AWARDS HEADLINES
Awards 2016: Director Todd Haynes Finds Inspiration For ‘Carol’ In Obscure Docudrama’s “Lost Language Of Femininity”
The director is no stranger to stories about the social mores of 1950s America. His Oscar-nominated film Far From Heaven explored racial tensions and a marriage in crisis in 1950s Connecticut. It was an homage to the films of Douglas Sirk, and looked like a film from that era. With Carol, his latest, Golden Globe nominated film, he takes that 1950s nostalgia a step farther. (SSN)
A Month Ahead Of the Academy Award Nominations Announcement, Some Predictions About Who Might Actually Win Them
Is Spotlight emerging as a genuine frontrunner for Best Picture? Will the Best Director winner be different from the Best Picture? Will Ridley Scott take home the gold for The Martian, or does Mad Max: Fury Road’s George Miller have a real shot? Is this the year Leonardo DiCaprio finally wins his Oscar? Can anyone challenge Brie Larson? There are so many questions, and this only serves to add fuel to the discussion fire. (GD)
Guild of Music Supervisors Announce Noms for Sixth Awards Ceremony
For its sixth annual awards ceremony, the Guild of Music Supervisors focused on the soundtracks of several music-driven films and TV shows, including the features Pitch Perfect 2 and Straight Outta Compton, the documentaries Amy, Janis: Little Girl Blue and Cobain: Montage of Heck. (IC)
OTHER HEADLINES
Film Development For 12/17/15: Sony Calling For Three Separate Drafts For Barbie Pic, Scarlett Johansson Circling ‘Move That Body’, and More
Among the other attachments being discussed this week include a stunning, Oscar-winning addition to Thor: Ragnarok, the possibility of Kurt Russell also joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a new director for the live action The Little Mermaid project, and plenty of others. Click on the link to read all about it. (SSN)
Hold the Phone! Sundance Reveals Seven Late Additions To Its 2016 Lineup
Among the highlights are special presentations of Kelly Reichardt and Nicole Holofcener’s first features and the world premiere of Douglas McGrath’s documentary Becoming Mike Nichols. New Zealand doc Tickled is the only competition film added to the list. (TOH)
Jean-Marc Vallee Signs On To Direct All Of HBO’s Nicole Kidman-Reese Witherspoon Mini
Director will helm all seven episodes of Big Little Lies, an adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s 2014 darkly comic novel about three mothers of kindergartners – Celeste (Kidman), Madeline (Witherspoon) and Jane — whose apparently perfect lives unravel to the point of murder. The book was optioned by Kidman’s Blossom Films and Witherspoon’s Pacific Standard. Laura Dern, Adam Scott, Zoë Kravitz and Kathryn Newton co-star. (DH)
Universal’s New Monster Universe Lands a Writer For Its ‘Bride Of Frankenstein’ Remake
Blockbuster writer David Koepp has landed the job to update the James Whale classic, which will follow the lead of the “narrative architects” Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan, and that the new iteration of Bride of Frankenstein will take place in the present day “in order for the film’s characters to have cross-over capabilities with other monster movies.” (COL)
If You’re Waiting To See the ‘Power Rangers’ and Final ‘Divergent’ Movies, the Wait Just Got a Little Longer
Lionsgate has moved back the releases of two of its key franchises. Power Rangers will move back two months from January 13th, 2017, to March 24th, 2017. That date had been occupied by The Divergent Series: Ascendant, so the Shailene Woodley sci-fier will also move back two months to June 7th, 2017 — giving the last film in the series a summer playdate. (VAR)
Jeremy Renner Signs On To Play Legendary Fighter Rocky Marciano In New Biopic
The Hurt Locker star will play the famous boxer who held the heavyweight crown from 1952 to 1956 in Undefeated: The Rocky Marciano Story. Marciano is the only heavyweight champion to retire from his professional career undefeated, with a record of 49-0. Morris S. Levy will produce the film, written by Samuel Franco and Evan Kilgore, which is currently seeking a director. The film will follows Marciano’s life from childhood until his death in a plane crash in 1969. (THR)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’
Paramount Pictures has released the first look at the upcoming true life war memoir, starring Tina Fey, Martin Freeman, Margot Robbie, Billy Bob Thornton, and Christopher Abbott, and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. The film hits theaters March 4th, 2016. (TP)