AWARDS HEADLINES
Awards Feature: Actor-Turned-Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan Opens Up About His Writing Process On ‘Sicario’
In his first ever produced screenplay, Sheridan explores a lawless world on the US/Mexico border where government agents and drug cartels battle for control of the drug trade. The Texan-native, best known for roles on Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars, was inspired to write the story after the quaint Mexican towns he visited in his youth evolved in to dangerous battle grounds dominated by drugs, corruption, militarized cartels and brutal violence. (SSN)
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Wins Another Best Picture Prize, Keeps Building Its Head Of Steam
The Online Film Critics Society, which is made up of 254 critics from 22 different countries, handed the action film its Best Picture Prize. Apparently car chases translate into any language as George Miller won the Best Director award for his work on the movie as well. Fury Road also received editing and cinematography awards. (CB)
From Superstar Writers to First-Timers, Screenplay Contenders Run The Gamut
Unlikely everyday heroes, unlikeable main characters, biopics that aren’t really biopics and some animated heavyweights dot the landscape of this year’s diverse group of writing contenders in both the Adapted and Original Screenplay categories. (AL)
OTHER HEADLINES
Exec Shuffle For 12/14/15: Richard Fox Heading to China for WB, Scripps Lifestyle Studios Launched, Today’s Willard Scott to Retire
Another busy week in Hollywoodland sees a new EVP of Business Affairs at Warner Bros. Television, a promotion at Disney/ABC Television Group, and a new purchase for Vevo. There’s also a ton more, so click the link to read on. (SSN)
The 2015 Black List Is Out, Did Your Screenplay Make the Cut?
List, which recognizes the year’s most-liked unproduced screenplays as voted on by film executives, has unveiled its 11th edition today. The top vote-getter is Isaac Adamson’s Bubbles, which follows Michael Jackson’s life through the eyes of his adopted chimpanzee. Originally a boutique list, the surveyed execs have grown to 250 for this year, with 81 scripts making the 2015 list. (DL)
MGM Television Has Itself a New President, and He’s Quite a ‘Survivor’
Mark Burnett, who is behind the long-running competition series, among many others, has been named president of MGM Television and Digital Group and signed a five-year contract. MGM made the announcement and disclosed that it has bought out the remaining 45 percent interest that Burnett and Hearst Corp held in United Artists Media Group in deals worth $233 million. Roma Khanna, who had run MGM TV for the past four years, is leaving the company. (VAR)
To the Surprise Of No One, Mark Wahlberg Confirms He Will Star In ‘Transformers 5’
In the fourth film, Age of Extinction, he played Cade Yeager, a Texas inventor and mechanic who was also very protective of his daughter, Nicola Peltz’s Tessa Yeager. That film grossed over $1.1 billion at the global box office. The latest installment is set to be written by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and Ken Nolan. Director Michael Bay hasn’t not been officially confirmed to return, though Bay remains in contention to return to the helm of the franchise. (CS)
In Case You Were Wondering, TWC Has Released a List Of All the Places You Can See ‘The Hateful Eight’ In 70MM On Christmas Day
The movie premieres tonight in New York in 70mm at the Ziegfeld theater and will then embark on the roadshow for one week starting December 25th. On December 31st, The Hateful Eight will open nationwide in traditional formats at a theater near you. Cities where it will play in that format include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, and plenty of others. (COL)
Kathryn Bigelow Developing HBO Drama About Jihadi Recruitment in the U.S.
The first female filmmaker to win an Oscar for Best Director is currently developing a drama for the cable network, once again finding inspiration in America’s War on Terror; the new series will focus on jihadi-recruitment efforts in Minnesota. Bigelow’s contributions will be as executive producer. Taking up writing and directing duties for the show will be Somali-Canadian rapper and poet K’naan Warsame. (WAH)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Star Trek Beyond’
Paramount Pictures has released the first look at the third film in the rebooted franchise, starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba and Sofia Boutella, and directed by Justin Lin. The film hits theaters July 22nd, 2016. (TP)