Departing to the new Star Wars trilogy, JJ Abrams’ sterling work on the Star Trek reboot series was always going to be hard to replace but the removal of esteemed writer Roberto Orci from the bridge proved the extremity of the task. Next Generation star and writer Jonathan Frakes has been lobbying for the job but those mentioned here are the most likely to succeed Abrams for Paramount’s so far untitled production.
On the shortlist are Rupert Wyatt, Daniel Espinosa, Justin Lin, Morten Tyldum and Duncan Jones. These five can easily be categorised into two camps: Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Gambler) and Jones (Source Code, Moon) are representing the sci-fi credentials while Lin (Fast and Furious 5/6) and Daniel Espinosa (Child 44, Safe House) are the action veterans in consideration. Morten Tyldum is an interesting contender. The Norwegian’s roots are with thrillers such as the greatly lauded Headhunters but is gaining acclaim for wartime drama and multi-Golden Globe nominee The Imitation Game.
In terms of who’s likely to get the job, the BAFTA winning Duncan Jones has already ruled himself out. Wyatt is sworn off the traditional blockbuster format and Lin is preoccupied with the next Bourne instalment. Tyldum appears to be embarking on a path to future Oscar glory and perhaps not the Final Frontier and I’m not sure Espinosa’s nuts-and-bolts style suits Star Trek’s uber stylish mould. The cast is yet to have been confirmed but we can expect to see Chris Pine (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Into the Woods), Karl Urban (Dredd, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers), Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy, Out of the Furnace, Avatar), Zachary Quinto (Margin Call, Heroes), Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Mission: Impossible), Anton Yelchin (Fright Night, Like Crazy) and John Cho (Sleepy Hollow, American Beauty).
Pride was the most obvious leader at the British Independent Film Awards but the London Critics Circle has selected the artistic biopic Mr Turner as its front runner in their own ceremony. It’s followed by the American releases of black comedy Birdman, dark thriller Nightcrawler, intense drumming story Whiplash, whimsical caper The Grand Budapest Hotel and coming of age drama Boyhood as well as the foreign language efforts Ida and Leviathan. Still the homegrown productions of Mr Turner, paranormal mystery Under the Skin and Steven Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything. Here’s the nominations in full.
Film of the Year:
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Leviathan
Mr Turner
Nightcrawler
The Theory of Everything
Under the Skin
Whiplash
Foreign Language Film of the Year:
Ida
Leviathan
Norte, The End of History
Two Days, One Night
Winter Sleep
British Film of the Year:
The Imitation Game
Mr Turner
Pride
The Theory of Everything
Under the Skin
Documentary of the Year:
20,000 Days on Earth
Citizenfour
Manakamana
Next Goal Wins
Night Will Fall
Actor of the Year:
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
Actress of the Year:
Marion Cotillard – Two Days One Night
Essie Davis – The Babadook
Scarlett Johansson – Under the Skin
Julianne Moore – Maps to the Stars, Still Alice
Supporting Actor of the Year:
Riz Ahmed – Nightcrawler
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
JK Simmons – Whiplash
Supporting Actress of the Year:
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Marion Bailey – Mr Turner
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Agata Kulesza – Ida
Emma Stone – Birdman
British Actor of the Year:
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Tom Hardy – Locke, The Drop
Jack O’Connell – Starred Up, ’71, Unbroken
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
British Actress of the Year:
Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow, Into the Woods
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game, Begin Again, Say When
Gugu Mbatha Raw – Belle
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl, What We Did On Our Holiday
Young British Performer of the Year:
Daniel Huttlestone – Into the Woods
Alex Lawther – The Imitation Game
Corey McKinley – ’71
Will Poulter – The Maze Runner, Plastic
Saoirse Ronan – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Director of the Year:
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner
Screenwriter of the Year:
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
Dan Gilroy – Nightcrawler
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Breakthrough British Filmmaker:
Hossein Amini – The Two Faces of January
Elaine Constantine – Northern Soul
Yann Demange – ’71
Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – 20,000 Days on Earth
James Kent – Testament of Youth
Technical Achievement Award:
’71
Birdman
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Leviathan
Mr Turner
A Most Violent Year
Under the Skin
Whiplash
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