AWARDS HEADLINES
Foreign Language Oscar Shortlist: The Top 10 Contenders
The Foreign Language Oscar race consistently serves up a cornucopia of interesting auteur fare from around the world. Here’s the films with the strongest chances, and conversations with each of the directors behind them. (DL)
‘Mad Max’ Picking Up Steam with London Critics’ Circle Film Awards Nomination
Voted on by 140 members of The Critics’ Circle Film Section, this year awards will be handed out on January 17. Mad Max, Carol and 45 Years are among the films that earned nominations this year among others. (BBC)
OTHER HEADLINES
Inside the Colossal ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ World Premiere and Party
Hollywood has seen plenty of big premieres over the years, with Marvel superheroes, A-list stars and plenty of glamorous after-parties taking over the iconic Hollywood Blvd. But none of that compares to the massive premiere held for Star Wars Monday night. (THR)
And the Next President of the United States Is….Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is coming back to television – and getting a big government promotion. Sutherland, who played the iconic U.S. counter-terrorism operative Jack Bauer in 24, will play the president in Designated Survivor, which was ordered straight to series Monday by ABC. (USA)
Paramount and Hasbro Latest to Create Their Own Movie Universe, This Time Around G.I. Joe and Four Other Brands
Under a new deal between the studio and Hasbro’s Allspark Pictures, G.I. Joe will join up with characters from the Micronauts, Visionairies, M.A.S.K. and ROM brands. (THR)
Howard Stern Moves Stock Price of SiriusXM Upon Signing 12-Year Deal
There aren’t many celebrities with the power to move a company’s stock price. But Howard Stern is one of them after agreeing to stay on the air for five years as part of a 12 year deal with the satellite radio company that includes its first foray into streamed video programming. (DL)
After ‘Star Wars’ Studios Prepare to Battle it Out for 2016 Chinese Film Slots
Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be the first Hollywood film to play in China in 2016, with a Jan. 9 release date. But now that the CineAsia convention has ended, executives from each Hollywood studio will begin campaigning to see which other films will be the winners of the quota sweepstakes. (VAR)
Annual List of The 10 Most Overlooked Movies of the Year
Over 800 movies were released in 2014, and this year promises even more than that, with so many films released, there are many hidden gems. The 2015 edition counts a trippy biopic, a hip-hop bildungsroman, and a movie shot entirely on iPhone among its entries. (DB)
How Virtual Reality is Going to Change Our Lives
2016 will be the year of VR. Here are four ways in which virtual reality is going to change everything from medicine to the military over the next five years. (TEL)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ Teaser
Although the Harry Potter spinoff is still in production, Warner Bros. Pictures has revealed the first Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trailer. The film will star Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, and Jon Voight, among others. (CS)