AWARDS HEADLINES
The Plight Of the White Nominee: Or, the Conundrum Of This Year’s Nominated Actors
Pity the plight of Oscar’s all-white acting nominees. Instead of celebrating, they’re entering a minefield where any comment can explode in their faces. Potential winners planning your speeches, watch out: You face a yellow brick road littered with IEDs. (HRA)
As We Get Closer To the Big Day, We Take a Look At the Animated Short Film Nominees
While the animated short is one of the least discussed categories on Oscar night, it continually provides glimpses of where the medium might be heading, from up-and-coming Pixar animators proving their mettle on a small canvass, to bold visionaries from outside the studio system. This year’s nominations feature generous helpings of both, from CG pomp to hand-drawn intimacy. (IC)
OTHER HEADLINES
Film Development for 2/4/16: More Sundance Sales Including ‘Swiss Army Man’, ‘Gravity’s’ Jonás Cuarón to Write/Direct New Zorro Pic
One of the biggest Film Development collections ever features updates on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Fifty Shades Darker and Power Rangers, while also covering a lot of attachments and acquisitions. There’s simply too much to list here, so click on the link for the full skinny. (SSN)
Peter Schlessel of Focus Features to Exit as CEO After Universal Pictures International Merger
Universal billed the move as “combining the resources of Universal Pictures International Productions with the highly respected creative legacy of Focus Features,” in order to “grow the specialty film sector both domestically and around the world.” Heading the new entity will be Peter Kujawski, who has been managing director of Universal Pictures International Productions. He will take over after Schlessel departs on April 1st. (VAR)
FX Finds Its Three Leads For the X-Men Pilot, ‘Legion’, and They Come From ‘Downtown’, Pawnee and ‘Fargo’
Cable net is going big for its X-Men take, tapping Downton Abbey‘s Dan Stevens, Parks and Recreation grad Aubrey Plaza and Fargo alum Jean Smart to star in the pilot from Noah Hawley. Pilot introduces the story of David Haller, a man who may be more than human and who has struggled with mental illness since his teenage years. But after a strange encounter, he is confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and visions he sees might be real. (LF)
‘Brooklyn’ Is Still In Theaters, but That Isn’t Stopping Producers From Developing a TV Spin-Off
Wildgaze Films is considering a series based around Julie Walters’ character, Mrs. Keogh. Wildgaze producers Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey are developing the idea, which will focus on the boarding house seen in the film run by Walters’ no-nonsense owner. With the series now in early development at the BBC’s drama department, the duo is hopeful that Walters will be convinced to star and that other actors from the film might show up. (EMP)
Tina Fey Gets Some Security as Her Production Company Signs First Look Deal With Universal
Emmy winner’s production company, Little Stranger, has made a first-look deal with the studio, which just released Sisters, Fey’s most recent film with long-time collaborator Amy Poehler. Little Stranger has several noteworthy women-centric projects in the works, including the Paula Pell-penned Do Nothing Bitches, which teams Fey with former UFC champion Ronda Rousey. (WAH)
Awesomeness Films Seeks Next Big YA Franchise, Acquires Lauren Oliver’s ‘Replica’
Production shingle has acquired the film rights to the upcoming young adult duology, with the first book in the pair set to hit shelves on October 4th via HarperCollins. Replica follows Lyra, known by the number 24, a replica – human model – who was born, raised, and observed in a clandestine research facility called the Haven Institute. When Lyra escapes from Haven and meets Gemma, a stranger on a quest of her own, earth-shattering secrets are revealed. (TB)
Kristen Wiig and Cate Blanchett Play a Mean Rhett Butler for W Magazine
To complement W Magazine’s “Best Performances” portfolio in its February issue, Editor-at-Large Lynn Hirschberg asked 29 of the actors featured within, including Kristen Wiig, Bryan Cranston, Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhall and Amy Schumer, to recite the best lines from familiar films. (CO)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Demoltion’
Fox Searchlight has released the new trailer for the upcoming drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts, in a film directed by Jean-Arc Vallée. The movie will premiere at this year’s South By Southwest Film Festival next month, and hit theaters April 8th. (COL)