AWARDS HEADLINES
Awards 2016: Broadcast Critics Decide To Change Their Rules, Include ‘Star Wars’ In Their Best Picture Race
In an unusual move, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has received an 11th-hour Critics’ Choice Award nomination for best picture more than a week after contenders were initially announced. The film was not screened in time for nominations balloting so the board of directors decided to hold a special vote yesterday to determine if it would have been nominated had members been able to consider it. J.J. Abrams’ pic was thereby able to thwart the rules. (COL)
Awards 2016: Discussing Cinematography — Three Star DPs Discuss Their Craft
This year, Hollywood’s most respected cinematographers went to extreme lengths to bring to audiences some stunning imagery. When it comes to this work, for several D.P.s the Oscar is an afterthought, it’s all about the craft. Here, Beasts of No Nation’s Cary Fukunaga, The Revenant’s Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki and Sicario’s iconic Roger Deakins talk about their work. (AL)
Awards 2016: Six Best Editing Oscar Contenders — There’s More Than Survival at Stake
Among the year’s editorial achievements: a metaphysical journey, the economic collapse as black comedy, a massive Catholic Church cover-up, post-apocalyptic adventure, one man’s colonization of Mars and LA’s “reality rap” story. (TOH)
OTHER HEADLINES
TV Development for 12/22/15: David Fincher & Charlize Theron’s ‘Mindhunter’ Lands at Netflix, Amazon Sets 5 Primetime Series, Vin Diesel Developing ‘Riddick’ Series
The year isn’t quite over yet, as plenty of series move forward in some form or another. Among the new attachments and items include Sean Penn’s mini-series about Andrew Jackson, David Hasselhoff playing a fictionalized version of himself, and yet another new project for Reese Witherspoon and her Pacific Standard shingle. (SSN)
‘Force Awakens’ Brings In $40.1 Million Yesterday, Breaks All-Time Monday Record
Disney and Lucasfilm’s megamovie racked up a global Monday of $81.8M raising its worldwide run to $610.8M. In the U.S./Canada, Force Awakens’ $40.1M Monday at 4,134 venues, blew away Spider-Man 2‘s $27.7M previous Monday high by 45 percent, taking its domestic tally to $288.1M. Jurassic World was the fastest film to cross $300M domestic in eight days, but Force Awakens is going to easily cross the three century mark tomorrow in a record five. (DH)
Never Fear, ‘Avatar’ Fans! James Cameron Has Confirmed Release and Shooting Dates
The Oscar-winning filmmaker says that Christmas 2017 is “the target,” and that the two sequels after that will come out a year apart, which means Avatar 3 is set for Christmas 2018 and Avatar 4 in 2019. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver are all returning for the sequels. (CS)
Warner Bros. Sees the Competition, Decides To Move ‘King Arthur’ From Next Summer To February 2017
In its original July 22nd spot, the movie was set to go against Star Trek Beyond and the latest Ice Age film, but now the Guy Ritchie-directed film, which stars Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Eric Bana, Jude Law and Djimon Hounsou, will now hit theaters on President’s Day Weekend in 2017. (EMP)
Disney Board Members Seek End to Shareholder Lawsuit Over Anti-Poaching Pacts
Three decades ago, George Lucas sold a computer division of Lucasfilm to Steve Jobs and thus, Pixar was born. At the time, the two companies agreed not to poach each others’ workers. Many years later, Lucasfilm and Pixar would each be acquired by Disney, which is now facing civil lawsuits asserting antitrust violations over the very same Lucas-Jobs anti-poaching pact that was allegedly extended to other companies in the visual effects industry. (HESQ)
Kurt Russell Still Hasn’t Seen Guardians of the Galaxy’, but Is Still Considering a Role In the Sequel
The actor himself has confirmed that he’s in the running for the role. However, before he seriously considers it, he needs to sit down and watch the first one, because he hasn’t watched it yet, and knows absolutely nothing about it. Russell is up for the role of Star Lord’s (Chris Pratt) father. Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper will all be back, when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 arrives on May 5th, 2017. (SF)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Everybody Wants Some’
Paramount Pictures and Annapurna Pictures have released the first look at Richard Linklater’s followup to Boyhood, which is being called a spiritual sequel to Dazed and Confused. Will Brittain, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Anthony Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner, Glen Powell and Wyatt Russell star in the movie, which hits theaters April 15th, 2016. (YT)