LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Movie audiences have flocked to filmmaker Eli Roth's low-budget horror productions like 'Cabin Fever' and 'Hostel.'
On Friday, 'The Last Exorcism Part II,' which Roth produced, will be released. It is the sequel to his 2010 movie about an evangelical minister who let a documentary crew film his last exorcism on a girl named Nell.
The 2010 film cost $1.8 million to make and grossed more than $67 million worldwide. The sequel follows Nell as she discovers that the evil force has returned.
Roth, 40, who is also a director, actor and writer, spoke to Reuters about the enduring appeal of films about possession.
Q: When you shot the first film, were there plans to make a sequel?
A: If we had thought about a sequel, we wouldn't have called the first movie the 'last' one. It made $20 million on opening weekend, which was a surprise. The financiers said, 'whenever you want to do another one, the financing is there for it.'
Q: The first film was filmed documentary-style, but the second was not. What was the thought process behind that?
A: We decided to make the sequel as a straight narrative. In the sequel, the first film exists as a viral video, floating out there on YouTube. So the characters in the sequel recognize Nell as being that girl who breaks her fingers, does her back bend and acts possessed.
Q: 'The Last Exorcism Part II' is set in New Orleans. Does the setting influence the film?
A: It's very much part of the story. It's Mardi Gras and Nell is going out and experiencing the world. But there is this thing still following her, this presence out there. So when you're seeing a creepy face, you don't know if it's a Mardi Gras character or if it's actually something quite sinister.
Q: 1973's 'The Exorcist' is the seminal film on exorcism and possession. Any film since then on the same topic inevitably draws comparisons. Did that weigh on your mind while making the film?
A: 'The Exorcist' came out almost 40 years ago. That was before (U.S. President) Jimmy Carter was in office! I love 'The Exorcist.' I think it's a masterpiece. But we're making a movie for today's 15-year-old kids. They want their own 'Exorcist,' not the ones their parents were into.
Q: There have been many recent films on this same topic, from 2005's 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' to last year's 'The Devil Inside.' What is it that make audiences turn out for them?
A: Possession and exorcism is something that's in every religion and every culture. It's a real primal fear: Is the body a vessel for our spirits? What happens if something else takes over it? Where does the spirit go?
Also, there is a lot of unexplained evil in the world. People need to point the finger somewhere. You can point it at the devil, at evil. With the pope stepping down February 28, a lot of people feel that a gateway to evil will open up. They feel unprotected from evil without the pope there.
Q: Did the first film get any religious support or push back because of the subject matter?
A: Actually, we got a lot of church support because it was very much about faith, the battle between faith and science, and faith wins.
Q: Are there themes of faith in the sequel?
A: There is, but we loved the idea of what if this evil was following you and you actually started to embrace it? What would happen then?
Q: Have you ever met anyone that was possessed?
A: Yeah, I dated her for three months! For a long time I had a crazy girl dating habit. Thankfully, I've recently broken it.
(Reporting By Zorianna Kit; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Stacey Joyce)
Thursday, February 28, 2013
"Jack the Giant Slayer" Review: Fee-fie, ho-hum
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Fee-fie, ho-hum.
'Jack the Giant Slayer' is only incrementally more fun than a spate of other recent action-fantasy movies based on classic fairy tales. It has too much of a whiff of the familiar to stand very tall.
This 3D 'Jack' follows in the once-upon-a-time footsteps of 'Red Riding Hood' (2011), 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012) and last month's 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,' as well as 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' (2012).
It, too, offers a variation on an oft-told tale and peoples it with a mix of live actors and computer-generated digital monsters. ('Jack' was originally slated for a June 2012 release but was pushed back to 2013 early last year.)
'Jack' takes as its starting point the familiar story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk.' That's the one about the poor youth who accepts seemingly worthless beans for the family cow only to have the beans sprout into a towering beanstalk, with a nasty giant dwelling at its tippy-top.
In the movie, Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is an impecunious orphan living on a farm with his ill-tempered uncle when he acquires his magic beans. New to this 'Jack' is an adventure-seeking princess, Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), who provides Jack with both a love interest and a reason to climb the beanstalk to fight the giants after they take her prisoner.
Yes, that's giants plural, as in hulking, slobbering, carnivorous masses of 'em, all turned on by the smell of nearby humans. 'Jack's' CG giants look and act like close relatives of the trolls seen in 'The Hobbit,' complete with similar bad dental work and questionable personal hygiene.
The movie cooks up a complicated back-story, told in a prologue, about the giants having come to earth way back when and a brave king repelling them and banishing them forever to their own kingdom high in the sky. That heroic king, it turns out, was an ancestor of Isabelle's.
The giants have been biding their time until they can exact their revenge and once more munch on humans. When Jack inadvertently drops a magic bean and a massive beanstalk takes root, giants and humans once again must match wits and weapons.
The movie is fitfully amusing, thanks to director Bryan Singer's ('X-Men' and 'Superman') obvious relish for his human performers. Stanley Tucci contributes a sneering turn as a power-hungry villain (is there any other kind?) and Ewan McGregor imbues his noble knight with Errol Flynn-like dash.
As the movie's hero and heroine, Hoult and Tomlinson are appealing but strike no special sparks. Brits Ian McShane, Eddie Marsan and Ewen Bremner also turn up in 'Jack,' as does Bill Nighy, who provides the voice for the dominant head of General Fallon, the two-headed leader of the giants.
The problem is that 'Jack' is never antic enough to be a true comedy or original enough in its action sequences to seem like more than a warmed over version of too many movies we've seen before.
The variations it works on the familiar fairy tale just aren't clever or revisionist enough to bewitch or cast much of a spell. This is popcorn entertainment originating from kernels that are more than a little stale.
Warning to parents: The PG-13 film is way too violent and scary - the giants enthusiastically bite the heads off of humans - to take small kids to see.
'Jack the Giant Slayer' is only incrementally more fun than a spate of other recent action-fantasy movies based on classic fairy tales. It has too much of a whiff of the familiar to stand very tall.
This 3D 'Jack' follows in the once-upon-a-time footsteps of 'Red Riding Hood' (2011), 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012) and last month's 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,' as well as 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' (2012).
It, too, offers a variation on an oft-told tale and peoples it with a mix of live actors and computer-generated digital monsters. ('Jack' was originally slated for a June 2012 release but was pushed back to 2013 early last year.)
'Jack' takes as its starting point the familiar story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk.' That's the one about the poor youth who accepts seemingly worthless beans for the family cow only to have the beans sprout into a towering beanstalk, with a nasty giant dwelling at its tippy-top.
In the movie, Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is an impecunious orphan living on a farm with his ill-tempered uncle when he acquires his magic beans. New to this 'Jack' is an adventure-seeking princess, Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), who provides Jack with both a love interest and a reason to climb the beanstalk to fight the giants after they take her prisoner.
Yes, that's giants plural, as in hulking, slobbering, carnivorous masses of 'em, all turned on by the smell of nearby humans. 'Jack's' CG giants look and act like close relatives of the trolls seen in 'The Hobbit,' complete with similar bad dental work and questionable personal hygiene.
The movie cooks up a complicated back-story, told in a prologue, about the giants having come to earth way back when and a brave king repelling them and banishing them forever to their own kingdom high in the sky. That heroic king, it turns out, was an ancestor of Isabelle's.
The giants have been biding their time until they can exact their revenge and once more munch on humans. When Jack inadvertently drops a magic bean and a massive beanstalk takes root, giants and humans once again must match wits and weapons.
The movie is fitfully amusing, thanks to director Bryan Singer's ('X-Men' and 'Superman') obvious relish for his human performers. Stanley Tucci contributes a sneering turn as a power-hungry villain (is there any other kind?) and Ewan McGregor imbues his noble knight with Errol Flynn-like dash.
As the movie's hero and heroine, Hoult and Tomlinson are appealing but strike no special sparks. Brits Ian McShane, Eddie Marsan and Ewen Bremner also turn up in 'Jack,' as does Bill Nighy, who provides the voice for the dominant head of General Fallon, the two-headed leader of the giants.
The problem is that 'Jack' is never antic enough to be a true comedy or original enough in its action sequences to seem like more than a warmed over version of too many movies we've seen before.
The variations it works on the familiar fairy tale just aren't clever or revisionist enough to bewitch or cast much of a spell. This is popcorn entertainment originating from kernels that are more than a little stale.
Warning to parents: The PG-13 film is way too violent and scary - the giants enthusiastically bite the heads off of humans - to take small kids to see.
Rolling Stones hope to play Glastonbury festival, Ronnie Wood says
LONDON (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones picked up two prizes at the NME Music Awards in London on Wednesday, and guitarist Ronnie Wood said the band hoped to play at Britain's Glastonbury music festival in June.
The Stones won for best live act and best film, and Wood was on hand to accept a pair of irreverent 'middle finger' statuettes.
The Stones returned to the stage in late 2012 to celebrate 50 years in business, and their sellout mini-tour of London and the United States was a hit with critics and fans.
Wood told Reuters Television he wanted to do more live shows, including playing Glastonbury.
'Keep your eye out because you know I want to do some more (live shows) and I know that the boys do too,' he said.
Asked about rumors the Stones could play at Glastonbury, one of the biggest European music festivals, for the first time in their long career, Wood replied:
'I want to do it badly, but I've no idea yet ... but I am just looking forward to. ... I know we're the best live, so I just hope we get it,' he said.
The lineup for the June 26-30 Glastonbury festival has not yet been announced.
The veteran British rock group - comprising Wood, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts - is one of four acts to be nominated four times for the annual NME awards, organized by NME music magazine.
As part of its golden jubilee celebrations, the band collaborated on the documentary film 'Crossfire Hurricane' recalling its meteoric rise to fame.
'Thanks #NMEAwards from me and the boys @RollingStones,' Wood tweeted from the event, where he also took to the stage and performed 'How Soon is Now' with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who was handed the 'Godlike Genius Award'.
'You can't imitate Johnny Marr,' said ex-Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher in a video message played at the awards ceremony. 'He's in a class of his own. He makes the very difficult look easy.'
The other multiple winner on the night was Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine.
She won best solo artist, despite collaborating with other musicians on her music, and best dance-floor anthem for 'Sweet Nothing'.
'I really didn't expect to get this again, especially because it's debatable whether I'm a solo artist,' Welch said after her first honor. 'Thanks to my band - it really is a collaborative thing.'
Other major awards included best British album, which went to The Maccabees for 'Given to the Wild', best track to the Foals for 'Inhaler', best new band to Palma Violets and best British band to Biffy Clyro.
The opening ceremony of the London Olympics in July 2012, directed by filmmaker Danny Boyle, was awarded music moment of the year and U.S. President Barack Obama was named NME's 'Hero of the Year'.
According to NME, more than 10 million votes were cast to decide the winners, the highest number to date.
Following is a list of the main winners of the NME Awards 2013:
BEST BRITISH BAND:
- Biffy Clyro
BEST ALBUM:
- 'Given To The Wild,' The Maccabees
BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND
- The Killers
BEST TRACK
- 'Inhaler,' Foals
BEST MUSIC FILM:
- The Rolling Stones: 'Crossfire Hurricane'
BEST SOLO ARTIST:
- Florence Welch
BEST NEW BAND:
- Palma Violets
BEST MUSIC VIDEO:
- 'R U Mine?,' Arctic Monkeys
BEST LIVE BAND:
- The Rolling Stones
BEST DANCEFLOOR ANTHEM:
- 'Sweet Nothing,' Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
MUSIC MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
- Olympics opening ceremony
HERO OF THE YEAR:
- Barack Obama
(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Peter Cooney)
The Stones won for best live act and best film, and Wood was on hand to accept a pair of irreverent 'middle finger' statuettes.
The Stones returned to the stage in late 2012 to celebrate 50 years in business, and their sellout mini-tour of London and the United States was a hit with critics and fans.
Wood told Reuters Television he wanted to do more live shows, including playing Glastonbury.
'Keep your eye out because you know I want to do some more (live shows) and I know that the boys do too,' he said.
Asked about rumors the Stones could play at Glastonbury, one of the biggest European music festivals, for the first time in their long career, Wood replied:
'I want to do it badly, but I've no idea yet ... but I am just looking forward to. ... I know we're the best live, so I just hope we get it,' he said.
The lineup for the June 26-30 Glastonbury festival has not yet been announced.
The veteran British rock group - comprising Wood, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts - is one of four acts to be nominated four times for the annual NME awards, organized by NME music magazine.
As part of its golden jubilee celebrations, the band collaborated on the documentary film 'Crossfire Hurricane' recalling its meteoric rise to fame.
'Thanks #NMEAwards from me and the boys @RollingStones,' Wood tweeted from the event, where he also took to the stage and performed 'How Soon is Now' with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who was handed the 'Godlike Genius Award'.
'You can't imitate Johnny Marr,' said ex-Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher in a video message played at the awards ceremony. 'He's in a class of his own. He makes the very difficult look easy.'
The other multiple winner on the night was Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine.
She won best solo artist, despite collaborating with other musicians on her music, and best dance-floor anthem for 'Sweet Nothing'.
'I really didn't expect to get this again, especially because it's debatable whether I'm a solo artist,' Welch said after her first honor. 'Thanks to my band - it really is a collaborative thing.'
Other major awards included best British album, which went to The Maccabees for 'Given to the Wild', best track to the Foals for 'Inhaler', best new band to Palma Violets and best British band to Biffy Clyro.
The opening ceremony of the London Olympics in July 2012, directed by filmmaker Danny Boyle, was awarded music moment of the year and U.S. President Barack Obama was named NME's 'Hero of the Year'.
According to NME, more than 10 million votes were cast to decide the winners, the highest number to date.
Following is a list of the main winners of the NME Awards 2013:
BEST BRITISH BAND:
- Biffy Clyro
BEST ALBUM:
- 'Given To The Wild,' The Maccabees
BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND
- The Killers
BEST TRACK
- 'Inhaler,' Foals
BEST MUSIC FILM:
- The Rolling Stones: 'Crossfire Hurricane'
BEST SOLO ARTIST:
- Florence Welch
BEST NEW BAND:
- Palma Violets
BEST MUSIC VIDEO:
- 'R U Mine?,' Arctic Monkeys
BEST LIVE BAND:
- The Rolling Stones
BEST DANCEFLOOR ANTHEM:
- 'Sweet Nothing,' Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
MUSIC MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
- Olympics opening ceremony
HERO OF THE YEAR:
- Barack Obama
(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Peter Cooney)
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tom Hardy, Solar Pictures developing project about post-traumatic stress disorder
NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Tom Hardy wants to play a British soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in 'Samarkand,' a project the actor is developing with Solar Pictures and Greg and Olly Williams, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
The Williams brothers have written a draft of the screenplay, which revolves around a young Special Air Service soldier returning from duty in the Middle East. He struggles to acclimate to regular society after this service, a condition afflicting innumerable soldiers and an issue that has faced heightened scrutiny over the past few decades.
Photographer Greg Williams, who directed Hardy in his short 'Sergeant Slaughter - My Big Brother,' will direct 'Samarkand.' He began his career as a war photographer and has since worked for magazines including GQ and Esquire, shot campaigns for films like 'Casino Royale' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and done portraits of a litany of celebrities.
Solar Pictures is the film financing and production arm of Bobby Paunescu and Jared Underwood's Solar Entertainment Group.
There is no exact timetable on the project, but Hardy recently finished 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' and will next film 'Animal Rescue' for Fox Searchlight. He is also attached to star in Doug Liman's 'Everest,' Daniel Epinosa's 'Child 44' and Steven Knight's 'Locke.'
The Williams brothers have written a draft of the screenplay, which revolves around a young Special Air Service soldier returning from duty in the Middle East. He struggles to acclimate to regular society after this service, a condition afflicting innumerable soldiers and an issue that has faced heightened scrutiny over the past few decades.
Photographer Greg Williams, who directed Hardy in his short 'Sergeant Slaughter - My Big Brother,' will direct 'Samarkand.' He began his career as a war photographer and has since worked for magazines including GQ and Esquire, shot campaigns for films like 'Casino Royale' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and done portraits of a litany of celebrities.
Solar Pictures is the film financing and production arm of Bobby Paunescu and Jared Underwood's Solar Entertainment Group.
There is no exact timetable on the project, but Hardy recently finished 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' and will next film 'Animal Rescue' for Fox Searchlight. He is also attached to star in Doug Liman's 'Everest,' Daniel Epinosa's 'Child 44' and Steven Knight's 'Locke.'
Comedian Tina Fey says "no way" she would host Oscars
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comic actress Tina Fey says there is 'no way' she would host the Oscars ceremony next year, despite getting a thumbs up from 'Star Trek' actor William Shatner in a sketch at Sunday's Academy Awards show.
The creator and star of TV comedy '30 Rock' told the Huffington Post website that she did not see herself as fronting the Oscars telecast.
'I just feel that gig is so hard. Especially for, like, a woman - the amount of months that would be spent trying on dresses alone...no way,' she joked, during an interview with the Huffington Post posted on the website on Tuesday.
Asked if there was at least a one in a million chance, Fey replied, 'I wish I could tell you there was.'
Fey and 'Baby Mama' actress Amy Poehler both received rave reviews for hosting the Golden Globes awards for the first time in January.
In a sketch on Sunday with Seth MacFarlane, Shatner appeared from the future as 'Star Trek' Captain James T. Kirk in a running joke about the edgy 'Family Guy' creator's suitability as host of the most coveted honors in the movie business.
'Why couldn't they get Tina and Amy to host?' Shatner asked, to laughs from the audience packed with Hollywood stars.
TV critics panned the song-and-dance-heavy show and MacFarlane said on Tuesday that he would not consider hosting the Oscars a second time.
The Oscar host - considered both the highest honor and riskiest job in Hollywood - is usually chosen by the producers of the Academy Awards show and is generally announced about five or six months before the February ceremony.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
The creator and star of TV comedy '30 Rock' told the Huffington Post website that she did not see herself as fronting the Oscars telecast.
'I just feel that gig is so hard. Especially for, like, a woman - the amount of months that would be spent trying on dresses alone...no way,' she joked, during an interview with the Huffington Post posted on the website on Tuesday.
Asked if there was at least a one in a million chance, Fey replied, 'I wish I could tell you there was.'
Fey and 'Baby Mama' actress Amy Poehler both received rave reviews for hosting the Golden Globes awards for the first time in January.
In a sketch on Sunday with Seth MacFarlane, Shatner appeared from the future as 'Star Trek' Captain James T. Kirk in a running joke about the edgy 'Family Guy' creator's suitability as host of the most coveted honors in the movie business.
'Why couldn't they get Tina and Amy to host?' Shatner asked, to laughs from the audience packed with Hollywood stars.
TV critics panned the song-and-dance-heavy show and MacFarlane said on Tuesday that he would not consider hosting the Oscars a second time.
The Oscar host - considered both the highest honor and riskiest job in Hollywood - is usually chosen by the producers of the Academy Awards show and is generally announced about five or six months before the February ceremony.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Comedian Will Ferrell to be honored with MTV award
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Will Ferrell will be honored by MTV at its 2013 movie awards show in April for his work in television and film comedy, the cable television network said on Wednesday.
The actor and comedian, who spent years on the TV show 'Saturday Night Live' and appeared in the films 'Anchorman' and 'Elf,' will receive MTV's first Comedic Genius Award.
'Over the course of his extraordinary, 17-plus-year career, he has entertained audiences across the globe with an impressive array of laugh-out-loud performances on air, online and in films,' Stephen Friedman, MTV's president, said in a statement.
Ferrell will receive the award at the April 14 show from the Sony Pictures Studios Lot in Culver City, California.
(Reporting by Noreen O'Donnell; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Eric Beech)
The actor and comedian, who spent years on the TV show 'Saturday Night Live' and appeared in the films 'Anchorman' and 'Elf,' will receive MTV's first Comedic Genius Award.
'Over the course of his extraordinary, 17-plus-year career, he has entertained audiences across the globe with an impressive array of laugh-out-loud performances on air, online and in films,' Stephen Friedman, MTV's president, said in a statement.
Ferrell will receive the award at the April 14 show from the Sony Pictures Studios Lot in Culver City, California.
(Reporting by Noreen O'Donnell; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Eric Beech)
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Jennifer Lawrence's clothes from "Silver Linings" up for auction
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Clothing worn by Jennifer Lawrence in her Oscar-winning role as an outspoken young widow in comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' went up for auction on Tuesday, just two days after the Academy Awards ceremony.
Memorabilia dealer Nate D. Sanders put the skin-tight white dance pants, winter coat and sports bra Lawrence wore in the film up for sale in the online auction that will end on Thursday.
The items are expected to fetch between $500 and $1,500 following the 22-year-old's Best Actress win on Sunday.
'She's now on the record for having an Academy Award, which definitely gives it (the items) status now,' said Laura Yntema, spokeswoman for auction house Nate D. Sanders.
'The Hunger Games' star also won awards from the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild in January for her 'Silver Linings Playbook' performance.
Five items, either worn by Lawrence or from her wardrobe on the film, are up for auction with starting bids at $100.
They include the custom-tailored skin-tight white pants Lawrence wore during the film's climactic ballroom dance scene with co-star Bradley Cooper.
The black, full-length double-breasted Moda International wool coat is a size six. The teal sports bra by Gap Body will be sold together with an extra-small blue Threads 4 Thought long-sleeved shirt.
The auction also has nine clothing items either worn or from the wardrobe of Cooper, and two items from the wardrobe of supporting actor Chris Tucker.
Movie studios often hand off costumes to auction houses, where even small outfits can fetch high prices from fans and collectors.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)
Memorabilia dealer Nate D. Sanders put the skin-tight white dance pants, winter coat and sports bra Lawrence wore in the film up for sale in the online auction that will end on Thursday.
The items are expected to fetch between $500 and $1,500 following the 22-year-old's Best Actress win on Sunday.
'She's now on the record for having an Academy Award, which definitely gives it (the items) status now,' said Laura Yntema, spokeswoman for auction house Nate D. Sanders.
'The Hunger Games' star also won awards from the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild in January for her 'Silver Linings Playbook' performance.
Five items, either worn by Lawrence or from her wardrobe on the film, are up for auction with starting bids at $100.
They include the custom-tailored skin-tight white pants Lawrence wore during the film's climactic ballroom dance scene with co-star Bradley Cooper.
The black, full-length double-breasted Moda International wool coat is a size six. The teal sports bra by Gap Body will be sold together with an extra-small blue Threads 4 Thought long-sleeved shirt.
The auction also has nine clothing items either worn or from the wardrobe of Cooper, and two items from the wardrobe of supporting actor Chris Tucker.
Movie studios often hand off costumes to auction houses, where even small outfits can fetch high prices from fans and collectors.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)
Former Swissair manager says 'Argo' scenes realistic
GENEVA (Reuters) - A former Swissair official said the airport scenes in Oscar-winning film 'Argo' were a realistic depiction of the airline's unwitting role in the rescue of American diplomats from Tehran during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Heinz Koch, who was in charge of the now defunct air carrier's operations in Tehran at the time, said Swissair was not told about the true identities of the 'very important Canadian passengers' until months after it carried the six U.S. diplomats to safety aboard one of its airplanes.
'I was informed by the Canadian embassy that they have on this particular day very important Canadian passengers on board and we should make sure that they were not off-loaded last minute. But this was purely a reservation question, we had no direct impact on immigration,' he told World Radio Switzerland.
'It was a few months later when we got the first information that probably these U.S. diplomats were on board this particular Swissair flight. But we made sure that this information didn't pass around the world,' Koch said.
'We still wanted to operate to and from Tehran and it would have been a big risk if the authorities would have known that we were involved in this operation,' he added.
'Argo' stormed to Best Picture victory at the Oscars in Los Angeles. The honours for the Iran hostage drama marked a triumphant comeback into Hollywood's mainstream for director Ben Affleck.
The thriller, based on a true story, recounts a CIA mission to rescue six American diplomats from Iran under the cover of making a fake Hollywood film. The six escape using falsified Canadian passports and the CIA role only emerged years later.
Iran's culture minister Mohammad Hosseini said on Monday in a news agency report that the film was 'anti-Iran' and lacked artistry.
Life in Tehran after the revolution - during which 52 American diplomats were held hostage - was tense, Koch said.
'The situation in town was very critical. Most other foreigners had left the country, especially families with school children because the international schools were closed down after the revolution.'
Travelers had to pass through many checkpoints on the roads, manned by Revolutionary Guards, he said.
'But we as Swiss we usually passed without problems. The problem was to prove that you were not a U.S. citizen because they were looking for the Americans,' Koch said.
Many Iranians and expatriates were trying to flee Iran, Koch said. Asked if he recalled anything particular on the day of the now historic escape, he said:
'No, for us it was a regular flight as we operated every morning non-stop from Tehran to Zurich. The flights were always overbooked, we were one of the very few airlines still operating to Iran,' he said.
'There was always a big hassle at the check-in for last-minute tickets. Of course there were also problems for Iranians and foreign passengers because they were never sure they could leave the country or not. There were several immigration officers checking your documents, of course the Revolutionary Guards were also present.'
Koch, who said that he had seen 'Argo' with his wife and son in Switzerland, said the Tehran airport security scenes rang true, including Revolutionary Guards questioning passengers.
'That's realistic. When you went to the airport, you had these checkpoints before entering the building, you had checkpoints at the airport, then you had the official immigration, you had the Revolutionary Guards, and even before boarding the aircraft, the passports were checked again.
'And many passengers were stopped from leaving the country.'
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, editing by Paul Casciato)
Heinz Koch, who was in charge of the now defunct air carrier's operations in Tehran at the time, said Swissair was not told about the true identities of the 'very important Canadian passengers' until months after it carried the six U.S. diplomats to safety aboard one of its airplanes.
'I was informed by the Canadian embassy that they have on this particular day very important Canadian passengers on board and we should make sure that they were not off-loaded last minute. But this was purely a reservation question, we had no direct impact on immigration,' he told World Radio Switzerland.
'It was a few months later when we got the first information that probably these U.S. diplomats were on board this particular Swissair flight. But we made sure that this information didn't pass around the world,' Koch said.
'We still wanted to operate to and from Tehran and it would have been a big risk if the authorities would have known that we were involved in this operation,' he added.
'Argo' stormed to Best Picture victory at the Oscars in Los Angeles. The honours for the Iran hostage drama marked a triumphant comeback into Hollywood's mainstream for director Ben Affleck.
The thriller, based on a true story, recounts a CIA mission to rescue six American diplomats from Iran under the cover of making a fake Hollywood film. The six escape using falsified Canadian passports and the CIA role only emerged years later.
Iran's culture minister Mohammad Hosseini said on Monday in a news agency report that the film was 'anti-Iran' and lacked artistry.
Life in Tehran after the revolution - during which 52 American diplomats were held hostage - was tense, Koch said.
'The situation in town was very critical. Most other foreigners had left the country, especially families with school children because the international schools were closed down after the revolution.'
Travelers had to pass through many checkpoints on the roads, manned by Revolutionary Guards, he said.
'But we as Swiss we usually passed without problems. The problem was to prove that you were not a U.S. citizen because they were looking for the Americans,' Koch said.
Many Iranians and expatriates were trying to flee Iran, Koch said. Asked if he recalled anything particular on the day of the now historic escape, he said:
'No, for us it was a regular flight as we operated every morning non-stop from Tehran to Zurich. The flights were always overbooked, we were one of the very few airlines still operating to Iran,' he said.
'There was always a big hassle at the check-in for last-minute tickets. Of course there were also problems for Iranians and foreign passengers because they were never sure they could leave the country or not. There were several immigration officers checking your documents, of course the Revolutionary Guards were also present.'
Koch, who said that he had seen 'Argo' with his wife and son in Switzerland, said the Tehran airport security scenes rang true, including Revolutionary Guards questioning passengers.
'That's realistic. When you went to the airport, you had these checkpoints before entering the building, you had checkpoints at the airport, then you had the official immigration, you had the Revolutionary Guards, and even before boarding the aircraft, the passports were checked again.
'And many passengers were stopped from leaving the country.'
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, editing by Paul Casciato)
Monday, February 25, 2013
"Argo" storms to Oscar victory on night of surprises
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - 'Argo' stormed to Best Picture victory at the Oscars on Sunday on a night of surprises that ended in disappointment for frontrunner 'Lincoln' and handed the most overall wins - four - to 'Life of Pi.'
It was the first time since 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1990 that a film won the top prize at the Oscars without its director also being nominated.
The honors for the Iran hostage drama marked a triumphant comeback into Hollywood's mainstream for director Ben Affleck, who failed to get a nomination in the directing category six weeks ago, and who struggled for years to rebuild his reputation after tabloid ridicule over his 2002-2004 romance with Jennifer Lopez.
'Argo' also won best film editing and best adapted screenplay for its gripping and often comedic tale of the CIA mission to rescue six U.S. diplomats from Tehran shortly after the Islamic Revolution.
'So many wonderful people extended their help to me when they had nothing to benefit from it ... you can't hold grudges. It's hard, but you can't hold grudges. It doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life, because it happens. All that matters is that you get up,' the 40-year-old Affleck, who also produced the film, said in an emotional acceptance speech.
Ang Lee was an upset choice for Best Director for his lavish shipwreck tale 'Life of Pi,' beating the respected Steven Spielberg, whose presidential drama 'Lincoln' took home just two Oscars from a leading 12 nominations.
The other three wins for 'Life of Pi' came for original score, visual effects and cinematography.'
The Best Picture Oscar for 'Argo' was announced in one of the best kept secrets in the history of Oscar telecasts when first lady Michelle Obama made an unprecedented video appearance from the White House to open the winning envelope.
Daniel Day-Lewis, as expected, made Oscar history and won a long standing ovation on becoming the first man to win three Best Actor Oscars. He collected the golden statuette for his intense performance as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln battling to abolish slavery and end the U.S. civil war in 'Lincoln.'
'I really don't know how any of this happened,' said Day-Lewis, who has dual Anglo-Irish citizenship.
Jennifer Lawrence was named Best Actress for playing a feisty young widow in comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook', tripping up on her Dior dress while was going up on the stage.
BAD NIGHT FOR 'ZERO DARK THIRTY'
She beat 'Zero Dark Thirty' actress Jessica Chastain and France's Emmanuelle Riva, 86, the star of Austrian foreign-language winner 'Amour,' in one of the closest Oscar contests this year.
The 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who chose the Oscar winners in secret ballots, dealt a stinging blow to 'Zero Dark Thirty.'
The movie about the 10-year-long hunt for Osama bin Laden, which has been attacked by Washington politicians and some human rights groups for its depiction of torture, came away with just one Academy Award out of five nominations.
Even that Oscar - for sound editing - had to be shared as it was a tie with James Bond blockbuster 'Skyfall.'
Sunday's show will also be remembered for the provocative performance given by Seth MacFarlane, creator of animated television series 'Family Guy,' in his debut as Oscars host.
MacFarlane, 39, pushed the envelope with cheeky songs like 'We Saw Your Boobs' about actresses who have stripped down for movie roles, and jokes about Hollywood's large Jewish and gay communities.
He also turned the telecast into a running joke about whether he would be deemed the worst Oscar host ever by the media on Monday.
Anne Hathaway was a popular first time Oscar winner for her supporting turn in musical 'Les Miserables.'
'It came true,' she said, cradling the golden statuette. Hathaway starved herself and chopped off her long brown locks to play the musical's tragic heroine Fantine in 'Les Miserables' where she showed off hitherto little known talents as a singer.
Austrian, Christoph Waltz, seemed shocked to win the closest contest going into the ceremony. He took Best Supporting Actor honors for his turn as an eccentric dentist turned bounty hunter in Quentin Tarantino's slavery revenge fantasy 'Django Unchained.'
It was Waltz's second Oscar, after winning for the Tarantino movie 'Inglourious Basterds' in 2010.
A jubilant Tarantino also won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and credited the actors who brought the characters in all his films to life. 'And boy this time, did I do it!,' he said.
'Brave,' the Pixar movie about a feisty Scottish princess, took home the golden statuette for Best Animated Feature.
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Sandra Maler)
It was the first time since 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1990 that a film won the top prize at the Oscars without its director also being nominated.
The honors for the Iran hostage drama marked a triumphant comeback into Hollywood's mainstream for director Ben Affleck, who failed to get a nomination in the directing category six weeks ago, and who struggled for years to rebuild his reputation after tabloid ridicule over his 2002-2004 romance with Jennifer Lopez.
'Argo' also won best film editing and best adapted screenplay for its gripping and often comedic tale of the CIA mission to rescue six U.S. diplomats from Tehran shortly after the Islamic Revolution.
'So many wonderful people extended their help to me when they had nothing to benefit from it ... you can't hold grudges. It's hard, but you can't hold grudges. It doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life, because it happens. All that matters is that you get up,' the 40-year-old Affleck, who also produced the film, said in an emotional acceptance speech.
Ang Lee was an upset choice for Best Director for his lavish shipwreck tale 'Life of Pi,' beating the respected Steven Spielberg, whose presidential drama 'Lincoln' took home just two Oscars from a leading 12 nominations.
The other three wins for 'Life of Pi' came for original score, visual effects and cinematography.'
The Best Picture Oscar for 'Argo' was announced in one of the best kept secrets in the history of Oscar telecasts when first lady Michelle Obama made an unprecedented video appearance from the White House to open the winning envelope.
Daniel Day-Lewis, as expected, made Oscar history and won a long standing ovation on becoming the first man to win three Best Actor Oscars. He collected the golden statuette for his intense performance as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln battling to abolish slavery and end the U.S. civil war in 'Lincoln.'
'I really don't know how any of this happened,' said Day-Lewis, who has dual Anglo-Irish citizenship.
Jennifer Lawrence was named Best Actress for playing a feisty young widow in comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook', tripping up on her Dior dress while was going up on the stage.
BAD NIGHT FOR 'ZERO DARK THIRTY'
She beat 'Zero Dark Thirty' actress Jessica Chastain and France's Emmanuelle Riva, 86, the star of Austrian foreign-language winner 'Amour,' in one of the closest Oscar contests this year.
The 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who chose the Oscar winners in secret ballots, dealt a stinging blow to 'Zero Dark Thirty.'
The movie about the 10-year-long hunt for Osama bin Laden, which has been attacked by Washington politicians and some human rights groups for its depiction of torture, came away with just one Academy Award out of five nominations.
Even that Oscar - for sound editing - had to be shared as it was a tie with James Bond blockbuster 'Skyfall.'
Sunday's show will also be remembered for the provocative performance given by Seth MacFarlane, creator of animated television series 'Family Guy,' in his debut as Oscars host.
MacFarlane, 39, pushed the envelope with cheeky songs like 'We Saw Your Boobs' about actresses who have stripped down for movie roles, and jokes about Hollywood's large Jewish and gay communities.
He also turned the telecast into a running joke about whether he would be deemed the worst Oscar host ever by the media on Monday.
Anne Hathaway was a popular first time Oscar winner for her supporting turn in musical 'Les Miserables.'
'It came true,' she said, cradling the golden statuette. Hathaway starved herself and chopped off her long brown locks to play the musical's tragic heroine Fantine in 'Les Miserables' where she showed off hitherto little known talents as a singer.
Austrian, Christoph Waltz, seemed shocked to win the closest contest going into the ceremony. He took Best Supporting Actor honors for his turn as an eccentric dentist turned bounty hunter in Quentin Tarantino's slavery revenge fantasy 'Django Unchained.'
It was Waltz's second Oscar, after winning for the Tarantino movie 'Inglourious Basterds' in 2010.
A jubilant Tarantino also won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and credited the actors who brought the characters in all his films to life. 'And boy this time, did I do it!,' he said.
'Brave,' the Pixar movie about a feisty Scottish princess, took home the golden statuette for Best Animated Feature.
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Sandra Maler)
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Hollywood's finest pose on red carpet ahead of Oscars show
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood's biggest stars strutted and posed on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday, as Iran hostage drama 'Argo' and presidential drama 'Lincoln' went into the movie industry's biggest night in a tight race for Best Picture.
Nominees Jessica Chastain, sparkling in a gold strapless Armani Prive dress, and Amy Adams in a gray strapless Oscar de la Renta gown, were among early arrivals walking the 500-foot (150-meter) long red carpet under warm, sunny skies.
Quvenzhane Wallis, 9, the breakout Best Actress nominee of indie film 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' showed off her puppy-shaped purse to the delight of more than 100 photographers and cameras crews from around the world.
With several contests too close to call, a slate of big box office hits to celebrate and an unpredictable first-time host in Seth MacFarlane, surprises are in store when the curtain rises on the 85th annual Academy Awards.
Daniel Day-Lewis as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is considered an unstoppable force to become the first man to win three Best Actor Oscars.
And buzz was building over a possible upset by France's Emmanuelle Riva, 86, in the Best Actress contest.
Riva, star of the harrowing Austrian entry 'Amour,' emerged as a dark horse in the past few days in a race that had been seen as a battle between 'Zero Dark Thirty' actress Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence of 'Silver Linings Playbook.'
A win by Riva would make her the oldest person ever to win an acting Oscar.
'Lincoln' goes into Sunday's three-hour plus ceremony with a leading 12 nominations, including a directing nod for double Oscar winner Steven Spielberg.
But its front-runner Best Picture status has been dented by the six-week victory streak enjoyed at other Hollywood awards by Ben Affleck's 'Argo.'
'It's been an interesting year,' said Matt Atchity, editor in chief of movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
'I think 'Argo' probably has the best shot. It's certainly got the momentum. It has won so many top awards, and I think it's probably the movie to beat,' Atchity told Reuters.
If 'Argo' does prevail for the top prize, it will be the first movie to win Best Picture without its director even getting a nomination since 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1990.
ANNE HATHAWAY OSCAR BOUND
Musical 'Les Miserables,' comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook,' shipwreck tale 'Life of Pi,' Osama bin laden thriller 'Zero Dark Thirty,' slavery Western 'Django Unchained,' indie film 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' and 'Amour' round out the contenders for the best film of 2012.
In other categories, only Anne Hathaway is considered a sure bet to take home a golden statuette after starving herself and chopping off her long brown locks for her supporting turn as tragic heroine Fantine in 'Les Miserables.'
Awards pundits says Spielberg could lose out in the director's race to Taiwan's Ang Lee for his technical and imaginative feat in filming fantastical adventure 'Life of Pi' with a cast of exotic animals.
And the supporting actor Oscar could go to any of the five nominees - Robert De Niro ('Silver Linings Playbook'), Alan Arkin ('Argo'), Christoph Waltz ('Django Unchained'), Tommy Lee Jones ('Lincoln') and Philip Seymour Hoffman ('The Master').
The Oscar winners are chosen in secret ballots by some 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and handed out before an audience of 3,300 guests and tens of millions more watching around the world on television.
After several years of nominating little-seen movies, this year's nine Best Picture contenders have pulled in more than $2 billion in tickets worldwide.
Producers are promising a fast-paced show packed with music and big performances. But the man getting the early attention will be MacFarlane, the provocative comedian behind animated TV series 'Family Guy' and an unknown quantity as Oscar host.
'We are not going to know what works until we put it out there and see what plays in front of an audience,' Oscar telecast co-producer Craig Zadan told Reuters.
'It's a live show and that is always unpredictable. Once the train has left the station, whatever happens, happens.'
The Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC television in the United States, starting at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT).
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Nominees Jessica Chastain, sparkling in a gold strapless Armani Prive dress, and Amy Adams in a gray strapless Oscar de la Renta gown, were among early arrivals walking the 500-foot (150-meter) long red carpet under warm, sunny skies.
Quvenzhane Wallis, 9, the breakout Best Actress nominee of indie film 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' showed off her puppy-shaped purse to the delight of more than 100 photographers and cameras crews from around the world.
With several contests too close to call, a slate of big box office hits to celebrate and an unpredictable first-time host in Seth MacFarlane, surprises are in store when the curtain rises on the 85th annual Academy Awards.
Daniel Day-Lewis as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is considered an unstoppable force to become the first man to win three Best Actor Oscars.
And buzz was building over a possible upset by France's Emmanuelle Riva, 86, in the Best Actress contest.
Riva, star of the harrowing Austrian entry 'Amour,' emerged as a dark horse in the past few days in a race that had been seen as a battle between 'Zero Dark Thirty' actress Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence of 'Silver Linings Playbook.'
A win by Riva would make her the oldest person ever to win an acting Oscar.
'Lincoln' goes into Sunday's three-hour plus ceremony with a leading 12 nominations, including a directing nod for double Oscar winner Steven Spielberg.
But its front-runner Best Picture status has been dented by the six-week victory streak enjoyed at other Hollywood awards by Ben Affleck's 'Argo.'
'It's been an interesting year,' said Matt Atchity, editor in chief of movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
'I think 'Argo' probably has the best shot. It's certainly got the momentum. It has won so many top awards, and I think it's probably the movie to beat,' Atchity told Reuters.
If 'Argo' does prevail for the top prize, it will be the first movie to win Best Picture without its director even getting a nomination since 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1990.
ANNE HATHAWAY OSCAR BOUND
Musical 'Les Miserables,' comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook,' shipwreck tale 'Life of Pi,' Osama bin laden thriller 'Zero Dark Thirty,' slavery Western 'Django Unchained,' indie film 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' and 'Amour' round out the contenders for the best film of 2012.
In other categories, only Anne Hathaway is considered a sure bet to take home a golden statuette after starving herself and chopping off her long brown locks for her supporting turn as tragic heroine Fantine in 'Les Miserables.'
Awards pundits says Spielberg could lose out in the director's race to Taiwan's Ang Lee for his technical and imaginative feat in filming fantastical adventure 'Life of Pi' with a cast of exotic animals.
And the supporting actor Oscar could go to any of the five nominees - Robert De Niro ('Silver Linings Playbook'), Alan Arkin ('Argo'), Christoph Waltz ('Django Unchained'), Tommy Lee Jones ('Lincoln') and Philip Seymour Hoffman ('The Master').
The Oscar winners are chosen in secret ballots by some 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and handed out before an audience of 3,300 guests and tens of millions more watching around the world on television.
After several years of nominating little-seen movies, this year's nine Best Picture contenders have pulled in more than $2 billion in tickets worldwide.
Producers are promising a fast-paced show packed with music and big performances. But the man getting the early attention will be MacFarlane, the provocative comedian behind animated TV series 'Family Guy' and an unknown quantity as Oscar host.
'We are not going to know what works until we put it out there and see what plays in front of an audience,' Oscar telecast co-producer Craig Zadan told Reuters.
'It's a live show and that is always unpredictable. Once the train has left the station, whatever happens, happens.'
The Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC television in the United States, starting at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT).
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Sandra Maler)
"Lincoln," "Argo" in tight race as Oscars roll out red carpet
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Oscars rolled out the red carpet on Sunday for the movie industry's biggest night, with Iran hostage drama 'Argo' and presidential drama 'Lincoln' in a tight race for Best Picture.
With several contests too close to call, a slate of big box office hits to celebrate and an unpredictable first-time host in Seth MacFarlane, movie fans could be in for surprises when the curtain rises on the 85th annual Academy Awards.
Before the festivities begin, nominees including Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Sally Field, Jessica Chastain, British singer Adele and 'Argo' producer George Clooney, along with performers Barbra Streisand and Jennifer Hudson will parade along the 500-ft long (152 meter) red carpet before dozens of photographers and camera crews.
Inside Hollywood's Dolby Theatre, Academy Awards history could be re-written.
Daniel Day-Lewis as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is considered an unstoppable force to become the first man to win three Best Actor Oscars.
Buzz is building over a possible late upset by France's Emmanuelle Riva, 86, in the Best Actress contest that would make the star of harrowing Austrian entry 'Amour' the oldest person ever to win an acting Oscar.
'Lincoln' goes into Sunday's three-hour plus ceremony with a leading 12 nominations, including a directing nod for double Oscar winner Steven Spielberg.
But its front-runner Best Picture status has been dented by the six-week victory streak enjoyed at other Hollywood awards by Ben Affleck's 'Argo.'
'It's been an interesting year,' said Matt Atchity, editor in chief of movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
'I think 'Argo' probably has the best shot. It's certainly got the momentum. It has won so many top awards, and I think it's probably the movie to beat,' Atchity told Reuters.
If 'Argo' does prevail for the top prize, it will be the first movie to win Best Picture without its director even getting a nomination since 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1990.
ANNE HATHAWAY OSCAR BOUND
Musical 'Les Miserables,' comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook,' shipwreck tale 'Life of Pi,' Osama bin laden thriller 'Zero Dark Thirty,' slavery Western 'Django Unchained,' indie film 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' and 'Amour' round out the contenders for the best film of 2012.
In other categories, only Anne Hathaway is considered a sure bet to take home a golden statuette after starving herself and chopping off her long brown locks for her supporting turn as tragic heroine Fantine in 'Les Miserables.'
Awards pundits says Spielberg could lose out in the director's race to Taiwan's Ang Lee for his technical and imaginative feat in filming fantastical adventure 'Life of Pi' with a cast of exotic animals.
And the supporting actor Oscar could go to any of the five nominees - Robert De Niro ('Silver Linings Playbook'), Alan Arkin ('Argo'), Christoph Waltz ('Django Unchained'), Tommy Lee Jones ('Lincoln') and Philip Seymour Hoffman ('The Master').
The Oscar winners are chosen in secret ballots by some 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and handed out before an audience of 3,300 guests and tens of millions more watching around the world on television.
After several years of nominating little-seen movies, this year's nine Best Picture contenders have pulled in more than $2 billion in tickets worldwide.
'We are so fortunate to inherit this great group of films that are also popular at the box office ... We just lucked out and had this fantastic year in film,' Academy Awards telecast co-producer Neil Meron told Reuters.
Producers are promising a fast-paced show packed with music and big performances. But the man getting the early attention will be MacFarlane, the provocative comedian behind animated TV series 'Family Guy' and an unknown quantity as Oscar host.
'We are not going to know what works until we put it out there and see what plays in front of an audience,' co-producer Craig Zadan said.
'It's a live show and that is always unpredictable. Once the train has left the station, whatever happens, happens.'
The Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC television in the United States, starting at 5 p.m. PST (0100 GMT).
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Jackie Frank)
With several contests too close to call, a slate of big box office hits to celebrate and an unpredictable first-time host in Seth MacFarlane, movie fans could be in for surprises when the curtain rises on the 85th annual Academy Awards.
Before the festivities begin, nominees including Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Sally Field, Jessica Chastain, British singer Adele and 'Argo' producer George Clooney, along with performers Barbra Streisand and Jennifer Hudson will parade along the 500-ft long (152 meter) red carpet before dozens of photographers and camera crews.
Inside Hollywood's Dolby Theatre, Academy Awards history could be re-written.
Daniel Day-Lewis as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is considered an unstoppable force to become the first man to win three Best Actor Oscars.
Buzz is building over a possible late upset by France's Emmanuelle Riva, 86, in the Best Actress contest that would make the star of harrowing Austrian entry 'Amour' the oldest person ever to win an acting Oscar.
'Lincoln' goes into Sunday's three-hour plus ceremony with a leading 12 nominations, including a directing nod for double Oscar winner Steven Spielberg.
But its front-runner Best Picture status has been dented by the six-week victory streak enjoyed at other Hollywood awards by Ben Affleck's 'Argo.'
'It's been an interesting year,' said Matt Atchity, editor in chief of movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
'I think 'Argo' probably has the best shot. It's certainly got the momentum. It has won so many top awards, and I think it's probably the movie to beat,' Atchity told Reuters.
If 'Argo' does prevail for the top prize, it will be the first movie to win Best Picture without its director even getting a nomination since 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1990.
ANNE HATHAWAY OSCAR BOUND
Musical 'Les Miserables,' comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook,' shipwreck tale 'Life of Pi,' Osama bin laden thriller 'Zero Dark Thirty,' slavery Western 'Django Unchained,' indie film 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' and 'Amour' round out the contenders for the best film of 2012.
In other categories, only Anne Hathaway is considered a sure bet to take home a golden statuette after starving herself and chopping off her long brown locks for her supporting turn as tragic heroine Fantine in 'Les Miserables.'
Awards pundits says Spielberg could lose out in the director's race to Taiwan's Ang Lee for his technical and imaginative feat in filming fantastical adventure 'Life of Pi' with a cast of exotic animals.
And the supporting actor Oscar could go to any of the five nominees - Robert De Niro ('Silver Linings Playbook'), Alan Arkin ('Argo'), Christoph Waltz ('Django Unchained'), Tommy Lee Jones ('Lincoln') and Philip Seymour Hoffman ('The Master').
The Oscar winners are chosen in secret ballots by some 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and handed out before an audience of 3,300 guests and tens of millions more watching around the world on television.
After several years of nominating little-seen movies, this year's nine Best Picture contenders have pulled in more than $2 billion in tickets worldwide.
'We are so fortunate to inherit this great group of films that are also popular at the box office ... We just lucked out and had this fantastic year in film,' Academy Awards telecast co-producer Neil Meron told Reuters.
Producers are promising a fast-paced show packed with music and big performances. But the man getting the early attention will be MacFarlane, the provocative comedian behind animated TV series 'Family Guy' and an unknown quantity as Oscar host.
'We are not going to know what works until we put it out there and see what plays in front of an audience,' co-producer Craig Zadan said.
'It's a live show and that is always unpredictable. Once the train has left the station, whatever happens, happens.'
The Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC television in the United States, starting at 5 p.m. PST (0100 GMT).
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Jackie Frank)
"Silver Linings" wins four honors at indie film awards
SANTA MONICA, California (Reuters) - Quirky comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' dominated the Independent Spirit Awards on the eve of Hollywood's Academy Awards ceremony, winning four prizes including for Best Feature.
Jennifer Lawrence, 22, who plays a feisty young widow in 'Silver Linings Playbook,' was named best actress and David O. Russell picked up the best directing honor on Saturday.
Lawrence and Russell are also in the running for Oscars on Sunday, where 'Silver Linings Playbook' is nominated for Best Picture.
'When you make a film from the heart, there is no such thing as genre. They are just real people, and if it's funny in or of itself, that's what happens and that's what my whole cast taught me,' Russell said in accepting his award.
Austrian drama 'Amour,' about an elderly couple coping with the effects of the wife's debilitating stroke, won the Best Foreign Film award on Saturday, strengthening its march toward expected Oscar success on Sunday.
The Independent Spirit Awards are handed out by the Los Angeles-based non-profit group Film Independent and are widely considered the top honors for low-budget and art house movies in the United States.
The ceremony, held in a tent on California's Santa Monica beach, are a more laid-back affair than the formal and glitzy Academy Awards ceremony. Bruce Willis, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Renner, Daniel Radcliffe, Amy Poehler and other celebrities were treated to a casual lunch.
The awards for 'Silver Linings Playbook' largely shut out rival fantasy movie 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' which won one award for cinematography but lost in three other categories.
First-time director Benh Zeitlin, 30, had been considered a front-runner at the Spirit Awards for the mythological film, set in a Louisiana swamp.
'Benh Zeitlin is a young man, so Benh Zeitlin will be back,' Russell quipped on stage.
'Amour' director Michael Haneke, 70, who also won honors at the Cesar Awards in France on Friday, was on hand to accept his award on Saturday. 'I have the impression I'm the oldest man here,' he joked.
Backstage, the veteran German director told reporters through a translator that he was looking forward to the Oscars, where 'Amour' is a contender in five categories including for Best Picture.
'I feel wonderful. It's a complete surprise of course. No one expected that a film with themes like aging and death would have such success. It's been very rewarding for everyone involved,' Haneke said.
Helen Hunt was named Best Supporting Female for her role as a sex therapist in 'The Sessions,' while her co-star John Hawkes, who plays a paraplegic, took the Best Male Lead award.
Backstage, Hawkes told reporters that the role was a physical challenge, but worth it.
'Anytime people notice your work, it gives you more confidence,' Hawkes said.
'The Invisible War,' an insight into rape and sexual assault in the U.S. military, won the Best Documentary award.
Amy Ziering, one of the film's writers, made an emotional acceptance speech, telling service members 'you are heard. You are not alone and you are no longer invisible.'
Matthew McConaughey was a winner for his supporting role as a male stripper in comedy 'Magic Mike.' The actor, who has enjoyed the biggest critical success in his career for the film, accepted the trophy saying, 'I had to take my pants off to win an award.'
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)
Jennifer Lawrence, 22, who plays a feisty young widow in 'Silver Linings Playbook,' was named best actress and David O. Russell picked up the best directing honor on Saturday.
Lawrence and Russell are also in the running for Oscars on Sunday, where 'Silver Linings Playbook' is nominated for Best Picture.
'When you make a film from the heart, there is no such thing as genre. They are just real people, and if it's funny in or of itself, that's what happens and that's what my whole cast taught me,' Russell said in accepting his award.
Austrian drama 'Amour,' about an elderly couple coping with the effects of the wife's debilitating stroke, won the Best Foreign Film award on Saturday, strengthening its march toward expected Oscar success on Sunday.
The Independent Spirit Awards are handed out by the Los Angeles-based non-profit group Film Independent and are widely considered the top honors for low-budget and art house movies in the United States.
The ceremony, held in a tent on California's Santa Monica beach, are a more laid-back affair than the formal and glitzy Academy Awards ceremony. Bruce Willis, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Renner, Daniel Radcliffe, Amy Poehler and other celebrities were treated to a casual lunch.
The awards for 'Silver Linings Playbook' largely shut out rival fantasy movie 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' which won one award for cinematography but lost in three other categories.
First-time director Benh Zeitlin, 30, had been considered a front-runner at the Spirit Awards for the mythological film, set in a Louisiana swamp.
'Benh Zeitlin is a young man, so Benh Zeitlin will be back,' Russell quipped on stage.
'Amour' director Michael Haneke, 70, who also won honors at the Cesar Awards in France on Friday, was on hand to accept his award on Saturday. 'I have the impression I'm the oldest man here,' he joked.
Backstage, the veteran German director told reporters through a translator that he was looking forward to the Oscars, where 'Amour' is a contender in five categories including for Best Picture.
'I feel wonderful. It's a complete surprise of course. No one expected that a film with themes like aging and death would have such success. It's been very rewarding for everyone involved,' Haneke said.
Helen Hunt was named Best Supporting Female for her role as a sex therapist in 'The Sessions,' while her co-star John Hawkes, who plays a paraplegic, took the Best Male Lead award.
Backstage, Hawkes told reporters that the role was a physical challenge, but worth it.
'Anytime people notice your work, it gives you more confidence,' Hawkes said.
'The Invisible War,' an insight into rape and sexual assault in the U.S. military, won the Best Documentary award.
Amy Ziering, one of the film's writers, made an emotional acceptance speech, telling service members 'you are heard. You are not alone and you are no longer invisible.'
Matthew McConaughey was a winner for his supporting role as a male stripper in comedy 'Magic Mike.' The actor, who has enjoyed the biggest critical success in his career for the film, accepted the trophy saying, 'I had to take my pants off to win an award.'
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant and Paul Simao)
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Oscar show promises music, megastars and James Bond
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bigger stars, more music and edgier comedy are on the menu for Sunday's Oscar ceremony, when the most coveted awards in the movie industry are handed out during a glittering Academy Awards show.
Producers of the three-hour Oscar telecast at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre are promising a faster-paced show and more face time with first-time host Seth MacFarlane, while honoring the best films not just of 2012 but also of decades past.
'We have more performances on that stage than we can ever remember there being in the past. And we are not trotting people out just to sing and dance. Every single thing you see on that stage will be related to movies,' said Craig Zadan, who is producing the Oscar telecast for the first time with Neil Meron.
'We have devised ways that we are hoping will make the pacing faster ... That doesn't mean we are not going to give as much weight to honoring the winners, but there has been a lot of dead space in the show (in the past),' Zadan told Reuters.
Steven Spielberg's presidential movie 'Lincoln' heads into Sunday's ceremony with a leading 12 nominations, followed by Ang Lee's shipwreck tale 'Life of Pi' with 11, French Revolutionary musical 'Les Miserables' and romantic comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' with eight apiece, and Iran hostage drama 'Argo' with seven.
All five are competing for Best Picture, the top prize, in a tight race that has narrowed in recent weeks to 'Lincoln' or 'Argo' and will be the last to be announced on Sunday night.
JAMES BOND AND MUSICALS
Before then, Zadan and Meron have assembled an array of performers and presenters that almost outshine the actors, actresses, directors and screenwriters who have been waiting since early January to see if they will go home with a golden Oscar.
They include A-listers Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, John Travolta and Jennifer Aniston, along with younger stars Daniel Radcliffe, Kristen Stewart and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
But don't count on seeing all six surviving James Bond actors on stage for the planned special 50th anniversary tribute to the British secret agent's illustrious movie career.
'We have a tribute to James Bond which is really exciting and thrilling, but it never included the concept of six guys coming out and standing there awkwardly on the stage,' Zadan said, quashing speculation that Daniel Craig, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Sean Connery and George Lazenby would unite on Sunday.
The nominations for 'Les Miserables,' where Anne Hathaway is tipped to win Best Supporting Actress, has opened the door to a celebration of the last decade of musicals.
The tribute will feature Hathaway, her Oscar-nominated co-star Hugh Jackman, as well as 'Dreamgirls' and 'Chicago' Oscar winners Jennifer Hudson and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
MacFarlane, the creator of provocative animated TV series 'Family Guy,' will also be showing off his vocal skills, and spending more time on stage than has been traditional for Oscar hosts.
'What happens a lot in the past is that the host comes on, talks for a lot, and then disappears for half an hour. We are not doing that. We are having Seth be there a lot, out there introducing things, and that allows for more pacing and comedy,' said Zadan.
But there will be plenty of room for the unpredictable - and that's not even counting possible upsets when the winners' envelopes are unsealed.
'We love the fact that people don't quite know what they're going to get with Seth as a host,' said Meron. 'We live for the moments that happen on stage. Those are some of the great Oscar moments of the past.'
The Oscar winners are chosen by some 5,800 movie industry professionals who are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Academy Awards ceremony, in its 85th year, will be broadcast live on ABC television in the United States, and to more than 225 other nations.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant editing by Jackie Frank)
Producers of the three-hour Oscar telecast at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre are promising a faster-paced show and more face time with first-time host Seth MacFarlane, while honoring the best films not just of 2012 but also of decades past.
'We have more performances on that stage than we can ever remember there being in the past. And we are not trotting people out just to sing and dance. Every single thing you see on that stage will be related to movies,' said Craig Zadan, who is producing the Oscar telecast for the first time with Neil Meron.
'We have devised ways that we are hoping will make the pacing faster ... That doesn't mean we are not going to give as much weight to honoring the winners, but there has been a lot of dead space in the show (in the past),' Zadan told Reuters.
Steven Spielberg's presidential movie 'Lincoln' heads into Sunday's ceremony with a leading 12 nominations, followed by Ang Lee's shipwreck tale 'Life of Pi' with 11, French Revolutionary musical 'Les Miserables' and romantic comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' with eight apiece, and Iran hostage drama 'Argo' with seven.
All five are competing for Best Picture, the top prize, in a tight race that has narrowed in recent weeks to 'Lincoln' or 'Argo' and will be the last to be announced on Sunday night.
JAMES BOND AND MUSICALS
Before then, Zadan and Meron have assembled an array of performers and presenters that almost outshine the actors, actresses, directors and screenwriters who have been waiting since early January to see if they will go home with a golden Oscar.
They include A-listers Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, John Travolta and Jennifer Aniston, along with younger stars Daniel Radcliffe, Kristen Stewart and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
But don't count on seeing all six surviving James Bond actors on stage for the planned special 50th anniversary tribute to the British secret agent's illustrious movie career.
'We have a tribute to James Bond which is really exciting and thrilling, but it never included the concept of six guys coming out and standing there awkwardly on the stage,' Zadan said, quashing speculation that Daniel Craig, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Sean Connery and George Lazenby would unite on Sunday.
The nominations for 'Les Miserables,' where Anne Hathaway is tipped to win Best Supporting Actress, has opened the door to a celebration of the last decade of musicals.
The tribute will feature Hathaway, her Oscar-nominated co-star Hugh Jackman, as well as 'Dreamgirls' and 'Chicago' Oscar winners Jennifer Hudson and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
MacFarlane, the creator of provocative animated TV series 'Family Guy,' will also be showing off his vocal skills, and spending more time on stage than has been traditional for Oscar hosts.
'What happens a lot in the past is that the host comes on, talks for a lot, and then disappears for half an hour. We are not doing that. We are having Seth be there a lot, out there introducing things, and that allows for more pacing and comedy,' said Zadan.
But there will be plenty of room for the unpredictable - and that's not even counting possible upsets when the winners' envelopes are unsealed.
'We love the fact that people don't quite know what they're going to get with Seth as a host,' said Meron. 'We live for the moments that happen on stage. Those are some of the great Oscar moments of the past.'
The Oscar winners are chosen by some 5,800 movie industry professionals who are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Academy Awards ceremony, in its 85th year, will be broadcast live on ABC television in the United States, and to more than 225 other nations.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant editing by Jackie Frank)
Friday, February 22, 2013
ROLL CALL: Hollywood Catches Oscar Fever & A Bad Case Of Pre-Party Courtney Stodden
Your Daily Dispatch of Celebrity Shenanigans
You're On The List?: Hollywood has been all Oscars, all week - and America's favorite teen bride - Courtney Stodden - is doing her part to celebrate excellence in film... or something. Fear not, Courtney is not attending the show (Phew!, you never know, remember when the Academy thought it was a good idea for Snow White to open the show in song with Rob Lowe in 1989!?),but that didn't stop her from attending a few pre-parties, where she showed off amazing (horrid) sense of style (and her love of glittery clutches in the shape if lips and guitars). Let's hope this is the last we see of Courtney until after Sunday night (or ever).
PLAY IT NOW: Oscar Week: How To Get Perfect Red Carpet-Ready Skin!
Oscar Nominee Slammed For Favorite Hat!: Anne Hathaway might have an Oscar nomination - and recently received the Costume Designers Guild Awards style award - but Buzzfeed is slamming the actress for her love of a bold hat choice that she has been seen rocking in recent weeks. Hot or not? You decide!
Ride In Snooki's Ride!: If you ever wanted to take a ride with Snooki, here's the next closest thing! The reality star is selling her hot-pink-trimmed Cadillac Escalade on eBay. The current bid as of press time on Friday morning was just over $60,000 for the 2011 SUV, which Snooki autographed on the hood. Place your bid for Snooki's SUV, HERE! (No word if it smells like self-tanner and pickles).
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Oscars Flashback: Red Carpet Stars 2012
Adam Levine's Clothing Line Both Disturbs & Interests Us: Attention ladies, you can soon dress just like Adam Levine, when he launches 222 by Adam Levine for Kmart. So what will his women's line look like? 'It's like me but with breasts and a vagina,' he told E! about his women's collection. Adding, 'There's so much sexy out there. My line will figure out a way to represent my convoluted and confusing opinion on what is sexy.'
-- Jesse Spero
Copyright 2013 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Most Memorable Oscar Style Stars
You're On The List?: Hollywood has been all Oscars, all week - and America's favorite teen bride - Courtney Stodden - is doing her part to celebrate excellence in film... or something. Fear not, Courtney is not attending the show (Phew!, you never know, remember when the Academy thought it was a good idea for Snow White to open the show in song with Rob Lowe in 1989!?),but that didn't stop her from attending a few pre-parties, where she showed off amazing (horrid) sense of style (and her love of glittery clutches in the shape if lips and guitars). Let's hope this is the last we see of Courtney until after Sunday night (or ever).
PLAY IT NOW: Oscar Week: How To Get Perfect Red Carpet-Ready Skin!
Oscar Nominee Slammed For Favorite Hat!: Anne Hathaway might have an Oscar nomination - and recently received the Costume Designers Guild Awards style award - but Buzzfeed is slamming the actress for her love of a bold hat choice that she has been seen rocking in recent weeks. Hot or not? You decide!
Ride In Snooki's Ride!: If you ever wanted to take a ride with Snooki, here's the next closest thing! The reality star is selling her hot-pink-trimmed Cadillac Escalade on eBay. The current bid as of press time on Friday morning was just over $60,000 for the 2011 SUV, which Snooki autographed on the hood. Place your bid for Snooki's SUV, HERE! (No word if it smells like self-tanner and pickles).
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Oscars Flashback: Red Carpet Stars 2012
Adam Levine's Clothing Line Both Disturbs & Interests Us: Attention ladies, you can soon dress just like Adam Levine, when he launches 222 by Adam Levine for Kmart. So what will his women's line look like? 'It's like me but with breasts and a vagina,' he told E! about his women's collection. Adding, 'There's so much sexy out there. My line will figure out a way to represent my convoluted and confusing opinion on what is sexy.'
-- Jesse Spero
Copyright 2013 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Most Memorable Oscar Style Stars
Who needs an Oscar? Hollywood basks in industry's comeback
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The moguls of Hollywood might engage in more backslapping than usual at Sunday's Oscars, and it won't necessarily be over those golden statuettes.
The tuxedoed movie studio chiefs can boast about an unusually large number of blockbuster films in 2012 that lifted ticket sales for the first time in three years and stemmed a seven-year free fall in sales of DVDs and other home entertainment products.
But they can also show crucial progress on their home entertainment strategy, digital downloads and social media, plus lucrative long-term content deals with new players on the scene.
Tinseltown might just be striking the right balance between making what people want to see, getting it to them in a way that works and letting them share their buzz over social media.
Hollywood is a famously cyclical business that can hit a slump even in the best of economic times. But the recent spate of hit-making has put the industry on a high.
Take 'The Avengers,' a mashup of Marvel comic super heroes released by Walt Disney Co, that pulled in $623 million in domestic sales and was one of the five 2012 movies with ticket sales of more than $300 million, an industry record, according to the box office unit of Hollywood.com. The movie cost about $220 million to make.
Two other films - Warner Brothers' first Batman movie in four years 'The Dark Knight Rises' and Lionsgate Entertainment's 'The Hunger Games' -- each topped $400 million, more than any film released in 2011.
These three films won't get much attention at the Academy Awards on Sunday and only 'The Avengers' garnered a nomination, for Best Visual Effects. But in a another sign of Hollywood's winning year, six of the nine competitors for Best Picture hauled in at least $100 million apiece at U.S. and Canadian theaters.
James Bond also returned from a four-year absence with a vengeance and snagged five Oscar nods. 'Skyfall,' made jointly by MGM and Sony Pictures, grossed $304 million in domestic ticket sales and $1.1 billion internationally - the most of any of the 24 Bond films tracked by Box Office Mojo, and nearly twice as much as the second-ranked film, 'Quantum of Solace,' in 2008.
'It was a terrific year,' said Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson, whose studio made 'Ted' and Dr. Seuss' 'The Lorax,' both with box office sales over $200 million. 'Give consumers something that's interesting and you can still get them to come out of their house.'
U.S. and Canadian movie theaters sold more than 1.3 billion tickets in 2012, a 5.3 percent hike and the second time in five years that ticket sales increased. That propelled the box office to a record $10.8 billion, up nearly 5.8 percent.
'ASK ME NEXT YEAR'
The hit parade wasn't enough to turn the tide on the prolonged slide in DVD sales, which fell another 10 percent last year. But in a sign that studios and consumers are synching up on digital offerings, movie downloads, video on demand and streaming services like Netflix saw an increase in sales of 28.5 percent to $5.1 billion, according to the industry's Digital Entertainment Group.
The digital growth pushed the overall revenue figure for DVDs and home entertainment up by 0.2 percent, a step in the right direction.
'Consumers are getting comfortable with digital technology and are using it more,' said David Bishop, president of Worldwide Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
And Hollywood's studios seem to be feeling the same thing.
News Corp's Fox increased sales of digital downloads of its movies on services like Apple's iTunes and Amazon.com, dropping the price from $20 apiece to $15, and making them available two weeks ahead of sales of the same movies on DVD.
'We're making it easy for the consumer who says, 'I didn't see the movie or forgot to get a DVD' to just push a button,' Fox studio Chairman Jim Gianopulos said.
'The result is that we had twice as many downloads of 'Taken 2' and 'Prometheus' than we did of 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'', he said, the latter a 2011 film that had much higher box office sales than other of the two.
Then there were advances in getting the word out.
Lionsgate boosted ticket sales for 'The Hunger Games' in what analysts say was Hollywood's most aggressive online marketing push. The studio stoked interest among the film's core younger audience by starting a year early with a near-constant use of Twitter and Facebook, a Tumblr blog, a YouTube Channel, and live streaming of the premiere on Yahoo.
The studios also saw a new cadre of bidders like Google, Amazon, Apple and Netflix lining up for rights to bring Hollywood movies into the living room. In December, Disney landed a deal with Netflix to stream its movies to television that could bring in an estimated $350 million in revenue a year, more than its current contracts.
Despite all of the advances of recent years, it is hardly certain that Hollywood can keep its winning streak going.
'It boils down to whether the industry can continue to make hit movies,' said Stephen Prough, co-founder of investment bank Salem Partners who oversees the firm's media and entertainment investment banking.
'To answer that, ask me next year.'
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Lisa Shumaker)
The tuxedoed movie studio chiefs can boast about an unusually large number of blockbuster films in 2012 that lifted ticket sales for the first time in three years and stemmed a seven-year free fall in sales of DVDs and other home entertainment products.
But they can also show crucial progress on their home entertainment strategy, digital downloads and social media, plus lucrative long-term content deals with new players on the scene.
Tinseltown might just be striking the right balance between making what people want to see, getting it to them in a way that works and letting them share their buzz over social media.
Hollywood is a famously cyclical business that can hit a slump even in the best of economic times. But the recent spate of hit-making has put the industry on a high.
Take 'The Avengers,' a mashup of Marvel comic super heroes released by Walt Disney Co, that pulled in $623 million in domestic sales and was one of the five 2012 movies with ticket sales of more than $300 million, an industry record, according to the box office unit of Hollywood.com. The movie cost about $220 million to make.
Two other films - Warner Brothers' first Batman movie in four years 'The Dark Knight Rises' and Lionsgate Entertainment's 'The Hunger Games' -- each topped $400 million, more than any film released in 2011.
These three films won't get much attention at the Academy Awards on Sunday and only 'The Avengers' garnered a nomination, for Best Visual Effects. But in a another sign of Hollywood's winning year, six of the nine competitors for Best Picture hauled in at least $100 million apiece at U.S. and Canadian theaters.
James Bond also returned from a four-year absence with a vengeance and snagged five Oscar nods. 'Skyfall,' made jointly by MGM and Sony Pictures, grossed $304 million in domestic ticket sales and $1.1 billion internationally - the most of any of the 24 Bond films tracked by Box Office Mojo, and nearly twice as much as the second-ranked film, 'Quantum of Solace,' in 2008.
'It was a terrific year,' said Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson, whose studio made 'Ted' and Dr. Seuss' 'The Lorax,' both with box office sales over $200 million. 'Give consumers something that's interesting and you can still get them to come out of their house.'
U.S. and Canadian movie theaters sold more than 1.3 billion tickets in 2012, a 5.3 percent hike and the second time in five years that ticket sales increased. That propelled the box office to a record $10.8 billion, up nearly 5.8 percent.
'ASK ME NEXT YEAR'
The hit parade wasn't enough to turn the tide on the prolonged slide in DVD sales, which fell another 10 percent last year. But in a sign that studios and consumers are synching up on digital offerings, movie downloads, video on demand and streaming services like Netflix saw an increase in sales of 28.5 percent to $5.1 billion, according to the industry's Digital Entertainment Group.
The digital growth pushed the overall revenue figure for DVDs and home entertainment up by 0.2 percent, a step in the right direction.
'Consumers are getting comfortable with digital technology and are using it more,' said David Bishop, president of Worldwide Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
And Hollywood's studios seem to be feeling the same thing.
News Corp's Fox increased sales of digital downloads of its movies on services like Apple's iTunes and Amazon.com, dropping the price from $20 apiece to $15, and making them available two weeks ahead of sales of the same movies on DVD.
'We're making it easy for the consumer who says, 'I didn't see the movie or forgot to get a DVD' to just push a button,' Fox studio Chairman Jim Gianopulos said.
'The result is that we had twice as many downloads of 'Taken 2' and 'Prometheus' than we did of 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'', he said, the latter a 2011 film that had much higher box office sales than other of the two.
Then there were advances in getting the word out.
Lionsgate boosted ticket sales for 'The Hunger Games' in what analysts say was Hollywood's most aggressive online marketing push. The studio stoked interest among the film's core younger audience by starting a year early with a near-constant use of Twitter and Facebook, a Tumblr blog, a YouTube Channel, and live streaming of the premiere on Yahoo.
The studios also saw a new cadre of bidders like Google, Amazon, Apple and Netflix lining up for rights to bring Hollywood movies into the living room. In December, Disney landed a deal with Netflix to stream its movies to television that could bring in an estimated $350 million in revenue a year, more than its current contracts.
Despite all of the advances of recent years, it is hardly certain that Hollywood can keep its winning streak going.
'It boils down to whether the industry can continue to make hit movies,' said Stephen Prough, co-founder of investment bank Salem Partners who oversees the firm's media and entertainment investment banking.
'To answer that, ask me next year.'
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Lisa Shumaker)
"Zero Dark Thirty": too cool, or too controversial for Oscars?
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Just three months ago, 'Zero Dark Thirty' looked like a strong contender for the movie industry's biggest prize.
But when the Oscar for Best Picture is handed out on Sunday, the thriller about the decade-long U.S. hunt for, and 2011 killing of, Osama bin Laden is unlikely to get its name engraved on the coveted gold statuette.
After a fierce campaign over the movie's depiction of torture that started in Washington and extended to human rights groups, 'Zero Dark Thirty' went from front-runner to also-ran at the Academy Awards.
Despite winning early honors from influential critics in New York, Washington, Boston and Chicago, pundits say the failure of 'Zero Dark Thirty' to win traction in Hollywood may have as much to do with its style as the heated debate it has provoked.
'It's a little cool,' said Dave Karger, chief correspondent for Fandango.com.
'Usually you need some kind of crowd-pleasing element to have a shot at winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and that is what (Iran hostage drama) 'Argo' has. It has a great rousing emotional aspect to it which 'Zero Dark Thirty,' by design, does not have,' Karger told Reuters.
'GROSSLY INACCURATE'?
Early signs of trouble for 'Zero Dark Thirty' came in mid-December when U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein, John McCain and Carl Levin sent a letter to movie studio Sony Pictures.
They called the film 'grossly inaccurate and misleading' for suggesting torture helped the United States track the al Qaeda leader to a Pakistan compound.
The senators cited intelligence records released in April 2012 that showed this was not the case and said the movie 'has the potential to shape American public opinion in a disturbing and misleading manner.'
Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal said repeatedly that the film shows a variety of intelligence methods, not all of which produced results.
Three weeks later, Bigelow was omitted from the Oscar's Best Director shortlist, chosen by about 5,800 movie industry professionals who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Bigelow was only one of four big directors to be snubbed, and 'Zero Dark Thirty' received five Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. But Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan was among those who pointed the finger at Washington.
'Chalk up this year's (Oscar) nominations as a victory for the bullying power of the United States Senate and an undeserved loss for Kathryn Bigelow,' Turan wrote in January.
In a column in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, deputy editor Daniel Henninger agreed.
'Had Senators Feinstein, Levin and McCain not saddled up their high horses in a December 19 letter to Sony Pictures denouncing the movie, 'Zero Dark Thirty' would not now be out of the running for Best Picture at the Oscars,' Henninger wrote.
Pete Hammond, awards columnist at entertainment industry website Deadline.com, said the political attacks on the film certainly had an impact before 'Zero Dark Thirty' was released in U.S. movie theaters nationwide in late January.
'But when it opened wide, it actually helped by bringing so much publicity, and now there has been a backlash against the backlash,' Hammond told Reuters.
FIGHTING BACK
By late January, Bigelow and Boal were making speeches, getting magazine profiles, and writing opinion pieces in which they directed critics to the U.S. officials who sanctioned, or turned a blind eye, to harsh interrogation techniques.
Victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks ordered by bin Laden voiced their support, as did departing U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who called it a 'great movie.'
Steve Elzer, spokesman for Columbia Pictures, the Sony Pictures unit behind the film, said the studio was very proud of the movie, saying it had generated 'an amazing national conversation.'
''Zero Dark Thirty' has been a huge critical and commercial success that has also been praised by a large number of experts, historians and academics outside of the political arena.
'No matter how we do at the Oscars on Sunday, we know this will be a motion picture that will be remembered many years from now. We couldn't be more proud to have been associated with this film,' Elzer told Reuters.
Despite the furor and small protests by human rights activists at some awards ceremonies, 'Zero Dark Thirty' has won stellar reviews and reaped more than $100 million at the worldwide box office, most of it in North America.
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 94 percent positive rating. Oscar Best Picture favorites 'Lincoln' and 'Argo' score 89 percent and 96 percent respectively.
Yet 'Zero Dark Thirty' has picked up just one major prize in the Hollywood guild awards for directors, actors, producers and writers that are considered a predictor of Oscar success.
Boal won the Writers Guild of America trophy for Best Original Screenplay last weekend, and is a strong contender for the Oscar in that category on Sunday.
Jessica Chastain is thought to have a good chance at taking home the Best Actress prize for her performance as the feisty young CIA agent credited with tracking down bin Laden in the face of skepticism from her bosses.
'Jessica Chastain is a good place to put your 'Zero Dark Thirty' vote if you are wounded by the backlash against the film and want to express your support some place,' said Tom O'Neil, of awards website Goldderby.com.
However, the film, which is being promoted as the 'most-talked about movie of the year,' is seen as a long shot.
'Controversial movies suffer with Academy voters. I think 'Zero Dark Thirty' will have a tough time winning Best Picture because I think the Academy is going to go with less controversial choices,' Rotten Tomatoes editor in chief Matt Atchity said.
(Editing by Stacey Joyce)
But when the Oscar for Best Picture is handed out on Sunday, the thriller about the decade-long U.S. hunt for, and 2011 killing of, Osama bin Laden is unlikely to get its name engraved on the coveted gold statuette.
After a fierce campaign over the movie's depiction of torture that started in Washington and extended to human rights groups, 'Zero Dark Thirty' went from front-runner to also-ran at the Academy Awards.
Despite winning early honors from influential critics in New York, Washington, Boston and Chicago, pundits say the failure of 'Zero Dark Thirty' to win traction in Hollywood may have as much to do with its style as the heated debate it has provoked.
'It's a little cool,' said Dave Karger, chief correspondent for Fandango.com.
'Usually you need some kind of crowd-pleasing element to have a shot at winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and that is what (Iran hostage drama) 'Argo' has. It has a great rousing emotional aspect to it which 'Zero Dark Thirty,' by design, does not have,' Karger told Reuters.
'GROSSLY INACCURATE'?
Early signs of trouble for 'Zero Dark Thirty' came in mid-December when U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein, John McCain and Carl Levin sent a letter to movie studio Sony Pictures.
They called the film 'grossly inaccurate and misleading' for suggesting torture helped the United States track the al Qaeda leader to a Pakistan compound.
The senators cited intelligence records released in April 2012 that showed this was not the case and said the movie 'has the potential to shape American public opinion in a disturbing and misleading manner.'
Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal said repeatedly that the film shows a variety of intelligence methods, not all of which produced results.
Three weeks later, Bigelow was omitted from the Oscar's Best Director shortlist, chosen by about 5,800 movie industry professionals who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Bigelow was only one of four big directors to be snubbed, and 'Zero Dark Thirty' received five Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. But Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan was among those who pointed the finger at Washington.
'Chalk up this year's (Oscar) nominations as a victory for the bullying power of the United States Senate and an undeserved loss for Kathryn Bigelow,' Turan wrote in January.
In a column in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, deputy editor Daniel Henninger agreed.
'Had Senators Feinstein, Levin and McCain not saddled up their high horses in a December 19 letter to Sony Pictures denouncing the movie, 'Zero Dark Thirty' would not now be out of the running for Best Picture at the Oscars,' Henninger wrote.
Pete Hammond, awards columnist at entertainment industry website Deadline.com, said the political attacks on the film certainly had an impact before 'Zero Dark Thirty' was released in U.S. movie theaters nationwide in late January.
'But when it opened wide, it actually helped by bringing so much publicity, and now there has been a backlash against the backlash,' Hammond told Reuters.
FIGHTING BACK
By late January, Bigelow and Boal were making speeches, getting magazine profiles, and writing opinion pieces in which they directed critics to the U.S. officials who sanctioned, or turned a blind eye, to harsh interrogation techniques.
Victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks ordered by bin Laden voiced their support, as did departing U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who called it a 'great movie.'
Steve Elzer, spokesman for Columbia Pictures, the Sony Pictures unit behind the film, said the studio was very proud of the movie, saying it had generated 'an amazing national conversation.'
''Zero Dark Thirty' has been a huge critical and commercial success that has also been praised by a large number of experts, historians and academics outside of the political arena.
'No matter how we do at the Oscars on Sunday, we know this will be a motion picture that will be remembered many years from now. We couldn't be more proud to have been associated with this film,' Elzer told Reuters.
Despite the furor and small protests by human rights activists at some awards ceremonies, 'Zero Dark Thirty' has won stellar reviews and reaped more than $100 million at the worldwide box office, most of it in North America.
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 94 percent positive rating. Oscar Best Picture favorites 'Lincoln' and 'Argo' score 89 percent and 96 percent respectively.
Yet 'Zero Dark Thirty' has picked up just one major prize in the Hollywood guild awards for directors, actors, producers and writers that are considered a predictor of Oscar success.
Boal won the Writers Guild of America trophy for Best Original Screenplay last weekend, and is a strong contender for the Oscar in that category on Sunday.
Jessica Chastain is thought to have a good chance at taking home the Best Actress prize for her performance as the feisty young CIA agent credited with tracking down bin Laden in the face of skepticism from her bosses.
'Jessica Chastain is a good place to put your 'Zero Dark Thirty' vote if you are wounded by the backlash against the film and want to express your support some place,' said Tom O'Neil, of awards website Goldderby.com.
However, the film, which is being promoted as the 'most-talked about movie of the year,' is seen as a long shot.
'Controversial movies suffer with Academy voters. I think 'Zero Dark Thirty' will have a tough time winning Best Picture because I think the Academy is going to go with less controversial choices,' Rotten Tomatoes editor in chief Matt Atchity said.
(Editing by Stacey Joyce)
"Beasts" comes to Oscars with tiny budget, first-time director
(Reuters) - 'Beasts of the Southern Wild', nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture, is one the most unlikely contenders ever for Hollywood's top honors.
Produced for just $1.5 million by a collective of first-time filmmakers who bunked in a fishing shack during the shooting, it is considered a long-shot to win the top Oscar, but it has already set a new standard for thrifty filmmaking in an industry that routinely spends 100 times more for a major picture.
'It's the perfect combination of art and commerce, but the commerce was made a lot better because of that price,' said Fox studio chairman Jim Gianopulos, whose Fox Searchlight Pictures unit distributes the film in the United States.
The film, set in the swamps of Louisiana near New Orleans, portrays the fierce pride and intimate, if dysfunctional, culture of a community on the furthest margins of society.
The stars are a hard-drinking father and his young daughter, played by the now nine-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis, whose performance made her the youngest-ever Best Actress nominee.
The film was created by Benh Zeitlin, a 30-year-old first-time director who set up his studio in the abandoned Connecticut racquetball court that he had used for his senior thesis film at Wesleyan University.
'I'm not sure they knew what we were doing in there when we set up to make the film,' said Zeitlin. 'I think they thought we were just making short films.'
The crew he assembled became Core 13 Pictures, named for the court, and it describes itself on its website as a collective of 'madcap artists and animators' who work on one another's projects.
Zeitlin also ranged far outside the usual list of Hollywood names in casting the film, using first-time actors, including Wallis and Levy Easterly as her father.
The crew were all paid the same salary as the director, said producer Paul Mezey, and will share in whatever profits the film makes. So far, it has generated $12 million in domestic ticket sales and is not yet profitable, he said, after Fox deducts its marketing and other costs.
The crew traveled Louisiana to shoot the film, where they stayed in what they called the 'Crash Pad', a fishing cabin behind a gas station with 12 bunk beds.
Zeitlin said the group 'became scavengers' to make the film. They used lumber from houses that were being torn down, and changed the script where needed to make props out of things they found on the streets.
The lead financier of the effort was Cinereach, a non-profit organization that mostly backs documentaries.
'They usually give out $30,000 to $50,000 grants for an artist's exploration and discovery of his gifts,' said Mezey. 'When they read the script, they paid for nearly all of it.'
Cinereach had become interested after seeing Zeitlin's thesis film, an eight-minute short called 'Egg', and 'being blown away by Benh's vision, his touch, the almost poetic way he crafted the film', Mezey said.
'Beasts of the Southern Wild' won the Grand Jury Prize at The Sundance Film Festival, and then lured Fox Searchlight to distribute the film in the United States. The production retained the foreign rights, and has sold many of them.
'It was surreal, like something from 'Alice in Wonderland,' Zeitlin said of the Oscar nominations. If he wins, he would be the youngest director every to lug the statute home.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Pravin Char)
Produced for just $1.5 million by a collective of first-time filmmakers who bunked in a fishing shack during the shooting, it is considered a long-shot to win the top Oscar, but it has already set a new standard for thrifty filmmaking in an industry that routinely spends 100 times more for a major picture.
'It's the perfect combination of art and commerce, but the commerce was made a lot better because of that price,' said Fox studio chairman Jim Gianopulos, whose Fox Searchlight Pictures unit distributes the film in the United States.
The film, set in the swamps of Louisiana near New Orleans, portrays the fierce pride and intimate, if dysfunctional, culture of a community on the furthest margins of society.
The stars are a hard-drinking father and his young daughter, played by the now nine-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis, whose performance made her the youngest-ever Best Actress nominee.
The film was created by Benh Zeitlin, a 30-year-old first-time director who set up his studio in the abandoned Connecticut racquetball court that he had used for his senior thesis film at Wesleyan University.
'I'm not sure they knew what we were doing in there when we set up to make the film,' said Zeitlin. 'I think they thought we were just making short films.'
The crew he assembled became Core 13 Pictures, named for the court, and it describes itself on its website as a collective of 'madcap artists and animators' who work on one another's projects.
Zeitlin also ranged far outside the usual list of Hollywood names in casting the film, using first-time actors, including Wallis and Levy Easterly as her father.
The crew were all paid the same salary as the director, said producer Paul Mezey, and will share in whatever profits the film makes. So far, it has generated $12 million in domestic ticket sales and is not yet profitable, he said, after Fox deducts its marketing and other costs.
The crew traveled Louisiana to shoot the film, where they stayed in what they called the 'Crash Pad', a fishing cabin behind a gas station with 12 bunk beds.
Zeitlin said the group 'became scavengers' to make the film. They used lumber from houses that were being torn down, and changed the script where needed to make props out of things they found on the streets.
The lead financier of the effort was Cinereach, a non-profit organization that mostly backs documentaries.
'They usually give out $30,000 to $50,000 grants for an artist's exploration and discovery of his gifts,' said Mezey. 'When they read the script, they paid for nearly all of it.'
Cinereach had become interested after seeing Zeitlin's thesis film, an eight-minute short called 'Egg', and 'being blown away by Benh's vision, his touch, the almost poetic way he crafted the film', Mezey said.
'Beasts of the Southern Wild' won the Grand Jury Prize at The Sundance Film Festival, and then lured Fox Searchlight to distribute the film in the United States. The production retained the foreign rights, and has sold many of them.
'It was surreal, like something from 'Alice in Wonderland,' Zeitlin said of the Oscar nominations. If he wins, he would be the youngest director every to lug the statute home.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Pravin Char)
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Barry Josephson signs on to produce Stan Lee's "Annihilator"
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Stan Lee's newest superhero creation, 'Annihilator,' is coming to the big screen with the help of producer Barry Josephson and Magic Storm Entertainment, the company announced on Thursday.
Screenwriter Dan Gilroy ('The Bourne Legacy') wrote the script for the film based on a treatment by Lee, which focuses on a Chinese expatriate named Ming who participates in a secret U.S. super solider program that gives him extraordinary abilities that complement his martial arts training. The reluctant hero is forced not only to face his personal demons, but must also to defeat a villain who will destroy everything that he knows and loves.
'One of my dreams when I became a producer was to work with Stan Lee,' Josephson said of the Marvel comic book legend. 'Now with Dan Gilroy's magnificent script, that dream will become a reality.'
Magic Storm hopes the story will appeal to American and Chinese audiences enough to launch an original franchise.
'Barry is the perfect partner at every level to produce a film of this magnitude that targets a global market, including mainland China.' said Eric Mika, CEO of Magic Storm. 'Barry's talents combined with Dan Gilroy's explosive script makes Stan Lee's treatment extremely powerful and a cornerstone for a unique franchise. '
'Dan's story and character is unlike anything I have developed before,' Lee added. 'So I wait with intrigue as we begin to reveal more details about the 'Annihilator' franchise and to hear what audiences think as they immerse themselves into his world through the film.'
Dough Falconer, whose latest project is Jamie Foxx-starring Wall Street drama 'Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun,' will also produce the superhero flick.
Screenwriter Dan Gilroy ('The Bourne Legacy') wrote the script for the film based on a treatment by Lee, which focuses on a Chinese expatriate named Ming who participates in a secret U.S. super solider program that gives him extraordinary abilities that complement his martial arts training. The reluctant hero is forced not only to face his personal demons, but must also to defeat a villain who will destroy everything that he knows and loves.
'One of my dreams when I became a producer was to work with Stan Lee,' Josephson said of the Marvel comic book legend. 'Now with Dan Gilroy's magnificent script, that dream will become a reality.'
Magic Storm hopes the story will appeal to American and Chinese audiences enough to launch an original franchise.
'Barry is the perfect partner at every level to produce a film of this magnitude that targets a global market, including mainland China.' said Eric Mika, CEO of Magic Storm. 'Barry's talents combined with Dan Gilroy's explosive script makes Stan Lee's treatment extremely powerful and a cornerstone for a unique franchise. '
'Dan's story and character is unlike anything I have developed before,' Lee added. 'So I wait with intrigue as we begin to reveal more details about the 'Annihilator' franchise and to hear what audiences think as they immerse themselves into his world through the film.'
Dough Falconer, whose latest project is Jamie Foxx-starring Wall Street drama 'Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun,' will also produce the superhero flick.
Seth MacFarlane bringing a surprise factor as Oscar host
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar night traditionally comes packed with shocks and upsets for the winners, but on Sunday the biggest surprise could be the host - provocative comedian, actor and singer Seth MacFarlane.
MacFarlane, 39, the creator of the edgy animated TV series 'Family Guy,' 'American Dad' and 'The Cleveland Show,' has awards watchers and audiences intrigued as to what he has up his sleeve for the movie industry's biggest night.
'We love the expectation of the newness of Seth and we love the fact that people don't quite know what they're going to get with him as a host. We think it adds to the speculation and the interest in the show,' said Neil Meron, who is co-producing the Academy Awards telecast for the first time with Craig Zadan.
Zadan and Meron, who produced the film version of musical 'Chicago' as well as Broadway shows, recruited MacFarlane last year, saying his skills 'blend perfectly with our ideas for making the show entertaining and fresh.'
After 2011's much-panned 'youth Oscars' with hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway, and 2012's return to tradition with nine-time master of ceremonies Billy Crystal, Sunday's three-hour Academy Awards show will be all about the unexpected.
MacFarlane has often come under fire from U.S. watchdog groups for making crude jokes. The Parents Television Council regularly ranks 'Family Guy' among their 'worst prime-time shows for family viewing' on the grounds that it may include gratuitous sex or obscene language.
But while the star-studded audience at Sunday's ceremony may be squirming in their seats in anticipation of MacFarlane's barbs, Meron and Zadan say they are not worried.
'We're not nervous because everything he writes, he runs by us,' Zadan told Reuters.
Still, the audience inside Hollywood's Dolby Theatre and an estimated one billion watching on TV around the world can expect to see some the improvisation skills MacFarlane's showed off when hosting 'Saturday Night Live' in September.
On that live venue, MacFarlane impersonated Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte and 'Star Trek' actor George Takei.
'We live for the moments that happen on stage. Those are some of the great Oscar moments of the past. ... We hope there are moments where Seth can be completely spontaneous because that makes for a better show,' Meron said.
'TED' APPEAL
Compared to well-known hosts from previous years such as Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and Ellen DeGeneres, MacFarlane is better known by the numerous voices on his animated television shows and is not a regular in the Hollywood movie or TV scene.
The comedian has been playing up his outsider status in Oscar promotions. 'Hi, I'm Seth MacFarlane - ask your kids - and I'll be hosting The Academy Awards - ask your parents,' he quips in one video.
But MacFarlane holds strong appeal in a demographic highly desired by the Oscar organizers and advertisers - the coveted 18-49 audience who love his animated shows.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars, has struggled in recent years to appeal to a younger audience. More than 39 million Americans tuned in to watch Crystal take the helm in 2012, but some critics called the show old-fashioned.
MacFarlane earned his movie credentials last year after his raunchy directorial debut with 'Ted,' about a foul-mouthed pot-smoking teddy bear, became the highest-grossing R-rated original comedy in movie history.
The film's star Mark Wahlberg will be joining the naughty bear on stage on Sunday to present an award.
MacFarlane has also showcased his singing talents on 'Family Guy,' with big musical numbers such as the catchy 'Shipoopi' from Broadway hit 'The Music Man' and a cheeky musical retort to federal TV regulators.
The host is also nominated for an Oscar for writing the lyrics to 'Everybody Needs a Best Friend' from 'Ted.'
'You don't hire Seth MacFarlane and not have tons of comedy. Because Seth also has a beautiful voice, it allows a host who does a lot of comedy and sings beautifully. So we are going to make use of his ability as a singer,' Zadan said.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant and Todd Eastham)
MacFarlane, 39, the creator of the edgy animated TV series 'Family Guy,' 'American Dad' and 'The Cleveland Show,' has awards watchers and audiences intrigued as to what he has up his sleeve for the movie industry's biggest night.
'We love the expectation of the newness of Seth and we love the fact that people don't quite know what they're going to get with him as a host. We think it adds to the speculation and the interest in the show,' said Neil Meron, who is co-producing the Academy Awards telecast for the first time with Craig Zadan.
Zadan and Meron, who produced the film version of musical 'Chicago' as well as Broadway shows, recruited MacFarlane last year, saying his skills 'blend perfectly with our ideas for making the show entertaining and fresh.'
After 2011's much-panned 'youth Oscars' with hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway, and 2012's return to tradition with nine-time master of ceremonies Billy Crystal, Sunday's three-hour Academy Awards show will be all about the unexpected.
MacFarlane has often come under fire from U.S. watchdog groups for making crude jokes. The Parents Television Council regularly ranks 'Family Guy' among their 'worst prime-time shows for family viewing' on the grounds that it may include gratuitous sex or obscene language.
But while the star-studded audience at Sunday's ceremony may be squirming in their seats in anticipation of MacFarlane's barbs, Meron and Zadan say they are not worried.
'We're not nervous because everything he writes, he runs by us,' Zadan told Reuters.
Still, the audience inside Hollywood's Dolby Theatre and an estimated one billion watching on TV around the world can expect to see some the improvisation skills MacFarlane's showed off when hosting 'Saturday Night Live' in September.
On that live venue, MacFarlane impersonated Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte and 'Star Trek' actor George Takei.
'We live for the moments that happen on stage. Those are some of the great Oscar moments of the past. ... We hope there are moments where Seth can be completely spontaneous because that makes for a better show,' Meron said.
'TED' APPEAL
Compared to well-known hosts from previous years such as Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and Ellen DeGeneres, MacFarlane is better known by the numerous voices on his animated television shows and is not a regular in the Hollywood movie or TV scene.
The comedian has been playing up his outsider status in Oscar promotions. 'Hi, I'm Seth MacFarlane - ask your kids - and I'll be hosting The Academy Awards - ask your parents,' he quips in one video.
But MacFarlane holds strong appeal in a demographic highly desired by the Oscar organizers and advertisers - the coveted 18-49 audience who love his animated shows.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars, has struggled in recent years to appeal to a younger audience. More than 39 million Americans tuned in to watch Crystal take the helm in 2012, but some critics called the show old-fashioned.
MacFarlane earned his movie credentials last year after his raunchy directorial debut with 'Ted,' about a foul-mouthed pot-smoking teddy bear, became the highest-grossing R-rated original comedy in movie history.
The film's star Mark Wahlberg will be joining the naughty bear on stage on Sunday to present an award.
MacFarlane has also showcased his singing talents on 'Family Guy,' with big musical numbers such as the catchy 'Shipoopi' from Broadway hit 'The Music Man' and a cheeky musical retort to federal TV regulators.
The host is also nominated for an Oscar for writing the lyrics to 'Everybody Needs a Best Friend' from 'Ted.'
'You don't hire Seth MacFarlane and not have tons of comedy. Because Seth also has a beautiful voice, it allows a host who does a lot of comedy and sings beautifully. So we are going to make use of his ability as a singer,' Zadan said.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant and Todd Eastham)
Actresses walking Oscar's red carpet to exude sophistication, not sex
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When actresses sashay down the red carpet before the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, they are expected to be wearing gowns exuding glamour and sophistication, not flesh-exposing jaw-droppers.
Performers at this month's Grammys were issued a 'wardrobe advisory' ahead of the big music awards show, telling them to cover up and keep buttocks, nipples and genitals under wraps. The advisory appeared to work, as no one bared too much skin.
But fashion experts do not expect guests at the 85th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night to shock, instead forecasting original fashions inspired by last month's Paris haute couture week where made-to-order gowns worth tens of thousands of dollars are hand-crafted.
Top designers are keen to dress the hottest Hollywood stars, loaning them creations and jewelry for the awards ceremony that is watched by an estimated one billion people worldwide, with many as interested in the fashions as the films.
The importance of looking good on the film industry's biggest night is critical for up-and-coming actresses wanting to be noticed and for designers and cosmetic and jewelry companies seeking global recognition and the next big contract.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars, says on its award show tickets that attire for the event is 'formal.' An Academy spokeswoman declined to elaborate on whether more detailed advisories are given to nominees and presenters, saying only that 'the Oscars and the Governors Ball are black-tie events.'
With the red carpet televised live, there is no room for wardrobe malfunctions. And attendees know that the critics are ready to pounce on anyone whose frock does not live up to the event.
LEGBOMBING
Designer Marc Bouwer, who is dressing three Oscar attendees this year, called the Oscars red carpet 'the greatest, biggest runway show on earth,' pointing out that the right outfit can take someone's career 'from zero to a hundred.'
Bouwer would know. His creations are regularly featured on best-dressed lists, with the white satin gown worn by Angelina Jolie wowing the audience at the 2004 Oscars.
Jolie is a pro of the red carpet. She again stole the spotlight last year when she thrust her right leg out of her high-slit Versace dress, setting off a global copying craze and leading to the adoption of a new word, 'legbombing.' Her right leg even got its own Twitter account.
The value of red carpet exposure is hard to pinpoint, but a vintage Christian Dior dress worn by actress Natalie Portman at the 84th Academy Awards later sold for $50,000.
The photographs of the actress who takes home the Best Actress statuette becomes part of Oscar lore.
It's a night when images of beautiful women in spectacular gowns become Hollywood history, such as pictures of Grace Kelly in a blue satin gown by Edith Head in 1955, Julia Roberts in a black vintage Valentino in 2001, and Halle Berry in an Elie Saab gown with a sheer upper bodice and burgundy satin bottom in 2002.
One actress in the spotlight this year is 22-year-old Jennifer Lawrence, who is a favorite for the Best Actress award for her role in the quirky romance 'Silver Linings Playbook.'
Lawrence has built a relationship with Christian Dior's creative director, Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons, and wore Dior gowns to the recent Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the BAFTA awards in London.
It remains to be seen if she will don Dior for the Oscars, but style expert Sam Saboura, a fashion host on the cable channel TLC, said he expected the copious amounts of black and white used by Dior and Chanel in Paris last month to appear at the Oscars.
He said the full skirts used by Dior in Paris are also likely to influence gowns on Oscar night, while spring and fall colors like cobalt blue, poppy red and yellow, as seen at the Golden Globes, could emerge.
'The Oscars carpet is the grand dame of all red carpets,' Saboura told Reuters. 'It's a world stage and what's worn on that night will set the tone and trend of what everyone else will be wearing ... and other designers will follow suit.'
Bouwer expects prints to make a big return to the red carpet as designers use computer software like photoshopping and art applications to add prints easily.
'Prints have been on day dresses for years, but now it's moving into haute couture and ballgowns,' Bouwer told Reuters. 'It's something different. It's pushing the envelope and there's no reason it shouldn't be on an evening gown.'
No matter what color, pattern or designer is chosen for the Oscar red carpet, hair stylist Jose Eber said the underlying theme will be, as always, a celebration of the golden years of Hollywood and a bygone era of timeless elegance.
'Every nominee and presenter gets inspired by that era, and you will see them paying homage to stars like Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, Audrey Hepburn and others,' Eber told Reuters. 'But they will all have their own new twist' on elegance.
(Editing by Belinda Goldsmith and Philip Barbara)
Performers at this month's Grammys were issued a 'wardrobe advisory' ahead of the big music awards show, telling them to cover up and keep buttocks, nipples and genitals under wraps. The advisory appeared to work, as no one bared too much skin.
But fashion experts do not expect guests at the 85th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night to shock, instead forecasting original fashions inspired by last month's Paris haute couture week where made-to-order gowns worth tens of thousands of dollars are hand-crafted.
Top designers are keen to dress the hottest Hollywood stars, loaning them creations and jewelry for the awards ceremony that is watched by an estimated one billion people worldwide, with many as interested in the fashions as the films.
The importance of looking good on the film industry's biggest night is critical for up-and-coming actresses wanting to be noticed and for designers and cosmetic and jewelry companies seeking global recognition and the next big contract.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars, says on its award show tickets that attire for the event is 'formal.' An Academy spokeswoman declined to elaborate on whether more detailed advisories are given to nominees and presenters, saying only that 'the Oscars and the Governors Ball are black-tie events.'
With the red carpet televised live, there is no room for wardrobe malfunctions. And attendees know that the critics are ready to pounce on anyone whose frock does not live up to the event.
LEGBOMBING
Designer Marc Bouwer, who is dressing three Oscar attendees this year, called the Oscars red carpet 'the greatest, biggest runway show on earth,' pointing out that the right outfit can take someone's career 'from zero to a hundred.'
Bouwer would know. His creations are regularly featured on best-dressed lists, with the white satin gown worn by Angelina Jolie wowing the audience at the 2004 Oscars.
Jolie is a pro of the red carpet. She again stole the spotlight last year when she thrust her right leg out of her high-slit Versace dress, setting off a global copying craze and leading to the adoption of a new word, 'legbombing.' Her right leg even got its own Twitter account.
The value of red carpet exposure is hard to pinpoint, but a vintage Christian Dior dress worn by actress Natalie Portman at the 84th Academy Awards later sold for $50,000.
The photographs of the actress who takes home the Best Actress statuette becomes part of Oscar lore.
It's a night when images of beautiful women in spectacular gowns become Hollywood history, such as pictures of Grace Kelly in a blue satin gown by Edith Head in 1955, Julia Roberts in a black vintage Valentino in 2001, and Halle Berry in an Elie Saab gown with a sheer upper bodice and burgundy satin bottom in 2002.
One actress in the spotlight this year is 22-year-old Jennifer Lawrence, who is a favorite for the Best Actress award for her role in the quirky romance 'Silver Linings Playbook.'
Lawrence has built a relationship with Christian Dior's creative director, Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons, and wore Dior gowns to the recent Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the BAFTA awards in London.
It remains to be seen if she will don Dior for the Oscars, but style expert Sam Saboura, a fashion host on the cable channel TLC, said he expected the copious amounts of black and white used by Dior and Chanel in Paris last month to appear at the Oscars.
He said the full skirts used by Dior in Paris are also likely to influence gowns on Oscar night, while spring and fall colors like cobalt blue, poppy red and yellow, as seen at the Golden Globes, could emerge.
'The Oscars carpet is the grand dame of all red carpets,' Saboura told Reuters. 'It's a world stage and what's worn on that night will set the tone and trend of what everyone else will be wearing ... and other designers will follow suit.'
Bouwer expects prints to make a big return to the red carpet as designers use computer software like photoshopping and art applications to add prints easily.
'Prints have been on day dresses for years, but now it's moving into haute couture and ballgowns,' Bouwer told Reuters. 'It's something different. It's pushing the envelope and there's no reason it shouldn't be on an evening gown.'
No matter what color, pattern or designer is chosen for the Oscar red carpet, hair stylist Jose Eber said the underlying theme will be, as always, a celebration of the golden years of Hollywood and a bygone era of timeless elegance.
'Every nominee and presenter gets inspired by that era, and you will see them paying homage to stars like Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, Audrey Hepburn and others,' Eber told Reuters. 'But they will all have their own new twist' on elegance.
(Editing by Belinda Goldsmith and Philip Barbara)
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Jennifer Hudson, Zeta-Jones to sing in Oscars musical tribute
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar winners Russell Crowe, Jennifer Hudson and Catherine Zeta-Jones will perform at the Academy Awards in a tribute to the resurgence of big-screen musicals, organizers said on Wednesday.
The performance, which will also feature Oscar nominees Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman from 'Les Miserables,' is part of the several musical acts at the annual Hollywood awards on Sunday.
'We are pleased to have been able to amass so much talent to create the celebration of musicals of the last decade that we envisioned,' Oscars producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan said in a statement. 'We are thrilled that so many talented actors have agreed to bring our vision to life.'
Musicals have had a revival over the past decade in Hollywood. Death row drama 'Chicago' won six Academy Awards in 2003, including top prize Best Picture, and girl-group drama 'Dreamgirls' scored two Oscars in 2007 while television's 'Glee' has won six Emmy awards since 2010.
R&B singer Hudson won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2007 for her role in 'Dreamgirls' and Zeta-Jones won the same award for 'Chicago' in 2003.
Crowe, who stars in 'Les Mis,' won an Oscar for Best Actor in 2001 for his role in the Roman drama 'Gladiator.'
'Les Mis' scored eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Song. 'Les Mis' actors Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit and Samantha Banks will also join the musical tribute.
Singers Adele, Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbara Streisand will also perform at the awards show.
Adele is nominated for an Oscar for her song 'Skyfall' in the James Bond film of the same name, and Jones will perform Oscar-nominated song 'Everybody Needs a Best Friend' from 'Ted.'
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Doina Chiacu)
The performance, which will also feature Oscar nominees Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman from 'Les Miserables,' is part of the several musical acts at the annual Hollywood awards on Sunday.
'We are pleased to have been able to amass so much talent to create the celebration of musicals of the last decade that we envisioned,' Oscars producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan said in a statement. 'We are thrilled that so many talented actors have agreed to bring our vision to life.'
Musicals have had a revival over the past decade in Hollywood. Death row drama 'Chicago' won six Academy Awards in 2003, including top prize Best Picture, and girl-group drama 'Dreamgirls' scored two Oscars in 2007 while television's 'Glee' has won six Emmy awards since 2010.
R&B singer Hudson won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2007 for her role in 'Dreamgirls' and Zeta-Jones won the same award for 'Chicago' in 2003.
Crowe, who stars in 'Les Mis,' won an Oscar for Best Actor in 2001 for his role in the Roman drama 'Gladiator.'
'Les Mis' scored eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Song. 'Les Mis' actors Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit and Samantha Banks will also join the musical tribute.
Singers Adele, Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbara Streisand will also perform at the awards show.
Adele is nominated for an Oscar for her song 'Skyfall' in the James Bond film of the same name, and Jones will perform Oscar-nominated song 'Everybody Needs a Best Friend' from 'Ted.'
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Doina Chiacu)
Oscars in Hollywood cliffhanger over Best Picture, Director
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sunday's Oscar ceremony is set for a cliffhanger ending after a topsy-turvy awards season that has left the two top prizes - Best Picture and Best Director - too close to call.
With just days to go before the movie industry's highest honors are handed out on February 24, awards watchers are keyed up for one of the most exciting nights in recent Academy Awards history.
Despite entering the Oscar race with a leading 12 nominations in January, the front-runner Best Picture status of Steven Spielberg's presidential drama 'Lincoln' has been undermined by a slew of awards picked up Ben Affleck's Iran hostage thriller 'Argo.'
But an 'Argo' win despite Affleck's omission from the Best Director shortlist would defy the conventional wisdom that says the Oscar for Best Film usually brings a trophy for its director.
'Argo' would be the first movie to take home the statuette for Best Picture without its director winning even a nomination since 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1990.
'Everything is kind of haywire, so those of us in the (awards prediction) business are all left scratching our heads and saying what does it mean?' said Matt Atchity, editor in chief of movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
After beating 'Lincoln' at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, directors, producers and writers guilds, 'Argo' now has the edge in the Best Picture race.
'Even if 'Argo' wins for Best Picture, which is kind of a foregone conclusion at this point, it still feels exciting because 'Argo' has managed to keep this underdog status even though it has been winning every award,' Dave Karger, chief correspondent for Fandango.com told Reuters.
'If 'Lincoln' wins, ironically it will be considered an upset even though it has the most nominations. That's what's strange about this year - all the rules seems to be turned on their heads,' Karger added.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday underlined the stiff competition. Some 17 percent of the 1,443 people questioned in the United States between February 15 and 19 thought that 'Lincoln' was most likely to win Best Picture, but the same percentage gave their backing to musical 'Les Miserables.'
'Argo' was thought most likely to take home the Oscar by 8 percent of those questioned, while 'Django Unchained' and 'Life of Pi' tied with 4 percent. Some 41 percent of those asked in the Reuters/Ipsos poll were unsure which movie would win on Sunday.
JOCKEYING FOR POSITION FOR MONTHS
Unlike last year when silent film 'The Artist' had the race sewn up weeks ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony, four films have moved in and out of the front position six times since September, according to movie pundits at Goldderby.com.
They include quirky comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' which won the top prize at the Toronto film festival, and 'Les Miserables' the screen version of hit French Revolutionary stage show which has a strong fan following but which got mixed reviews.
'The fact the front-runner has changed so many times has made it exasperating, but almost more fun,' said Karger.
'Argo' is thought to have come through less because of a sympathy vote for the snub to Affleck and more because of its deft blend of thriller with a satire on Hollywood movie making. The movie is based on the true story of the CIA rescue from Islamic revolutionary Tehran of six U.S. diplomats who pretended to be producing a fake film.
'I think people genuinely love that movie and it's very inclusive to the Hollywood professionals who are voting on these awards. It allows people in Hollywood to say, we helped get those hostages out, and there is an appeal there,' Atchity said.
'The critical reaction to 'Lincoln' tended to be that it was a very educational and really impressive film but it didn't grab you emotionally the way some of the other nominees did.'
Directors Tom Hooper ('Les Miserables'), Kathryn Bigelow ('Zero Dark Thirty') and Quentin Tarantino ('Django Unchained') were also left off the Oscars short-list although their movies earned nominations.
That leaves Spielberg as presumed favorite for a third Best Director Oscar after victories with 1990s films 'Schindler's List' and 'Saving Private Ryan.'
But don't count out David O. Russell for 'Silver Linings Playbook,' and Ang Lee, the self-effacing Taiwanese director who brought Yann Martel's mythological shipwreck survival novel 'Life of Pi' to the big screen.
'No one thought that book was filmable, and yet Ang Lee was able to pull it off. When you think this was the same man that made 'Brokeback Mountain,' 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Sense and Sensibility,' he is so versatile it's astonishing,' said Karger.
'Lincoln' is distributed by Walt Disney Co. and 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp; 'Argo' is distributed by Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner; 'Les Miserables' is distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp; 'Life of Pi' is distributed by 20th Century Fox; 'Zero Dark Thirty' is released by Sony Corp's movie studio arm; 'Silver Linings Playbook' and 'Django Unchained' are distributed by privately held Weinstein Co.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
With just days to go before the movie industry's highest honors are handed out on February 24, awards watchers are keyed up for one of the most exciting nights in recent Academy Awards history.
Despite entering the Oscar race with a leading 12 nominations in January, the front-runner Best Picture status of Steven Spielberg's presidential drama 'Lincoln' has been undermined by a slew of awards picked up Ben Affleck's Iran hostage thriller 'Argo.'
But an 'Argo' win despite Affleck's omission from the Best Director shortlist would defy the conventional wisdom that says the Oscar for Best Film usually brings a trophy for its director.
'Argo' would be the first movie to take home the statuette for Best Picture without its director winning even a nomination since 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1990.
'Everything is kind of haywire, so those of us in the (awards prediction) business are all left scratching our heads and saying what does it mean?' said Matt Atchity, editor in chief of movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
After beating 'Lincoln' at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, directors, producers and writers guilds, 'Argo' now has the edge in the Best Picture race.
'Even if 'Argo' wins for Best Picture, which is kind of a foregone conclusion at this point, it still feels exciting because 'Argo' has managed to keep this underdog status even though it has been winning every award,' Dave Karger, chief correspondent for Fandango.com told Reuters.
'If 'Lincoln' wins, ironically it will be considered an upset even though it has the most nominations. That's what's strange about this year - all the rules seems to be turned on their heads,' Karger added.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday underlined the stiff competition. Some 17 percent of the 1,443 people questioned in the United States between February 15 and 19 thought that 'Lincoln' was most likely to win Best Picture, but the same percentage gave their backing to musical 'Les Miserables.'
'Argo' was thought most likely to take home the Oscar by 8 percent of those questioned, while 'Django Unchained' and 'Life of Pi' tied with 4 percent. Some 41 percent of those asked in the Reuters/Ipsos poll were unsure which movie would win on Sunday.
JOCKEYING FOR POSITION FOR MONTHS
Unlike last year when silent film 'The Artist' had the race sewn up weeks ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony, four films have moved in and out of the front position six times since September, according to movie pundits at Goldderby.com.
They include quirky comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' which won the top prize at the Toronto film festival, and 'Les Miserables' the screen version of hit French Revolutionary stage show which has a strong fan following but which got mixed reviews.
'The fact the front-runner has changed so many times has made it exasperating, but almost more fun,' said Karger.
'Argo' is thought to have come through less because of a sympathy vote for the snub to Affleck and more because of its deft blend of thriller with a satire on Hollywood movie making. The movie is based on the true story of the CIA rescue from Islamic revolutionary Tehran of six U.S. diplomats who pretended to be producing a fake film.
'I think people genuinely love that movie and it's very inclusive to the Hollywood professionals who are voting on these awards. It allows people in Hollywood to say, we helped get those hostages out, and there is an appeal there,' Atchity said.
'The critical reaction to 'Lincoln' tended to be that it was a very educational and really impressive film but it didn't grab you emotionally the way some of the other nominees did.'
Directors Tom Hooper ('Les Miserables'), Kathryn Bigelow ('Zero Dark Thirty') and Quentin Tarantino ('Django Unchained') were also left off the Oscars short-list although their movies earned nominations.
That leaves Spielberg as presumed favorite for a third Best Director Oscar after victories with 1990s films 'Schindler's List' and 'Saving Private Ryan.'
But don't count out David O. Russell for 'Silver Linings Playbook,' and Ang Lee, the self-effacing Taiwanese director who brought Yann Martel's mythological shipwreck survival novel 'Life of Pi' to the big screen.
'No one thought that book was filmable, and yet Ang Lee was able to pull it off. When you think this was the same man that made 'Brokeback Mountain,' 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Sense and Sensibility,' he is so versatile it's astonishing,' said Karger.
'Lincoln' is distributed by Walt Disney Co. and 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp; 'Argo' is distributed by Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner; 'Les Miserables' is distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp; 'Life of Pi' is distributed by 20th Century Fox; 'Zero Dark Thirty' is released by Sony Corp's movie studio arm; 'Silver Linings Playbook' and 'Django Unchained' are distributed by privately held Weinstein Co.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Christian Bale to climb "Everest" for Working Title, Universal
NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Christian Bale is bracing to climb Mount Everest. The Welsh actor is in talks to star in 'Everest,' a film about two deadly days on the world's tallest mountain that Baltasar Kormakur is in talks to direct for Universal and Working Title, multiple individuals close to the project told TheWrap.
The film tells the same story as Jon Krakauer's book 'Into Thin Air,' but is not an adaptation of it, according to one of those individuals.
Krakauer wrote the book about a two-day span in 1996 when eight people died on Mount Everest while attempting to reach the summit. It became known as 'The Mount Everest Disaster.'
Krakaeur was on assignment for Outside magazine, ascending in a party led by Rob Hall. Hall's group, one of several on the mountain, lost four people, including Hall. That was the deadliest single year in the history of Everest.
Universal and Emmett/Furla will co-finance the project while Universal and Working Title, partners since 1999, will produce together. They have worked on films such as 'Les Miserables' and 'Atonement.'
All parties cautioned that the deals for Bale and Kormakur are not done. The director and Working Title have been trying to get the project off the ground, but would need to shoot this summer. While establishing shots will be taken in Nepal, they will film most of it in Kormakur's native Iceland, the glaciers there are a facsimile of Everest. Nobody wants to be in Iceland during the winter.
Sony has a competing Everest-themed project, also named after the mountain, which Doug Liman will direct. Tom Hardy is attached to star as famed mountaineer George Mallory.
Bale last appeared in 'The Dark Knight Rises,' and has made three movies since then - 'Knight of Cups,' a Terence Malick film also starring Teresa Palmer and Natalie Portman, an untitled Malick film starring Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender and Portman, and 'Out of the Furnace,' a Scott Cooper thriller co-starring Zoe Saldana, Casey Affleck and Willem Dafoe. Both 'Knight' and 'Furnace' will open in theaters this year.
Bale will next star in David O. Russell's follow-up to 'Silver Linings Playbook' alongside Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner. That should shoot in the spring, before 'Everest' would get going.
Kormakur, whose last film was 'The Deep,' previously worked with Working Title on 'Contraband,' which starred Mark Wahlberg. Emmett/Furla and Universal partnered on Kormakur's most recent project, '2 Guns,' a crime drama starring Wahlberg and Denzel Washington. That opens in theaters this August.
The WME-repped director will soon direct HBO's 'The Missionary' and has a lot of potential projects in the air, including a long-gestating film about Vikings.
The film tells the same story as Jon Krakauer's book 'Into Thin Air,' but is not an adaptation of it, according to one of those individuals.
Krakauer wrote the book about a two-day span in 1996 when eight people died on Mount Everest while attempting to reach the summit. It became known as 'The Mount Everest Disaster.'
Krakaeur was on assignment for Outside magazine, ascending in a party led by Rob Hall. Hall's group, one of several on the mountain, lost four people, including Hall. That was the deadliest single year in the history of Everest.
Universal and Emmett/Furla will co-finance the project while Universal and Working Title, partners since 1999, will produce together. They have worked on films such as 'Les Miserables' and 'Atonement.'
All parties cautioned that the deals for Bale and Kormakur are not done. The director and Working Title have been trying to get the project off the ground, but would need to shoot this summer. While establishing shots will be taken in Nepal, they will film most of it in Kormakur's native Iceland, the glaciers there are a facsimile of Everest. Nobody wants to be in Iceland during the winter.
Sony has a competing Everest-themed project, also named after the mountain, which Doug Liman will direct. Tom Hardy is attached to star as famed mountaineer George Mallory.
Bale last appeared in 'The Dark Knight Rises,' and has made three movies since then - 'Knight of Cups,' a Terence Malick film also starring Teresa Palmer and Natalie Portman, an untitled Malick film starring Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender and Portman, and 'Out of the Furnace,' a Scott Cooper thriller co-starring Zoe Saldana, Casey Affleck and Willem Dafoe. Both 'Knight' and 'Furnace' will open in theaters this year.
Bale will next star in David O. Russell's follow-up to 'Silver Linings Playbook' alongside Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner. That should shoot in the spring, before 'Everest' would get going.
Kormakur, whose last film was 'The Deep,' previously worked with Working Title on 'Contraband,' which starred Mark Wahlberg. Emmett/Furla and Universal partnered on Kormakur's most recent project, '2 Guns,' a crime drama starring Wahlberg and Denzel Washington. That opens in theaters this August.
The WME-repped director will soon direct HBO's 'The Missionary' and has a lot of potential projects in the air, including a long-gestating film about Vikings.
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