Thompson on Hollywood

Chris Nolan Talks Directing: Following, Memento, Insomnia, Prestige, Batman, Inception, Superman

In the green room backstage at the Santa Barbara Film Fest tribute to Inception writer-director Chris Nolan, presenter Leonardo DiCaprio showed me and moderator Pete Hammond his collection of priceless movie posters on his BlackBerry. He collects the rarest of the rare, the best of the best, from Casablanca to his latest acquisition, a Metropolis one-sheet that he paid more for than any other movie poster ever. How much? He demurred.

By Anne Thompson
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February 3, 2011 7:03 AM
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Oscar Ballots Mailed, Tom Sherak Talks: Online Ballots, Franco and Hathaway, Top Ten, Date Move

The Academy mailed final ballots for the 83rd Awards on February 2 to 5,755 voting members. The completed ballots are due at 5 PM February 22. Most members--whether in London, New York or Borneo--will anxiously mail their ballots or, if they are in Los Angeles, walk them into PricewaterhouseCooper's offices. After tabulating the votes, PricewaterhouseCoopers will place winners’ names in the sealed envelopes that are opened on the Oscar show February 27.

By Anne Thompson
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February 3, 2011 6:48 AM
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Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue Cover Preview: Franco, Hathaway, Reynolds, Gyllenhaal, Barely Wilde

Check out Vanity Fair‘s annual Hollywood issue cover by Norman Jean Roy, complete with Robert Duvall, Oscar hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway, Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal and a bevy of young stars on the rise, most noticeably Jennifer Lawrence, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Olivia Wilde, Anthony Mackie, Mila Kunis, Andrew Garfield, Jesse Eisenberg and Noomi Rapace.

By Anne Thompson
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February 1, 2011 10:48 AM
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Anne Hathaway Rises as Catwoman in Nolan's Next Dark Knight: Right Pick?

Versatile actress on-the-rise Anne Hathaway just nabbed one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood. She'll play Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman, previously played by Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry) in The Dark Knight Rises across from Christian Bale and bad-guy Tom Hardy.

By Sophia Savage
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January 19, 2011 6:51 AM
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Actress Watch: Dark Knight Rises Tests; Coppola and Portman's Dior Ad; Williams Gives Sage Advice

Christopher Nolan is checking out the ranks of Hollywood's starlets to join Christian Bale and Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises. Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement), Anne Hathaway (Love and Other Drugs), Jessica Biel (The Illusionist, The A-Team), Kate Mara (127 Hours, Iron Man 2), Charlotte Riley (fiance of Hardy and his co-star in the UK's Wuthering Heights TV mini-series) and Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia, and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters) are all scheduled to test. Scheduling seems to be an issue for Naomi Watts and Eva Green, who were previously mentioned. Two roles need to be filled: a love interest and a villain. Who would you like to see in The Dark Knight Rises? Vote in our poll below.

By Sophia Savage
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January 12, 2011 6:38 AM
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Black Swan Psychology Art vs. Science; Sex vs. Sexy: Which Sells Movies?

- Black Swan offers fuel for an Art vs. Science debate. Consider these professional-opinion-posturings on Black Swan ballerina Nina (Natalie Portman) and her mental state. Nadine Kaslow (Dept. of Psychiatry, Emory University) says: "It was intense and disturbing and fascinating and mysterious…What was a hallucination and what was real? When people are psychotic, it's difficult, even as a therapist, to know what's real and what's not."

By Sophia Savage
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December 21, 2010 4:42 AM
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PS22 Chorus Sings Its Way To The Oscars

Staten Island's Public School 22 chorus is performing on the 83rd Academy Awards. Co-producer Bruce Cohen and co-host Anne Hathaway surprised the children and their families with the news at their annual Winter program (watch them reacting below, plus the chorus's "Just Dance" and "Run This Town" videos). This is not the first 15-minutes of fame for the chorus. Directed by Gregg Breinberg, the chorus has enjoyed YouTube fame and appeared on Good Morning America and VH1 Divas as well as performing at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and at the White House's National Tree Lighting.

By Sophia Savage
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December 17, 2010 8:16 AM
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Golden Globes Nominations Led by King's Speech, with Seven

While The Golden Globes nominations have an impact on momentum going into the Oscar race, they are not predictive. That's partly because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (some 80 foreign correspondents) break their categories into Drama and Comedy or Musical. Thus it becomes easy to dismiss certain titles that the Oscars are likely to ignore, including Frankie & Alice, Burlesque, Barney's Version, Easy A, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Red, Casino Jack, The Tourist, and Love & Other Drugs. (Full list of nominees below.)

By Anne Thompson
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December 14, 2010 1:42 AM
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Oscar Talk: What's Up, Down After Gothams, Indie Spirits, National Board of Review

This week Kris Tapley, indieWIRE's Peter Knegt and I analyze the impact of the Gotham Awards, Indie Spirit noms, the National Board of Review and the Coens' finally viewed and reviewed True Grit on the awards race. Kris went to the Inception DVD/Oscar party (so did Amy Dawes). It's a contender--but 127 Hours could be a little shaky.

By Anne Thompson
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December 3, 2010 6:12 AM
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Oscars Go Young with New Co-Hosts Franco and Hathaway

Remember that electrifying moment at the 81st Oscars when Hugh Jackman plucked Anne Hathaway out of the Kodak Theatre audience onto the stage for a number? She was stunning in a white gown, sexy, funny, held her own, could trill the high notes.