ Pilot Preview

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday January 31, 2013 @ 12:02pm PSTTags: Bates Motel, Joss Whedon, Much Ado About Nothing, SXSW

It’s not The Avengers 2 but Joss Whedon’s other new movie is making its stateside premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. Much Ado About Nothing, which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival last year, joins 108 other feature films at the March 8-16 fest in Austin, SXSW announced today. Along with the previously announced world premieres of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, starring Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi and Jim Carrey, and the reimagined Evil Dead, this year’s SXSW has an on-stage interview with sometimes Austin resident Matthew McConaughey, new films from John Sayles and Nick Cassavetes, a preview of A&E’s Bates Motel pilot, a documentary about home movies from the Nixon White House and, Austin being Music City, a lot of music movies. Here are SXSW’s descriptions of the movies, panels and other events unveiled today:

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. Premieres at SXSW.

Much Ado About Nothing
Director: Joss Whedon
Shakespeare’s classic comedy is given a contemporary spin in Joss Whedon’s film, Much Ado About Nothing. Cast: Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Fran Kranz, Jillian Morgese (U.S. Premiere)

Read More »

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Screen Actors Guild 2013 Awards: ‘Argo’ Cast, Daniel Day-Lewis In ‘Lincoln’, Jennifer Lawrence In ‘Silver Linings Playbook’, Anne Hathaway in ‘Les Miserables’, Tommy Lee Jones In ‘Lincoln’, ‘Downton Abbey’ Cast, Bryan Cranston In ‘Breaking Bad’, Claire Danes In ‘Homeland’, Julianne Moore In ‘Game Change’, Kevin Costner in ‘Hatfields & McCoy’, ‘Modern Family’ Cast, Tina Fey & Alec Baldwin In ’30 Rock’

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Sunday January 27, 2013 @ 6:19pm PSTTags: SAG Awards

UPDATED WITH ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES: The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were televised tonight on TNT and TBS live from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. The casts of Warner Bros’ Argo, PBS’ Downton Abbey, and ABC/Twentieth TV’s Modern Family won. Lead Actor winner Daniel Day-Lewis for DreamWorks’ Lincoln noted that an actor murdered Abraham Lincoln. ”So it’s only fitting that, every once in awhile, an actor tries to bring him back to life again.” For lead Actress, Jennifer Lawrence for The Weinstein Company’s Silver Linings Playbook won and so did Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables and Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln for Supporting Actor. Is this all a precursor for the Oscars? The SAG Award — called ‘The Actor’ — is presented for outstanding performances in motion pictures and primetime television. The winners for performances in 2012 including the distinctive ensemble awards and the stunt ensemble honors are chosen by two separate film and television nominating panels, each comprised of 2,100 members from across the U.S. that were randomly selected this spring. All eligible voting members of SAG-AFTRA cast ballots by January 25th.

The show kicked off with “I Am An Actor” speeches, a legacy from when the Screen Actors Guild Awards first came on the scene in 1995 and Angela Lansbury’s introductory speech at the ceremony was such a hit that it launched a tradition that has become a highlight of the annual show. This year’s Actors Stories were from Jane Krakowski, Chris Tucker, Helen Hunt, Hal Holbrook, Alfre Woodard, Darren Criss, and Sofia Vergara. Helen Hunt: “I’ve been a waitress, a cuckoo clock, a quarterback and a sex surrogate. I’m Helen Hunt and I’m an actor.” But the funniest was Sofia Vergara who joked that growing up in a traditional Catholic home, her father told her that if she did anything artistic, “I was going to look like a hooker. I told him, “With these huge boobs I inherited, I already look like a hooker.”

This year’s 49th annual Life  Achievement Award was presented to TV/movie legend Dick Van Dyke who looked amazingly young but told the cheering and standing crowd, “That does an old man a lot of good. Such a thrill.” He noted that both Carl Reiner and Mary Tyler Moore were both sick with flu and therefore absent. “I’m looking at the greatest generation of actors in the history of acting. You’ve all lifted the art to another place now. If I can refer to you as my peers, I’m a happy man.”

SAG-AFTRA Co-Presidents Ken Howard and Roberta Riordan appeared onstage together during the show. “Hello Mr. President,” Howard said to Reardon. “I couldn’t resist. Landmark year for SAG awards, not just 19th time, but first time since” the two unions united. [...After a bruising multiyear battle.] Now that’s done, Reardon called SAG-AFTRA “the newest strongest union for entertainment and media”.

Jeff Margolis is executive producer and director and his Jeff Margolis Productions produces the awards telecast in association with SAG-AFTRA. Kathy Connell has produced the Screen Actors Guild Awards since its inception and is also SAG-AFTRA’s assistant national executive director of awards and national programming. The Awards Committee for Screen Actors Guild — Chair JoBeth Williams, Vice Chair Daryl Anderson, Committee members Scott Bakula, Shelley Fabares, Paul Napier and Woody Schultz — oversees all stages of the production.

On the scene are Deadline Awards Columnist Pete Hammond, Awardsline’s Anthony D’Alessandro, and Deadline/Awardsline contributor Diane Haithman:

SAG AWARDS WINNERS

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
ARGO (Warner Bros. Pictures)
BEN AFFLECK / Tony Mendez
ALAN ARKIN / Lester Siegel
KERRY BISHÉ / Kathy Stafford
KYLE CHANDLER / Hamilton Jordan
RORY COCHRANE / Lee Schatz
BRYAN CRANSTON / Jack O’Donnell
CHRISTOPHER DENHAM / Mark Lijek
TATE DONOVAN / Bob Anders
CLEA DUVALL / Cora Lijek
VICTOR GARBER / Ken Taylor
JOHN GOODMAN / John Chambers
SCOOT McNAIRY / Joe Stafford
CHRIS MESSINA / Malinov

Ben Affleck talked about “the incredible people in Argo, they spoke English and Farsi. One thing that those who spoke Farsi have in common with us is that they wanted to kill to make this movie better. And that’s what actors do all over the world, everyday. We are in your debt.”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln – LINCOLN (Touchstone Pictures)

Daniel Day-Lewis thanked “all my brothers and sisters in the Screen Actors Guild” and offered his “deepest respect to my fellow nominees.” He said he was sorry that Joaquin Phoenix and fellow cast members who gave their Lincoln characters the “kiss of life” weren’t there. Day-Lewis thanked Leonardo DiCaprio and Liam Neeson for their support. But he unexpectedly drew a big laugh by saying that he set out to perform the role with the Hippocratic oath in mind: “First, do no harm. But then it occurred to me that an actor murdered Abraham Lincoln.  So it’s only fitting that, every once in awhile, an actor tries to bring him back to life again.”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (The Weinstein Company)

Jennifer Lawrence beamed: “Oh my god! This is incredible. Thank you so much. I want to thank MTV, but I’ll explain that in a moment. I earned my SAG card when I was 14. I did an MTV promo Super Sweet Sixteen. I remember receiving the card in the mail. It made me a professional actor, putting me in a category with all of you and now I have this naked statue in front of me. It’s an un-describable feeling.  I want to thank David O Russell. You made a movie for your son so he wouldn’t  feel alone and misunderstood. And I can speak on behalf of all us: you helped so many sons and daughters. Bradley, my performance wouldn’t be good without you. And Harvey, I don’t even know what to say. You’re a rascal. You’ve nourished the filmmakers that nourish me.”
Read More »

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‘Burt Wonderstone’ To Open SXSW Film Festival

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday January 15, 2013 @ 12:00pm PSTTags: Evil Dead, Spring Breakers, SXSW, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Warner Bros and New Line’s comedy starring Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi and Jim Carrey will have its world premiere March 8 at the SXSW Film Conference and Festival, which made the announcement today. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, about a pair of Las Vegas magicians who face off against a new rival, is directed by Don Scardino and opens wide March 15. The Austin-based fest also said it will premiere the reimagined Evil Dead; Joe Swanberg’s comedy Drinking Buddies; the Napster documentary Downloaded from Alex Winter; and Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers starring Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and James Franco. Most of the full lineup will be announced January 31 and the fest runs March 8-16. Here are SXSW’s descriptions of the films and panels set so far: Read More »

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Backstage At The Golden Globes

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Sunday January 13, 2013 @ 4:34pm PSTTags: Golden Globes

Diane Haithman, Ray Richmond and Anthony D’Alessandro are contributing to Deadline’s Golden Globes coverage.

Nikki Finke: Live-Snarking Golden Globes
Golden Globes Winners List

Refresh for latest …..

Justice prevailed at the Beverly Hilton as Argo nabbed the best drama Golden Globe and the film’s director Ben Affleck, overlooked last week by the Academy for best director, got his due by the Hollywood Foreign Press with a best directing Globe. So after the Academy overlooked Affleck in the directing category, what did his Oscar strategists have to say to him? What reasons did they give him in terms of why he was overlooked? In short, the director was mum on that answer and wasn’t bogged down by voting mechanics over at the Academy. Rather, he gratefully exclaimed “Look, we got nominated for seven Oscars. And if one isn’t happy with that, your prospects for long-term happiness is pretty damned. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” Flanked by his producers Grant Heslov and George Clooney, Affleck added, “I’m a member of the Academy and we got nominated by the people who made movies we all admire and respect.” “What Academy are you talking about?,” joked Heslov. “To frame this (race) about me not getting the nomination I didn’t get, isn’t right,” said Affleck then quipping, “But hey — I didn’t get the acting category and no one is saying I got snubbed there!” Clooney threw his 10 cents in on the entire Academy misfire in the director category: “I was disappointed. I think Ben made a phenomenal film. He should have been nominated, but you can’t figure out what goes on in the Academy. We talked about this for the next day. We got seven nominations! And it all happened out of what Ben put together. We’re not out of the water yet.” Remarking on Affleck’s career, from Good Will Hunting co-star and Globe/Oscar winning scribe to Gigli headliner to auteur, Clooney exclaimed, “Ben was in actor jail for a couple of years. We’ve all been there, even me. I was in Batman & Robin. But it’s how you handle yourself as a performer during those times. Ben directed his way out of it. He did Gone Baby Gone and The Town, films which made money and with Argo it put him further in the right direction. I’m proud to work with him — and I hate him.” The gang was joined on stage by their composer Alexandre Desplat, actors Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Alan Arkin and Argo source material CIA agent Tony Mendez.

The Golden Globe comedy musical win for Les Miserables comes at a prime time for the film, following its record UK opening, not to mention, right in the middle of its steady domestic run which has minted an estimated $119.2 million as of today. Bringing the film in at a lengthy 157 minutes, Tom Hooper was faced with the difficult choice of what to keep and what to cut. “‘I Dreamed A Dream’ — I think that’s the greatest of Anne’s performances. I was beholden to that cut. Who would want to cut it? But the most painful edit I had to make was a little scene after Gavroche was shot dead and Eddie Redmayne’s Marius shoots the soldier dead.” One thing director Hooper didn’t do during the filming of Les Miserables was shut down the production every time someone got a sore throat. This was the case when Sacha Baron Cohen lost his voice on set. Hooper sent the comedic actor home on voice rest. “This was an ensemble piece with 204 actors, and I certainly wasn’t going to shut down the set 204 times. We would still be in production. But, one guy (Sacha) proved he didn’t have the vocal stamina!” joshed Hooper who was joined backstage with castmembers Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Hugh Jackman, Baron Cohen, songwriters Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg as well as producers Debra Heyward, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Read More »

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OSCARS: Nominations By Studio, Distributor

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday January 10, 2013 @ 8:11am PSTTags: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Oscars, Sony Pictures

MOTION PICTURE NOMINATIONS BY STUDIOS AND DISTRIBUTORS
UPDATED Count and Annotated Count

Count
20th Century Fox (including Fox Searchlight) – 31
Sony Pictures Entertainment (including Sony Pictures Classics) – 24
Walt Disney Co (including Pixar and Marvel and DreamWorks) – 17
The Weinstein Company – 17
Universal (including Focus Features and Working Title) – 17
Working Title – 12
Warner Bros Pictures (including New Line) – 10
MGM – 8
Sony Pictures Classics – 8
Participant Media – 7
Focus Features – 6
Fox Searchlight – 6
New Line Cinema – 3
Paramount Pictures (including DreamWorks Animation) – 2
Cinedigm – 1
Kino Lorber – 1
Magnolia Pictures – 1
Ouat Media – 1
Premium Films – 1
Relativity Media – 1
Submarine Deluxe – 1
Summit Entertainment – 1
Lionsgate (including Summit) - 1
Sundance Selects – 1
Tribeca Film – 1
Marvel Studios – 1
Pixar – 1

Related: OSCARS: Nominations By Picture
Related: OSCARS: 85th Academy Award Nominations

Annotated Count
Fox Film (31)
Best Picture – Beasts of the Southern Wild - Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
Best Picture – Life of Pi - Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
Best Picture – Lincoln – Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
Lead Actor -Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
Supporting Actor – Lincoln – Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
Best Lead Actress – Beasts of the Southern Wild - Quvenzhané Wallis
Supporting Actress -Lincoln – Sally … Read More »

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OSCARS: Reactions To Academy’s Nominations

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday January 10, 2013 @ 7:36am PSTTags: Oscars

Related:
 OSCARS: 85th Academy Award Nominations
OSCARS: Nominations By Studio & Distributor
OSCARS: Nominations By Picture

Refresh for latest…

Picture
Argo
“We would like to thank the Academy for acknowledging Argo in this extraordinary way. This is a great tribute to everyone who worked on the film — from our incredible cast to our tremendous crew. We are honored to have made a film that tells the story of these unsung heroes and it’s so terrific that it’s getting this kind of recognition.”– producers Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney

Beasts Of The Southern Wild
“Never in a million years would I have imagined this! It was a long, long time ago that we began, and weren’t even thinking about stuff like this, not only to be nominated, but to have four nominations, we’re just freaking out over here. This film has been one moment of joy after another. We made this film so far outside of the normal system of making films, we weren’t backed by a major studio, but made it with Cinereach, a nonprofit that is changing the world with movies they’re putting out. We said, We want to make a movie with 6 year old who’s never acted before…that’s the miracle of the movie. We are also so proud that Quvenzhané Wallis is taking us into the history books [as the youngest nominee for Best Actress].” — producer Michael Gottwald

Django Unchained
“The controversy surrounding our film has created a dialogue about something that hasn’t been talked about in a long time. It’s an interesting dialogue and if you go online, you’ll read that one person loves Django Unchained and another one has a problem with it. Instead of everyone going out and getting grilled up and getting crazy, they’re talking about it. That’s what is most important…This was an incredibly challenging movie for everyone. We worked very hard shooting and editing to get it out for our release date and we’re happy that everybody was able to see the movie in time.” — producer Pilar Savone
*
Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook
“I am blown away! I can’t say thank you enough to the Academy for their support of our films. We have a tremendous group of actors and filmmakers who we had the pleasure of working with this year and I am so happy that their achievements are being recognized.” — Harvey Weinstein

Les Miserables
“What a wonderful year for movies when nine films with this kind of diversity get acknowledged for the industry’s highest honor. I am so proud that Les Miserables joins them and that the Academy noted the magnificent work from Hugh, Annie, our legendary song writers and the superlative crafts experts whose work made our film what it was.” — director Tom Hooper
*
“This was one of the hardest films we’ve done. It’s a genre that’s challenging by its very nature — people aren’t used to going to see a musical in a movie theater. Also, no one has ever done a live musical from beginning to end with no prerecorded music. We also had to make sure that in adapting Les Miserables, we didn’t alienate fans, and having the original team of Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbie Kretzmer and Cameron Mackintosh, we were able to keep all the original DNA intact. Then, shooting a film with an appetite of 100 million for 60 million was an interesting challenge. I do feel sad for Ben Affleck, Kathryn Bigelow and Tom Hooper, they did a stunning job all three of them and it’s a shame they weren’t nominated. You have to respect the vote, but it is a shame.” — Working Title’s Eric Fellner
*
“I am proud and thrilled to be nominated for Les Mis and grateful to the team of people who made this film possible who are amongst the most talented in the world. To get to work with visionary director, Tom Hooper, Working Title and the original team who created this beloved musical, has been an incredible honor. For it to be my first movie as producer in my own right, is the stuff of dreams. I am still pinching myself.” — producer Debra Hayward

Life Of Pi
“This has been a 10-year life-changing experience for me. Over 2600 crew members representing 23 different countries have contributed to the making of this movie. Hopefully these nominations help to honor all their very hard work. It truly takes a village. I am forever grateful.” — producer Gil Netter
*
“I am honored to be included with Ang Lee and Gil Netter as this year’s nominee for Best Picture. Thank you to the Academy for recognizing all the talented people, in front and behind the camera, that contributed to Life Of Pi‘s multiple nominations. A special thank you to Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler and everyone at Fox for having the incredible courage, vision and tenacity in making Ang Lee’s Life of Pi. It’s an exciting day… when the journey of faith of a small Indian boy lost at sea… is celebrated. Thank you Ang for making a film ‘we can all believe in.’ ” — producer David Womark
*
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have such a diverse range of films recognized by the Academy. And it’s been equally gratifying to see how audiences throughout the world have embraced these pictures. We congratulate all involved for their magnificent work and well-deserved accolades.” — 20th Century Fox Film president Jim Gianopulos, whose company also co-produced Lincoln

Tony KushnerLincoln
“This nomination is really special because I have been working with Steven Spielberg in excess of 30 years. Not only do I get to go through this experience with him, but every single person that’s been nominated for this film in each category are people I’ve worked with for years. For all of us to get recognized is really gratifying. What’s wonderful about Lincoln is that it’s a reflection of the political process and it’s not an attempt to show which political party is better, rather recognize the scene of the political process. Nowadays, ‘Politician’ has become a bad word, and politicians should be lauded because our political process works. You can see that the process is working. (In Lincoln) you recognize what the founding principles are behind this political process and how it defines us and how we get things done or shouldn’t get things done. That’s why politicians on either side, Democrats and Republicans, are going to see themselves in this — by talking to one another, stepping across the party lines and identifying what’s good for the country; that’s why they’re engaged in what this movie is about.” — producer Kathleen Kennedy

Silver Linings Playbook
“What’s special about this nomination is that it’s been (achieved) in a nail-biting year. It’s been an amazing year and that’s what makes this race more exciting. So many of the different guild votes go in one direction or the other. We believed with American Beauty and Milk we would get a number of nominations, but this year it was less clear. (In regards to losing the DGA nom), there are different voting constituencies. DGA is comprised of all these different members in jobs around the world, while the Academy is a much smaller voting group in the directors’ branch. They rarely match and we kept giving ourselves these statistics.” — producer Bruce Cohen

Zero Dark Thirty
“Thank you to the Academy for these incredible honors. And thank you to the writers who have honored me today with their generosity and to the Academy for the Best Picture nomination. None of us would be so honored today without the genius and remarkable talent of Kathryn Bigelow, and to her we are forever grateful.” — producer Mark Boal, also nominated for Original Screenplay

Lead Actor
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
“To be a part of this group of actors who have put forth incredible performances this year, and for the movie to be recognized by the Academy the way it has been this morning with nominations for Bob, Jen, Jacki and David O!!!. It’s a moment I’ll cherish and never forget.” — Cooper

Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
“I hadn’t planned to listen live to the announcements, but when I got into the car this morning to go to work, the driver had the nominations streaming as they were being broadcast. To be honest, it’s very exciting but all a bit surreal, and it hasn’t fully sunk in yet. This is a brilliant awards year that has been defined by an eclectic list of stories that have been told by incredibly talented and courageous filmmakers, and it’s an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as the other nominees in the Best Actor category. Having hosted the show, I have seen so many different sides of the Oscars, but to be an actual nominee is something I never would have dreamed possible.” — Jackman

Denzel Washington, Flight
Flight was one of the most challenging roles I’ve ever had in my career, and it was an honor to be directed by Robert Zemeckis. It’s always nice to be asked back to the show, and it will be fun to share the evening with our nominated screenwriter John Gatins.” — Washington

Lead Actress
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
“I’m on cloud nine. It’s incredible. I always wanted to be an actress since I was 7 and I didn’t go the fast route. I studied a lot in college, did a lot of TV guest spots and then finally got a  break in films. My films were delayed and not coming out. Now, I receive two Oscar nominations in a row and I can’t believe this is my life. I’m shocked I even get paid for it. (In regard to the controversy over Zero Dark Thirty), Kathryn Bigelow said something beautiful at the New York Critics that ‘Depiction doesn’t mean endorsement’…I found that really strong. When a filmmaker makes a film and doesn’t say if the outcome is right or wrong, they merely present what they discovered by looking at our history and saying, ‘This is where I’ve been,’ that for me is a brave filmmaker. I’ve now been recognized in two films that have been powerful for women and I’m like wow — that’s something to talk about.” — Chastain

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
“I’m so honored and grateful for this nomination and to be in the company of such talented actresses. Having the fortunate opportunity to work with David O. Russell was an extraordinary gift and I am so thrilled for my fellow cast members Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver who are all nothing short of amazing. This was a labor of love that we all poured our hearts into and could not be more thankful to The Weinstein Company and Harvey Weinstein for their unyielding support of the film.” — Jennifer Lawrence

Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
“I am truly happy, touched, and honored to receive, today in New York, a nomination for the role of Anne in Amour by Michael Haneke. For me, it is an immense gift, at this stage of my life, to be chosen by my sisters and brothers, for what I do as an actress. I never thought, while working throughout the years in Europe and France, that one day, I would cross the Atlantic Ocean, come to the United States, and be nominated. It is quite surreal for me. Shooting Amour with Michael Haneke was a complete joy for me, as I felt an absolute trust in him and we were in complete synch. Michael is the very music of his own film.” — Riva

Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts Of The Southern Wild
“Everyone who made Beasts happen is so happy! Thank you to all you Oscar folks, from me, my mom and my dad. I am so happy for Benh and Lucy and the gang in Louisiana. Meeting all these great new people is one of the best parts for me. I want to thank my family, friends, fans and everyone so much. Beast it!” — Wallis

Director
Michael Haneke, Amour
“I am very happy and gratified by the Oscar nominations that Amour has received today, and that the voting members of the Academy have taken the film so strongly to their hearts. It is fulfilling to discover that a film has found the audience and critical acclaim that Amour has garnered. I have been very fortunate on both those fronts, but it is especially rewarding to discover that a film has found favor among one’s industry peers who know, in particular, the effort that goes into getting a film — any film –- made. I am also especially happy for all the people who made Amour with me. It is a joyous occasion for us all. Many thanks.” — Haneke

Benh Zeitlin, Beasts Of The Southern Wild
“This was my first feature film and the only way that we got this film made was to charge ahead and believe in destiny and believe that somehow things would all work out. We’ve never been the type of filmmakers who will wait around years for someone to come along and finance things. We just put everything we had into it and moved forward. I’m feeling unbelievably grateful to all the people who’ve championed this film and took the time to look at movie with no stars and barely a budget, and somehow I’m now on the same stage with some of the greatest filmmakers of all time.” — Zeitlin, also nominated for co-writing the adapted screenplay

Ang Lee, Life Of Pi
“I am deeply honored and frankly a little overwhelmed by all of the nominations that Life Of Pi has received this morning. So many talented people gave everything they had to this film, both in front of and behind the camera, and to see all of them receive this kind of recognition is something I am incredibly grateful for.” — Lee

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
“Every time a nomination like this happens, it’s like starting over again. I have no perspective of what has happened before (in my career Oscar-wise). I feel grateful, the fact that Lincoln was nominated 12 times. There are so many great films this year that have been critically acclaimed and audiences have put their stamp of approval on, they’re so different from one to the next and it shows an incredible amount of bravery that indie and movie studios are letting filmmakers be unique in the ways that they tell stories.…The founding fathers wrote the principles that our film argues; principles which the Civil War put in grave jeopardy. Breaking the idea of the democratic union; the crisis of the country being split in half and a single individual taking the counsel of his cabinet and his family, and people like Frederick Douglass finally coming down on the side of justice — this was a a great story. And the man behind the story is the most fascinating figure on the political landscape and has been a historical figure I’ve been fascinated with since childhood.” — Spielberg

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
“There are many ways to answer (why this nomination) is so special to me. This is a film I’ve been trying to make for five years and it’s very personal to me and my family. And for (Silver Linings Playbook) to find audiences, this will help it. Oscars make cinema live with bigger audiences, that’s why it matters. The heart and the emotion of this film will reach people and that’s the biggest reason. The Fighter inspired me to do better work. All four of my actors got nominated this time around, which is what I wanted last time. I always want my actors to get what they deserve. Life sometimes isn’t fair and I’m very grateful that my four actors are getting recognized….There are a lot of different films this year and I’m very respectful of the other films. Every organization is different; BAFTA is different, there are many things that are different. I didn’t give up believing in this film even after the DGA nominations. I believe in our film’s emotional life.” — Russell, also nominated for Adapted Screenplay Read More »

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OSCARS: Nominations By Picture

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday January 10, 2013 @ 7:03am PSTTags: Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Oscars

Related:
OSCARS: Nominations By Studio, Distributor
OSCARS: Who Got Snubbed By Academy?
OSCARS: 85th Academy Award Nominations

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
MOTION PICTURE NOMINATIONS BY PICTURE – 85TH AWARDS

Lincoln - 12 nominations
DreamWorks Pictures/20th Century Fox Production (Walt Disney/20th Century Fox)
Daniel Day-Lewis – Performance by an actor in a leading role
Tommy Lee Jones – Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Sally Field – Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cinematography
Costume design
Directing
Film editing
Original score
Best picture
Production design
Sound mixing
Adapted screenplay

Life Of Pi - 11 nominations
Fox 2000 Pictures Production (20th Century Fox)
Cinematography
Directing
Film editing
Original score
Original song – “Pi’s Lullaby”
Best picture
Production design
Sound editing
Sound mixing
Visual effects
Adapted screenplay

Les Misérables - 8 nominations
Universal Pictures and Working Title Production (Universal)
Hugh Jackman – Performance by an actor in a leading role
Anne Hathaway – Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Costume design
Makeup and hairstyling
Original song – “Suddenly”
Best picture
Production design
Sound mixing

Silver Linings Playbook - 8 nominations
Weinstein Company Production (The Weinstein Company)
Bradley Cooper – Performance by an actor in a leading role
Robert De Niro – Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Jennifer Lawrence – Performance by an actress in a leading role
Jacki Weaver – Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Directing
Film editing
Best picture
Adapted screenplay

Argo – 7 nominations
Stage 16 Pictures Production (Warner Bros.)
Alan Arkin – Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Film editing
Original score
Best picture
Sound editing
Sound mixing
Adapted screenplay

Zero Dark Thirty - 5 nominations
Columbia Pictures Production (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Jessica Chastain – Performance by an actress in a leading role
Film editing
Best picture
Sound editing
Original screenplay

Amour – 5 nominations
Les Films du Losange/X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film Production (Sony Pictures Classics)
Emmanuelle Riva – Performance by an actress in a leading role
Directing
Best foreign language film (Austria)
Best picture
Original screenplay

Skyfall – 5 nominations
Eon Productions Ltd./Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures Production (Sony Pictures Releasing and MGM)
Cinematography
Original score
Original song – “Skyfall”
Sound editing
Sound mixing

Django Unchained - 5 nominations
Weinstein Company and Columbia Pictures Production (The Weinstein Company)
Christoph Waltz – Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Cinematography
Best picture
Sound editing
Original screenplay

Anna Karenina – 4 nominations
Working Title Films Production (Focus Features)
Cinematography
Costume design
Original score
Production design

Beasts of the Southern Wild - 4 nominations
Cinereach and Court 13 Production (Fox Searchlight)
Quvenzhané Wallis – Performance by an actress in a leading role
Directing
Best picture
Adapted screenplay

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - 3 nominations
New Line and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Production (Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
Makeup and hairstyling
Production design
Visual effects

The Master - 3 nominations
Ghoulardi Film Company/Annapurna Pictures Production (The Weinstein Company)
Joaquin Phoenix – Performance by an actor in a leading role
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Amy Adams – Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Read More »

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OSCARS: 85th Academy Award Nominations – Only 9 Best Pictures; ‘Lincoln’ Leads With 12 Nods, ‘Life Of Pi’ 11, ‘Les Misérables’ And ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ 8, ‘Argo’ 7, ‘Skyfall’ And ‘Amour’ And ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ And ‘Django Unchained’ 5

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday January 10, 2013 @ 5:36am PSTTags: Lincoln, Oscars

Oscar Nominations 2013Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards were announced this morning by the show’s host, Seth MacFarlane, and actress Emma Stone on Thursday, January 10. This was the first time since 1972 that an Oscar show host has participated in the nominations announcement. DreamWorks’ Lincoln from Fox and Disney led with 12 nods, Fox’s Life Of Pi 11, Working Title/Universal’s Les Misérables and The Weinstein Company’s Silver Linings Playbook 8, Warner Bros’ Argo 7, MGM/Sony Pictures’ Skyfall and Sony Pictures Classics’ Amour and The Weinstein Company’s Django Unchained 5.

Related:
OSCARS: Nominations By Studio & Distributor
OSCARS: Nominations By Picture

The nominations were unveiled at a news conference at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, where hundreds of media representatives from around the world were gathered. Since the first nominations announcement in 1964, the Academy president has been joined by one or more co-announcers at the event. This year the Academy broke with tradition when MacFarlane, the Ted star and filmmaker who was named Oscar show host in October, joined Stone on Oscar nominations morning. (Charlton Heston in 1972 was the only other show host to participate in the nominations announcement.)

Related: OSCARS: Who Got Snubbed By Academy?

MacFarlane made a series of jokes that ripped Academy Awards personalities. ”Congratulations to the Best Actress nominees,” he said. “Now they can stop pretending to like Harvey Weinstein.”

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24th at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide. Academy members from each of the branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories –- actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc.  In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominees are selected by vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Related: OSCARS: Reactions To Academy’s Nominations

Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members on Saturday, January 19, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Screenings will also be held at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood and in London, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area. Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all categories.

Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards

Best motion picture of the year

  • “Amour”
    Nominees to be determined
  • “Argo”
    Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
  • “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
    Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
  • “Django Unchained”
    Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
  • “Les Misérables”
    Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
  • “Life of Pi”
    Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
  • “Lincoln”
    Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
  • “Silver Linings Playbook”
    Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
  • “Zero Dark Thirty”
    Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers

Performance by an actor in a leading role

  • Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook
  • Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
  • Hugh Jackman in Les Misérables
  • Joaquin Phoenix in The Master
  • Denzel Washington in Flight

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

  • Alan Arkin in Argo
  • Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook
  • Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master
  • Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln
  • Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained

Achievement in directing

  • “Amour” Michael Haneke
  • “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Benh Zeitlin
  • “Life of Pi” Ang Lee
  • “Lincoln” Steven Spielberg
  • “Silver Linings Playbook” David O. Russell

Performance by an actress in a leading role

  • Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty
  • Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook
  • Emmanuelle Riva in Amour
  • Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild
  • Naomi Watts in The Impossible

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

  • Amy Adams in “The Master”
  • Sally Field in “Lincoln”
  • Anne Hathaway in “Les Misérables”
  • Helen Hunt in “The Sessions”
  • Jacki Weaver in “Silver Linings Playbook”

Best animated feature film of the year

  • “Brave” Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
  • “Frankenweenie” Tim Burton
  • “ParaNorman” Sam Fell and Chris Butler
  • “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” Peter Lord
  • “Wreck-It Ralph” Rich Moore

Adapted screenplay

  • “Argo” Screenplay by Chris Terrio
  • “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
  • “Life of Pi” Screenplay by David Magee
  • “Lincoln” Screenplay by Tony Kushner
  • “Silver Linings Playbook” Screenplay by David O. Russell

Original screenplay

  • “Amour” Written by Michael Haneke
  • “Django Unchained”Written by Quentin Tarantino
  • “Flight” Written by John Gatins
  • “Moonrise Kingdom” Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
  • “Zero Dark Thirty” Written by Mark Boal

Achievement in cinematography

  • “Anna Karenina” Seamus McGarvey
  • “Django Unchained” Robert Richardson
  • “Life of Pi” Claudio Miranda
  • “Lincoln” Janusz Kaminski
  • “Skyfall” Roger Deakins

Best foreign language film of the year

  • “Amour” Austria
  • “Kon-Tiki” Norway
  • “No” Chile
  • “A Royal Affair” Denmark
  • “War Witch” Canada

Best documentary feature

  • “5 Broken Cameras”
    Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
  • “The Gatekeepers”
    Nominees to be determined
  • “How to Survive a Plague”
    Nominees to be determined
  • “The Invisible War”
    Nominees to be determined
  • “Searching for Sugar Man”
    Nominees to be determined

Read More »

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OSCARS: How Reliable Are Precursor Awards In Predicting Oscar Noms?

By PETE HAMMOND | Wednesday January 9, 2013 @ 9:00pm PSTTags: Critics Choice Movie Awards, Oscars, SAG Awards
Pete Hammond

When Oscar voting came to a close Jan. 4 , 9 days earlier than last year, the dynamic of phase one of the awards race was thrown into uncharted territory. Because of the new timing crunch, previous harbingers of Oscar gold like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globe Awards, the Broadcast Critics Association’s Critics Choice Movie Awards, the American Film Institute’s annual list of 10 Movies of the Year, and the Screen Actors Guild’s Awards could have more influence than ever—or perhaps less, depending how you look at it.

Related: Nominations Voting Ends Even As Online Ballot Confusion Persists Among Some Academy Members

In conversations with many potential Academy voters, one thing is clear: The late-breaking contenders of November and December turn out to be the most likely recipients of Oscar attention and therefore the “must sees” for any serious member that planned to cast their ballot over the already über-busy holiday period. November’s Flight, Lincoln, Life Of Pi, Hitchcock, Silver Linings Playbook, and Skyfall together with December’s late-breaking Zero Dark Thirty, Les Misérables, Django Unchained, The Impossible, The Hobbit, and Amour all struggled to get Academy eyeballs before the nomination deadline. With so many year-enders, it positively makes an October contender like Warner Bros.’ Argo seem like a film for which voters will need a long memory. Nearly everything that is being talked about or anticipated is being packed into a two-month corridor. And it doesn’t help matters that many of those titles have running times well over two and a half hours. Read More »

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BAFTA Nominations Announced: ‘Lincoln’ Leads Followed By ‘Les Mis’ & ‘Life Of Pi’; Spielberg & Hooper Not Among Director Field

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Wednesday, 9 January 2013 07:35 UKTags: BAFTA Awards, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Skyfall

Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln leads the pack of nominees (see full list below) for the 65th EE BAFTA Awards, which were announced this morning in London by Alice Eve and Jeremy Irvine. Lincoln scored 10 nominations, though it did not pick up a directing mention. Ang Lee’s Life Of Pi and Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables each got nine nods, but Hooper (nominated here for The King’s Speech in 2010) failed to make the directing category. Working Title’s Tim Bevan, who has both Les Mis and Anna Karenina vying for prizes this year, told me he was surprised that Spielberg and Hooper missed out on directing slots but called it an “interesting year because [nominations] seem to be spread all over the place.” The takeaway, he said, is that Spielberg and Hooper are “swimming in a pool of extreme talent this year. Which is great for the movie business.”

Meanwhile, Skyfall, now the highest-grossing film in UK history, was nominated eight times, yet was noted in the Best British Film category and not the overall Best Film group. The only picture to cross over those two fields was Les Mis. The trio of Life Of Pi, Ben Affleck’s Argo and Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty have both Best Film and Best Director slots. The two Best Director candidates whose films were not mentioned in the Best Film group are Michael Haneke for Amour (although it did also land Foreign Language, Original Screenplay and Leading Actress nods) and Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained, which also picked up nominations for Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz and Editing. Read More »

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