Thompson on Hollywood

Producers Guild Picks Top Ten Including Surprise Entries 'Bridesmaids,' 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' 'Ides of March'

Awards

Remember that the Producers Guild of America (PGA) has picked ten film nominations for 2011--the Academy may only pick seven or eight under their new rules favoring number one votes. Thus "Bridesmaids," "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "The Ides of March" may not make it into the Oscar Best Picture race. But it is a bad day indeed for the films that did not make the list at all, including "The Tree of Life," "J. Edgar," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." While passionate fans could still push "The Tree of Life" into Oscar contention, its climb just got steeper.

By Anne Thompson
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January 3, 2012 12:29 PM
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What Went Wrong with Animation in 2011?

Box Office

After the triumphant 2010, was 2011 the hangover for animation? It certainly seems that way, since all I kept hearing over the holidays was disappointment: Carping about "Cars 2" and sneering about "Happy Feet Two" (which arguably offered no compelling reason to return to the dancing penguins of the Antarctic). At least you could say that "Puss in Boots" exceeded expectations and "Rio" transported us to a Brazilian paradise.

By Bill Desowitz
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January 3, 2012 12:17 PM
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Berlinale Announces 20 Films for Panorama Program; 'Elles,' 'Indignados,' 'Keep The Lights On' & More

Festivals

The Berlin International Film Festival has slated twenty films to play in the fest's Panorama Program, which will include fifty across three sections (Main Programme, Panorama Special and Panorama Dokumente series) by the time the fest launches February 9 for ten days.

By Sophia Savage
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January 3, 2012 12:15 PM
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Great Expectations: Predicting The Ten Best Studio Films of 2012 - Will They Deliver?

Features

As the flurry of year-end top tens has slowed, it's time to anticipate the films of 2012. What have the studios got to offer?

By Sophia Savage
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January 3, 2012 9:00 AM
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Fox Searchlight Pushes Back 'Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'

News

Fox Searchlight keeps pushing back "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," which like "Slumdog Millionaire," stars Dev Patel and is set in India. But that's where the comparisons end. Directed by John Madden ("The Debt"), the romantic ensemble about older Brits who settle in India to stretch out their meager retirement funds will now open in select theaters in the US on May 4, 2012. Based on the Novel "These Foolish Things" by Deborah Moggach and produced by Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin, the movie stars Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Tom Wilkinson and Maggie Smith.

By Anne Thompson
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January 2, 2012 7:08 PM
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Holiday Box Office Winners & Losers

Box Office

The short holiday boxoffice season is always one of the year's most lucrative. The seven-week period, which runs from mid-November through New Year’s weekend, contributes a proportionately high percentage to the annual total.

By Brian Fuson
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January 2, 2012 6:53 PM
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Box Office Update: 'Mission Impossible' and 'Sherlock Holmes' Sequels Top New Year's Weekend

Box Office

With the four-day New Year's Weekend grosses tallied, Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and Warner Bros.’ “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” continued to stake the top two spots.

By Brian Fuson
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January 2, 2012 4:25 PM
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New 'Skyfall' Website 007.com Hints at Details of Fiennes Role

News

Check out 007.com, official website of the upcoming James Bond film, “Skyfall,” with its slick countdown: as of Monday there are just 297 days, 6 hours, and 12 minutes left until the November 9 premiere.

By Maggie Lange
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January 2, 2012 2:31 PM
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Oscar Front-Runner Streep to Accept Berlinale's Golden Bear Lifetime Achievement Award

Awards

The Berlinale's honorary lifetime achievement award, the Golden Bear, will be given to "The Iron Lady"'s Meryl Streep on February 14. The Berlin fest's Dieter Kosslick calls Streep "a brilliant, versatile performer who moves with ease between dramatic and comedic roles."

By Sophia Savage
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January 2, 2012 1:35 PM
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Paramount Boasts Top Domestic and Global Market Share with Record $5.17 Billion Worldwide Gross

Box Office

As expected, with all the grosses tallied for 2011, Paramount came out on top, outpacing all studio rivals with a worldwide box office total of $5.17 billion.