AWARDS HEADLINES
Awards 2016: SSN Screening Series — Nine of the Artists Behind ‘The Revenant’ Take Us Inside the Extreme Shoot and Its Award Winning Bear Sequence
Last night, SSN held another round of our screening series, this time for the 12-time Oscar nominated film. The Dolby Image theater was packed for the Q&A that followed the film. The panel featured production designer Jack Fisk, costume designer Jacqueline West, make-up artist Sian Grigg, hair department head Robert Pandini, editor Stephen Mirrione, visual effects supervisor Rich McBride and sound mixers Jon Taylor, Frank Montana and Randy Thom. (SSN)
This Might Explain Quite a Bit: In Oscar Directing Category, ‘More’ Sometimes Beats ‘Best’
Throughout Academy history, winning helmers often demonstrated cool personal style, from John Ford and The Quiet Man through Mike Nichols and The Graduate. (Not to mention Ang Lee’s first win, for Brokeback Mountain.) Conspicuous filmmaking has always been a feature of directing Oscars, but now Herculean effort, rather than idiosyncratic dash, appears to be what’s valued. (IC)
Read the Very Personal Letter That Got ‘Room’ Director Lenny Abrahamson His Oscar-Nominated Gig
As has been discussed quite a lot over the last few months (including in a feature here at SSN), the Room director landed the job by writing a very personal letter to the book’s author, Emma Donoghue. For the first time, that letter has been made public, and now, you can read it. (IW)
OTHER HEADLINES
TV Development For 2/9/16: ‘Cruel Intentions’ & ‘MacGyver’ Get Pilot Orders, Gerard Butler Developing ‘A Darker Shade of Magic’
Among the other projects moving forward in some fashion are a new Navy SEAL show from Joe Carnahan, a game show from Jimmy Kimmel, a semi-autobiographical drama about Doctor Phil’s early career, and a new show for Matt LeBlanc. Click the link for more. (SSN)
‘Ready Player One’ Not So Ready For Competition, Moves To 2018 To Escape ‘Episode VIII’
Warner Bros. has pulled Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi blockbuster, based on the best-selling novel by Ernest Cline out of Star Wars’ wake and into the relative safety of Spring 2018. Initially slated for release on December 15, 2017, the same date as the already crazy-anticipated next Star Wars installment, the studio has opted to push Ready Player One to March 30th, 2018. (COL)
The All-Star Cast Of ‘Collateral Beauty’ Is Getting Even More Glittery
Keira Knightley is in negotiations to join New Line’s unconventional drama being directed by David Frankel. Will Smith leads a cast that already includes Helen Mirren, Ed Norton, Michael Pena and Naomie Harris. The Allan Loeb-written script centers on a New York advertising exec (Smith) who experiences a deep personal tragedy. His colleagues devise a unique plan to break him out of his depression — which works, but not in a way that anyone imagined. (THR)
That New ‘Star Trek’ Series Just Landed Bryan Fuller as Its Show Runner
CBS announced that Fuller will indeed be serving as co-creator and showrunner of the new series set to premiere next January. Fuller will also remain as co-showrunner of the forthcoming American Gods, which just cast its lead. (EMP)
SXSW 2016 Announces Midnighters, Festival Favorites, Shorts & Special Events
Filmmakers Mike Flanagan, Fede Alvarez, Thomas Dekker, Sean Brosnan and stand-up comedian Robert Klein are just some of the names making their world premieres at the 23rd South by South Southwest Film Festival in their Midnighters, Festival Favorites, Shorts Programs and Special Events linup. In addition, for anyone who missed them in Park City, Utah, there’s a slew of familiar titles from the Sundance Film Festival here, too. (DH)
Jackie Earle Haley Lands Coveted Villain Role For AMC’s Upcoming ‘Preacher’ Adaptation
The actor has been cast as Odin Quincannon, whose television incarnation is described as “a small, decrepit man with the unscrupulous iron will necessary to be the most powerful man in Annville County, Texas.” Haley is set to appear in episodes 6-10 of first season. (SF)
Trailer Buzz: ‘High-Rise’
StudioCanal has released the latest look at the upcoming thriller, starring Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss, James Purefoy, Reece Shearsmith, Peter Ferdinando and Dan Renton Skinner. Directed by Ben Wheatley, the movie is scheduled to hit American theaters May 13th. (CS)