Thompson on Hollywood

Oscar Predictions 2014 UPDATE

Awards

And so it all begins again. So far the 2014 Oscar contenders include a trio of Sundance hits: writer-director Richard Linklater's "Before Midnight," co-written by and starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy (who shared a screenplay nomination with Linklater for "Before Sunset"), "Fruitvale," Ryan Coogler's true story of the killing of Oscar Grant by a San Francisco cop, starring Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer, and David Lowery's western "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," starring Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara and Keith Carradine.

By Anne Thompson
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June 5, 2013 2:59 PM
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Ricky Gervais Says Hosting the Oscars "Would Be Very Tempting" -- Here's Why That Won't Happen

Awards

A provocative quote from Ricky Gervais comes to us today courtesy of Gold Derby. The comedian and actor, who has now hosted the Golden Globes twice to both incendiary and underwhelmed reactions, says that hosting the Oscars "would be very tempting." Now, Gervais hasn't been offered the role in any capacity, and here's why he won't be.

By Anne Thompson
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June 5, 2013 1:10 PM
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MacFarlane Opts Out of 2014 Oscar Gig, Recommends Joaquin Phoenix as Host

Awards

Some have speculated that because the motion picture Academy is happy with the ratings of the last Oscar show, and therefore wanted to bring back musically-oriented producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, that their 2013 Oscar host Seth MacFarlane would be part of the 2014 show package. But not so fast. UPDATE: MacFarlane reiterates yet again on Twitter that his Oscar gig was a one-time thing.

By Anne Thompson
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May 20, 2013 2:23 PM
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Cannes: Coens Make A Splash with 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (TRAILER)

Festivals

The Coens made a splash Saturday night with the gala premiere of "Inside Llewyn Davis." The film, with a stunning awards-worthy performance by Oscar Isaac, follows a singer/-songwriter as he attempts to make a go of it in the burgeoning folk music scene of New York's Greenwich Village in the early '60s. Backed by upbeat reviews, distributor CBS Films, producer Scott Rudin and Oscar strategist Cynthia Swartz will make an awards push for the film (here's Variety, Indiewire, THR, Awards Daily).

By Brian Brooks
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May 19, 2013 12:45 PM
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Big Year Ahead for TWC's Festival Darling 'Fruitvale Station' (See New Poster)

Festivals

The first poster for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner "Fruitvale Station" has been unveiled. TWC's indie drama has already proven to be a festival darling, as the film will screen in Cannes' Un Certain Regard sidebar, before the film hits theaters July 12.

By Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio
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May 7, 2013 1:11 PM
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After High-Rated Oscars, Academy Brings Back Zadan and Meron to Produce Next Year's Show

Awards

Truth is, producing and hosting the Oscars is a thankless task. Alec Baldwin says it's a miracle they can get anyone to do the "flabby, tired show." Sure, occasionally someone can pull it out, but most of the time the media just piles on the Oscars. As they did last year with host Seth MacFarlane--who will never host again-- and the musical Oscar show produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

By Anne Thompson
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April 16, 2013 11:24 PM
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Academy Picks Key Award Season Dates, Pushes Back Awards Ceremony for 2014, Moves It Up in 2015

Awards

At first I wanted to praise the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for choosing a reasonably late March 2 date for the next live Oscar ceremony, the 86th, on ABC TV in 2014. This unseemly rush to move the ceremony earlier only jams up all the other awards ahead of it and prevents Academy voters from seeing all the films in time, which seems counterproductive.

By Anne Thompson
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March 25, 2013 2:16 PM
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Weinsteins Pick Awards-Friendly December Date for Kidman-Starrer 'Grace of Monaco,' UPDATED

News

UPDATE: The Weinstein Company finally confirmed their acquisition of US distribution rights to Olivier Dahan's "Grace of Monaco," starring Nicole Kidman in the title role. The film is set for an Oscar-friendly December 27 release.

By Anne Thompson & Sophia Savage
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March 25, 2013 11:25 AM
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ABC Takes Miniseries Rights to Oscar-Nominated AIDS documentary 'How to Survive a Plague'

News

ABC Studios has bought the rights to David France's Oscar-nominated documentary "How to Survive a Plague" in hopes of turning it into a mini-series, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

By Jacob Combs
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March 1, 2013 1:22 PM
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Tina Fey Defends Seth MacFarlane's Hosting of the Oscars: "It's the hardest job there is"

Awards

Seth MacFarlane has no plans to return to the Oscars. "No way," he tweeted. Tina Fey, for one, who hit it out of the park at the Globes with Amy Poehler, defends his performance as Oscar host. "It's the hardest job there is," she explains by phone. "It's a tough room. Seth did great."