In a year of change for the Emmys, Breaking Bad is out of competition while Modern Family has lost its Comedy Series crown. There’s been a long overdue win for Mad Men’s Jon Hamm but the clear winners are fantasy epic Game of Thrones and political comedy Veep.
Drama
Better Call Saul
Downton Abbey Game of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men
Orange is the New Black
Actor in a Drama
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul
Kyle Chandler – Bloodline
Kevin Spacey – House of Cards Jon Hamm – Mad Men
Jeff Daniels – The Newsroom
Liev Schreiber – Ray Donovan
Supporting Actor in a Drama
Jonathan Banks – Better Call Saul
Ben Mendelsohn – Bloodline
Jim Carter – Downton Abbey Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones
Michael Kelly – House of Cards
Alan Cumming – The Good Wife
Lead Actress in a Drama
Taraji P Henson – Empire
Claire Danes – Homeland
Robin Wright – House of Cards Viola Davis – How to Get Away With Murder
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men
Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black
Supporting Actress in a Drama
Joanna Froggatt – Downton Abbey
Lena Headey – Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke – Game of Thrones
Christine Baranski – The Good Wife
Christina Hendricks – Mad Men Uzo Aduba – Orange is the New Black
Writing For a Drama Series
The Americans – Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep – Joshua Brand
Better Call Saul – Five-O – Gordon Smith Game of Thrones – Mother’s Mercy – David Bennioff, DB Weiss
Mad Men – Lost Horizon – Sam Chellas, Matthew Weiner
Mad Men – Person to Person – Matthew Weiner
Directing For a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire – Eldorado – Tim Van Patten Game of Thrones – Mother’s Mercy – David Nutter
Game of Thrones – Unbowed, Unbroken, Unbent – Jeremy Podeswa
Homeland – From A to B and Back Again – Lesli Linka Glatter
The Knick – Method and Madness – Steven Soderbergh
Comedy Series
Louie
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Veep
Lead Actor in a Comedy
Anthony Anderson – Black-ish
Matt LeBlanc – Episodes
Don Cheadle – House of Lies
Will Forte – The Last Man on Earth
Louis CK – Louie
William H Macy – Shameless Jeffrey Tambor – Transparent
Lead Actress in a Comedy
Lisa Kudrow – The Comeback
Lily Tomlin – Grace and Frankie
Amy Schumer – Inside Amy Schumer
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation Julia Louis Dreyfus – Veep
Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam Driver – Girls
Keegan Michael Key – Key & Peele
Ty Burrell – Modern Family
Titus Burgess – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Tony Hale – Veep
Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Mayim Bialik – The Big Bang Theory
Niecy Nash – Getting On
Julie Bowen – Modern Family Allison Janney – Mom
Kate McKinnon – Saturday Night Live
Gaby Hoffman – Transparent
Anna Chlumsky – Veep
Writing For a Comedy Series
Episodes – Episode 409 – David Crane, Jeffrey Klarik
The Last Man on Earth – Alice in Tuscon – Will Forte
Louie – Bobby’s House – Louis CK
Silicon Valley – Two Days of the Condor – Alec Berg
Transparent – Pilot – Jill Soloway Veep – Election Night – Armando Ianucci, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche
Directing For a Comedy Series
The Last Man on Earth – Pilot – Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Louie – Sleepover – Louis CK
Silicon Valley – Sand Hill Shuffle – Mike Judge Transparent – Best New Girl – Jill Soloway
Veep – Testimony – Armando Ianucci
TV Movie
Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Poirot’s Last Case Bessie Grace of Monaco
Hello Ladies: The Movie
Killing Jesus
Nightingale
Miniseries
American Crime
American Horror Story: Freak Show
The Honourable Woman Olive Kitteridge
Wolf Hall
Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Timothy Hutton – American Crime
Ricky Gervais – Derek
Adrien Brody – Houdini
David Oyelowo – Nightingale Richard Jenkins – Olive Kitteridge
Mark Rylance – Wolf Hall
Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Felicity Huffman – American Crime
Jessica Lange – American Horror Story: Freak Show
Queen Latifah – Bessie
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Honourable Woman Frances McDormand – Olive Kitteridge
Emma Thompson – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Richard Cabral – American Crime
Denis O’Hare – American Horror Story: Freak Show
Finn Wittrock – American Horror Story: Freak Show
Michael Kenneth Williams – Bessie Bill Murray – Olive Kitteridge
Damian Lewis – Wolf Hall
Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Regina King – American Crime Kathy Bates – American Horror Story: Coven
Angela Bassett – American Horror Story: Freak Show
Sarah Paulson – American Horror Story: Freak Show
Mo’Nique – Bessie
Zoe Kazan – Olive Kitteridge
Writing for a Miniseries or Movie
American Crime – Episode One – John Ridley
Bessie – Bessie – Horton Foote, Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois
Hello Ladies – Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupmitsky, Lee Eisenberg
The Honourable Woman – Hugo Blick Oliver Kitteridge – Jane Anderson
Wolf Hall – Peter Straughan
Directing for a Miniseries or Movie
American Horror Story: Freak Show – Ryan Murphy
Bessie – Dee Rees
The Honourable Woman – Hugo Blick
Houdini – Uli Edel
The Missing – Tom Shankland Oliver Kitteridge – Lisa Cholodenko
Wolf Hall – Peter Kosminsky
There’s a good seven or so months until the Oscars really kick off but even now we might be able to make a few early predictions for some of the big hitters. This list will be rapidly changing over the coming months depending on the reception of some of these films. Gus Van Sant/Matthew MacConaughey drama The Sea of Trees seemed like a viable candidate until its Cannes flop. In some cases, we’re basing the predictions off their critical reception, festival buzz and hype and in other cases the popularity of a filmmaker involved. We’re ranking the selections in order of likelihood.
Best Picture:
40) The Good Dinosaur
Director: Peter Sohn (Partly Cloudy) Starring: Anna Paquin (True Blood), Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club), Frances McDormand (Burn After Reading) Premise: An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. Odds: Pixar’s second effort of the year may get overshadowed by their first but the studio’s good form might transfer into this look at an alternate history.
39) Creed
Director: Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) Starring: Michael B Jordan (Chronicle), Tessa Thompson (Dear White People), Sylvester Stallone (First Blood) Premise: The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Creed, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. Odds: The Rocky franchise had seriously drifted after the Best Picture winning original but, by shifting Stallone into and supporting role and bringing new hero Adonis Creed to the foreground, we might have a contender.
38) Secret in Their Eyes
Director: Billy Ray (Breach) Starring: Julia Roberts (Erin Brockivich), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Nicole Kidman (The Hours) Premise: A tight-knit team of FBI investigators, along with their District Attorney supervisor, is suddenly torn apart when they discover that one of their own teenage daughters has been brutally murdered. Odds: The Argentinian adaptation of the same book won an Oscar for Foreign Language in 2009 but this might turn ought to be another unpopular remake.
37) By the Sea
Director: Angelina Jolie (Unbroken) Starring: Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Melanie Laurent (Beginners) Premise: Set in France during the mid-1970s, Vanessa, a former dancer, and her husband Roland, an American writer, travel the country together. They seem to be growing apart, but when they linger in one quiet, seaside town they begin to draw close to some of its more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local bar/café-keeper and a hotel owner. Odds: Jolie hasn’t yet cemented her position as an accomplished director but last year’s Unbroken got three Oscar nods meaning that By the Sea might follow suit.
36) Trumbo
Director: Jay Roach (Meet the Parents) Starring: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Helen Mirren (The Queen), John Goodman (Argo) Premise: The successful career of Hollywood screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo, comes to an end when he is blacklisted in the 1940s for being a Communist. Odds: The Oscars have a track record of stories about Hollywood and redemption and Bryan Cranston should shine in the role but communist sympathies might not sit too well with the Academy.
35) Spectre
Director: Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition) Starring: Daniel Craig (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Lea Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Colour), Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) Premise: A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind Spectre. Odds: Prior to 2012’s Skyfall, Bond hadn’t had a Oscar win in nearly 50 years. If Spectre is an improvement, than the series may be on the way to a first ever Best Picture nomination.
34) Legend
Director: Brian Helgeland (42) Starring: Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind) Premise: The film tells the story of the identical twin gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray, two of the most notorious criminals in British history, and their organised crime empire in the East End of London during the 1960s. Odds: The main Oscar buzz about the film surrounds Tom Hardy’s performance(s) but the crime biopic might be a dark horse in the contest.
33) The Martian
Director: Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) Starring: Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) Premise: During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Odds: After back to back success with Gladiator and Black Hawk Down followed by the snubbing of American Gangster, acclaimed director Ridley Scott’s sci-fi epic The Martian may have the goods to put him back on top.
32) Beasts of No Nation
Director: Cary Fukanga (True Detective) Starring: Abraham Attah (Out of the Village), Ama K Abebrese (The Cursed Ones), Idris Elba (Pacific Rim) Premise: A drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country. Odds: The Academy may take a big step by nominating a Netflix original production for the first time
31) Everest
Director: Baltasar Kormakur (Contraband) Starring: Jake Gyllenhaald (Nightcrawler), Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men), Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty) Premise: A climbing expedition on Mt. Everest is devastated by a severe snow storm. Odds: A traditional disaster flick will hopefully be elevated by the fantastic ensemble.
30) Concussion
Director: Peter Landesman (Parkland) Starring: Will Smith (Ali), Gugu Mbatha Raw (Belle), Alec Baldwin (The Hunt For Red October) Premise: The story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in professional football players. Odds: It’s been years since Smith’s last major critical success but the more serious tone surrounding this true life thriller may lead it Oscar bound.
29) The Walk
Director: Robert Zemeckis (Cast Away) Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt (Looper), Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island), Charlotte Le Bon (Mood Indigo) Premise: The story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s attempt to cross the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Odds: The fact that the same story was turned into an Oscar winning documentary (Man on Wire) several years ago proves that the premise is more Academy friendly than blockbuster cool but the fact that the story has been visited successfully before may also hinder it.
28) Freeheld
Director: Peter Sollett (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) Starring: Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire), Ellen Page (Juno) Premise: New Jersey police lieutenant, Laurel Hester, and her registered domestic partner, Stacie Andree, both battle to secure Hester’s pension benefits when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Odds: Moore is on fine form after her win for Still Alice but there hasn’t yet been a remarkable amount of Oscar buzz surrounding it.
27) 45 Years
Director: Andrew Haigh (Weekend) Starring: Charlotte Rampling (Melancholia), Tom Courtenay (Doctor Zhivago), Geraldine James (Gandhi) Premise: In the week leading up to their 45th wedding anniversary, a couple receive an unexpected letter which contains potentially life changing news. Odds: The low key British drama might prove to be a contender but given the recent snubbing of Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner, the Academy may have turned away from that genre the larger scale Brit flicks such as The Imitation Game
26) The Danish Girl
Director: Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) Starring: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Alicia Vikander (A Royal Affair), Ben Whishaw (Skyfall) Premise: The remarkable love story inspired by the lives of artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer. Odds: The Danish Girl has all the makings of a Best Picture winner – lavish period setting, Oscar friendly cast and director – but it’ll have to overcome its so far mixed-negative reception.
25) Straight Outta Compton
Director: F Gary Gray (Friday) Starring: Jason Mitchell (Contraband), Corey Hawkins (Non-Stop), Paul Giamatti (Sideways) Premise: The group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood. Odds: Sharing its name with the rap sensation, this unlikely candidate surprised critics and was a smash hit with audiences but that won’t necessarily translate into Oscar success for the musical biopic.
24) Macbeth
Director: Justin Kurzel (Snowtown) Starring: Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Marion Cotillard (Inception), Paddy Considine (Dead Man’s Shoes) Premise: Macbeth, a duke of Scotland, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself. Odds: Kurzel might not be experienced with this scale of filmmaking but injecting a flavour of war epic to Shakespeare’s classic should shake things up, not to mention the roles Fassbender and Cotillard were born to play.
23) The Program
Director: Stephen Frears (The Queen) Starring: Chris O’Dowd (Calvary), Ben Foster (Lone Survivor), Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man) Premise: An Irish sports journalist becomes convinced that Lance Armstrong’s performances during the Tour de France victories are fueled by banned substances. With this conviction, he starts hunting for evidence that will expose Armstrong. Odds: The events depicted might be considered too recent to have a major effect on voters and O’Dowd (while talented) hasn’t yet reached Oscar appeal but Frears’ impressive back catalogue should accelerate hype.
22) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Director: Alfonso Gomez Rejon (The Town that Dreaded Sundown) Starring: Thomas Mann (Project X), Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), Nick Offerman (The Kings of Summer) Premise: High schooler Greg, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer. Odds: The Fault in Our Stars for the Kings of Summer audience. This charming romance with undoubtedly win the hearts of fans and critics but it might be too low key for the Academy.
21) Snowden
Director: Oliver Stone (JFK) Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt (Inception), Nicolas Cage (Face/Off), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) Premise: CIA employee Edward Snowden leaks thousands of classified documents to the press. Odds: Snowden’s story was told recently in the Oscar winning documentary Citizenfour meaning the source material has awards-friendly buzz but all of Oliver Stone’s recent work (Alexander, Money Never Sleeps, Savages) has been a let down. However, anti-American undertones didn’t do Zero Dark Thirty any harm.
20) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Director: JJ Abrams (Stark Trek Into Darkness) Starring: John Boyega (Attack the Block), Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) Premise: New heroes must fight the rising threat of the New Order. Odds: While the reboot of a franchise that hasn’t been good since 1983 may make the Oscars treat The Force Awakens as Bantha fodder, it seems to possess the game changing level of effects that brought Avatar to success and made the original Star Wars a Best Picture nominee.
19) Hail Caesar
Directors: Joel and Ethan Cohen (The Big Lebowski) Starring: Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men), George Clooney (Gravity), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) Premise: A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio’s stars in line. Odds: With four Oscar wins, the Coens are probably the most acclaimed screenwriters of our time but Inside Llewyn Davis’ snubbing might mean trouble for the pair’s more quirky efforts.
18) Silence
Director: Martin Scorsese (The Aviator) Starring: Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Tadanobu Asano (Thor). Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List) Premise: In the seventeenth century, two Jesuit priests face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and to spread the gospel of Christianity. Odds: Silence seems Oscar bound but production delays and rumours that it’ll debut in Cannes 2016 suggest that the film might not be in competition until the 2017 Oscars.
17) The End of the Tour
Director: James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now) Starring: Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Anna Chlumsky (In the Loop), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) Premise: A magazine reporter recounts his travels and conversations with author David Foster Wallace during a promotional book tour. Odds: The new Almost Famous? Segel and Eisenberg’s pairing will undoubtedly pick up a cult following but might be a bit abrasive for the Oscar crowd.
16) In the Heart of the Sea
Director: Ron Howard (Apollo 13) Starring: Chris Hemsworth (Rush), Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) Premise: Based on the 1820 event, a whaling ship is preyed upon by a sperm whale, stranding its crew at sea for 90 days, thousands of miles from home. Odds: Ron Howard has experienced mass success with the disaster thriller genre but the merciless snub of his brilliant racing drama Rush hints at an anti-Howard agenda.
15) Mad Max: Fury Road
Director: George Miller (The Road Warrior) Starring: Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Charlize Theron (Monster), Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies) Premise: In a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, two rebels just might be able to restore order: Max, a man of action and of few words, and Furiosa, a woman of action who is looking to make it back to her childhood homeland. Odds: This bold action sequel received rave reviews but the fact that its plot can be sketched out on a napkin might put off some of the more traditional Academy voters.
14) Joy
Director: David O. Russell (American Hustle) Starring: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), Robert De Niro (Casino) Premise: The story of a family across four generations and the woman who rises to become founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty. Odds: Russell has a surprising three consecutive Best Picture nominees but the flop of his abandoned rom-com Accidental Love earlier this years prevents Joy from being his fourth.
13) Brooklyn
Director: John Crowley (Is Anybody There) Starring: Saoirse Ronan (Atonement), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time), Julie Walters (Billy Elliot) Premise: In 1950s Ireland and New York, young Ellis Lacey has to choose between two men and two countries. Odds: This star studded effort could be a major contender so long as it avoids the pitfalls of a procedural romantic drama (IE Anna Karenina).
12) The Lobster
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth) Starring: Colin Farrell (In Bruges), John C Reilly (Chicago), Rachel Weisz (Enemy at the Gates) Premise: In a dystopian near future, single people are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days or are transformed into animals and released into the woods. Odds: Merging comedy, romance and sci-fi with a bonkers concept from a Greek director making his English language debut. The Gilliam-esque level of weirdness will attract a lot of attention but may also backfire.
11) Youth
Director: Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty) Starring: Michael Caine (The Dark Knight), Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener) Premise: Fred and Mick, two old friends, are on vacation in an elegant hotel at the foot of the Alps. While Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film, Fred has no intention of resuming his musical career. But someone wants at all costs to hear him conduct again. Odds: Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty picked up a triple with Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globes in the Foreign Language category so Youth should continue form but Sorrentino’s only other English language feature, This Must Be the Place, was one of his weakest.
10) Suffragette
Director: Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane) Starring: Carey Mulligan (Drive), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd) Premise: The foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal state. Odds: The all-female writing directing team may face the snubs that Ava DuVernay suffered with Selma last year but the feminist story may tie into the Academy’s own changing times.
9) Black Mass
Director: Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) Starring: Johnny Depp (Public Enemies), Joel Edgerton (Zero Dark Thirty), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) Premise: The true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf. Odds: A dark and intense modern gangster thriller akin to The Departed and Donnie Brasco. Hopefully, Pirates star Johnny Depp will prove his worth for the first time in years. The massively positive early response is greatly promising.
8) Crimson Peak
Director: Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) Starring: Mia Wasikowska (Stoker), Tom Hiddleston (War Horse), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) Premise: In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds…and remembers. Odds: A lavish Gothic mood will elevate Crimson Peak from repetitive formulaic horror (The Conjuring, Insidious, Sinister, Annabelle) or even hits like the Carpenter-esque It Follows and indie smash The Babadook. Del Toro might exceed Pan’s Labyrinth’s three Oscar wins while busting the myth that horrors are Oscar immune (see Jaws, The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, Aliens, The Silence of the Lambs).
7) The Hateful Eight
Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) Starring: Samuel L Jackson (Jurassic Park), Kurt Russell (The Thing), Bruce Dern (Nebraska) Premise: In post-Civil War Wyoming, bounty hunters try to find shelter during a blizzard but get involved in a plot of betrayal and deception. Will they survive? Odds: Tarantino’s three Best Picture nominations may well be added to with this Western thriller. It’d be unlikely for this not to be an seventh consecutive hit for the filmmaker.
6) Carol
Director: Todd Haynes (I’m Not There) Starring: Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Kyle Chandler (Super 8) Premise: Set in 1950s New York, a department-store clerk who dreams of a better life falls for an older, married woman. Odds: Carol has been the bookies’ favourite from the start but more recently more praise has gone towards its stars than the film itself.
5) Sicario
Director: Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) Starring: Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow), Benicio Del Toro (Traffic), Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) Premise: An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico. Odds: American Sniper, Argo, Captain Phillips, District 9, Gravity, The Hurt Locker, Inception and Zero Dark Thirty have redefined the Oscar’s favour for the action thriller genre.
4) Inside Out
Directors: Pete Docter (Up), Ronaldo Del Carmen Starring: Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Bill Hader (Trainwreck), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks) Premise: After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness – conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school. Odds: The animation has gained the best reception of any of Pixar’s work since 2010’s Toy Story 3 but it has been five years since the studio has had a major nomination besides Animated Feature.
3) Bridge of Spies
Director: Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List) Starring: Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips), Amy Ryan (Birdman), Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall) Premise: An American lawyer is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union. Odds: Spielberg’s career has had nine Best Picture films (including Jaws, The Colour Purple, Saving Private Ryan, War Horse and Lincoln) and 118 Oscar nods are most likely to be added to but the acclaimed director isn’t immune to snubs (Catch Me if You Can, Jurassic Park). Also, Hanks hasn’t had an Oscar nod since 2001’s Cast Away and even his career best in Captain Phillips didn’t sway the Academy.
2) The Revenant
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Birdman) Starring: Leonardo Di Caprio (Inception), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time), Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) Premise: The frontiersman, Hugh Glass, who in the 1820s set out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling. Odds: Considering the grueling shoot and huge budget, the civil-war era epic could be the new Dances With Wolves (multi-Oscar winner with Kevin Costner) or the new Heaven’s Gate (world renowned flop with Jeff Bridges). Either way, the footage is incredible.
1) Steve Jobs
Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) Starring: Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), Kate Winslet (Titanic) Premise: The true story of the life of visionary Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Odds: While it suffered major development issues – loss of cast members (Christian Bale, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo Di Caprio, Ben Affleck, Tom Cruise, Matthew MacConaughey, Charlize Theronl, Jessica Chastain, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman) and director David Fincher – we reckon Steve Jobs is your next Best Picture winner.
Here’s a quickfire of the directors and stars we reckon will make the cut.
Best Director:
Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies
Denis Villeneuve – Sicario
Danny Boyle – Steve Jobs
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – The Revenant
George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Oliver Stone – Snowden
Guillermo Del Toro – Crimson Peak
JJ Abrams – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Scott Cooper – Black Mass
F Gary Gray – Straight Outta Compton
Paolo Sorrentino – Youth
Ron Howard – In the Heart of the Sea
Sarah Gavron – Suffragette
David O. Russell – Joy
Quentin Tarantino – The Hateful Eight
Best Actor:
Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs – Steve Jobs
Michael Caine – Fred Ballinger – Youth
Leonardo Di Caprio – Hugh Glass – The Revenant
Johnny Depp – Whitey Bulger – Black Mass
Tom Hanks – James Donovan – Bridge of Spies
Jason Segel – David Foster Wallace – The End of the Tour
Bryan Cranston – Dalton Trumbo – Trumbo
Eddie Redmayne – Lili Elbe – The Danish Girl
Ian McKellen – Sherlock Holmes – Mr Holmes
Jake Gyllenhaal – Billy Hope – Southpaw
Tom Hardy – Ronald/Reginald Kray – Legend
Joseph Gordon Levitt – Edward Snowden – Snowden
Colin Farrell – David – The Lobster
Tom Hardy – “Mad” Max Rockatansky – Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom Hiddleston – Hank Williams – I Saw the Light
Best Actress:
Rooney Mara – Therese Belivet – Carol
Marion Cotillard – Lady Macbeth – Macbeth
Alicia Vikander – Gerda Wegener – The Danish Girl
Emily Blunt – Kate Macer – Sicario
Jennifer Lawrence – Joy Mangano – Joy
Cate Blanchett – Carol Aird – Carol
Charlotte Rampling – Kate Mercer – 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan – Ellis Lacey – Brooklyn
Juliette Binoche – Maria Enders – Clouds of Sils Maria
Carey Mulligan – Maud – Suffragette
Mia Wasikowska – Edith Cushing – Crimson Peak
Charlize Theron – Imperator Furiosa – Mad Max: Fury Road
Julianne Moore – Laurel Hester – Freeheld
Angelina Jolie – Vanessa – By the Sea
Amy Schumer – Amy – Trainwreck
Best Supporting Actor:
Seth Rogen – Steve Wozniak – Steve Jobs
Harvey Keitel – Mick Boyle – Youth
Benedict Cumberbatch – Bill Bulger – Black Mass
Benicio Del Toro – Alejandro – Sicario
Mark Rylance – Rudolf Abel – Bridge of Spes
Jesse Eisenberg – David Lipsky – The End of the Tour
Robert De Niro – Rudy Mangano – Joy
Christoph Waltz – Hans Oberhauser – Spectre
Samuel L Jackson – Marquis Warren – The Hateful Eight
Tom Hardy – John Fitzgerald – The Revenant
Chris O’Dowd – David Walsh – The Program
Josh Brolin – Matt – Sicario
Tom Hiddelston – Thomas Sharpe – Crimson Peak
Will Poulter – Jim Bridger – The Revenant
Harrison Ford – Han Solo – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Supporting Actress:
Rachel Weisz – Lena Ballinger – Youth
Kate Winslet – Joanna Hoffman – Steve Jobs
Shailene Woodley – Lindsay Mills – Snowden
Amy Ryan – Mary Donovan – Bridge of Spies
Ellen Page – Stacie Andree – Freeheld
Jessica Chastain – Lucille Sharpe – Crimson Peak
Jane Fonda – Brenda Morel – Youth
Kristen Stewart – Valentine – Clouds of Sils Maria
Julie Walters – Mrs Kehoe – Brooklyn
Melissa Leo – Laura Poitras – Snowden
Rachel McAdams – Maureen Hope – Southpaw
Helen Mirren – Hedda Hooper – Trumbo
Anna Chlumsky – Sarah – The End of the Tour
Helena Bonham Carter – Edith New – Suffragette
Jennifer Jason Leigh – Daisy Domergue – The Hateful Eight
Best Original Screenplay:
Youth – Paolo Sorrentino
The Hateful Eight – Quentin Tarantino
Inside Out – Pete Docter, Ronald Del Carmen, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley
Bridge of Spies – Joel Cohen, Ethan Cohen, Matt Charman
Ex Machina – Alex Garland
Joy – David O. Russell, Annie Mumulo
Sicario – Taylor Sheridan
Hail Caesar – Joel Cohen, Ethan Cohen
Demolition – Bryan Sipe
The Good Dinosaur – Enrico Casarosa, Bob Peterson
Suffragette – Abi Morgan
Trainwreck – Amy Schumer
Southpaw – Kurt Sutter
Crimson Peak – Guillermo Del Toro, Matthew Robbins
Irrational Man – Woody Allen
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Steve Jobs – Aaron Sorkin
Carol – Phyllis Nagy
The End of the Tour – Donald Marguiles
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – Jesse Andrews
The Revenant – Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Mark L Smith
Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
Silence – Jay Cocks
Snowden – Oliver Stone, Kieran Fitzgerald
Brooklyn – Nick Hornby
The Danish Girl – Lucina Coven
Spectre – John Logan, Neil Purvis, Robert Wade
Macbeth – Jacob Koskoff, Todd Louiso
Black Mass – Scott Cooper, Mark Mallouk
The Martian – Drew Goddard
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – JJ Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan
BIrdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Birdman, Guardians of the Galaxy and Boyhood were among the most celebrated films of the previous awards season but the MTV Awards have a history of selecting mainstream flicks. Previous films to have been crowned include Terminator 2, A Few Good Men, Scream, There’s Something About Mary, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, Napoleon Dynamite, Wedding Crashers, Transformers, Twilight, The Avengers and The Hunger Games: Caching Fire. Last night’s results are in on the 2015 awards (novelty awards included).
Best Movie:
The Fault in Our Stars American Sniper
Boyhood
Gone Girl
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Selma
Whiplash
Best Male Performance:
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Channing Tatum – Foxcatcher
Miles Teller – Whiplash
Best Female Performance:
Shailene Woodley – The Fault in Our Stars Scarlett Johansson – Lucy
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Emma Stone – Birdman
Reese Witherspoon – Wild
Best Breakthrough Performance:
Dylan O’Brien – The Maze Runner Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood
Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
David Oyelowo – Selma
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Best Scared Performance:
Jennifer Lopez – The Boy Next Door Zack Gildford – The Purge: Anarchy
Dylan O’Brien – The Maze Runner
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Annabelle Wallis – Annabelle
Best On Screen Duo:
Zac Efron & Dave Franco – Bad Neighbours
Bradley Cooper & Vin Diesel – Guardians of the Galaxy
James Franco & Seth Rogen – The Interview
Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill – 22 Jump Street
Shailene Woodley & Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Best Shirtless Performance:
Zac Efron – Bad Neighbours Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Channing Tatum – Foxcatcher
Kate Upton – The Other Woman
Best Fight:
Dylan O’Brien vs Will Poulter – The Maze Runner Chris Evans vs Sebastian Stan – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Jonah Hill vs Jillian Bell – 22 Jump Street
Edward Norton vs Michael Keaton – Birdman
Seth Rogen vs Zac Efron – Bad Neighbours
Best Kiss:
Ansel Elgort & Shailene Woodley – The Fault in Our Stars Rose Byrne & Halston Sage – Bad Neighbours
James Franco & Seth Rogen – The Interview
Andrew Garfield & Emma Stone – The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Scarlett Johansson & Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Best WTF Moment:
Seth Rogen & Rose Byrne – Bad Neighbours Rosario Dawson & Anders Holm – Top Five
Jonah Hill – 22 Jump Street
Jason Sudeikis & Charlie Day – Horrible Bosses 2
Miles Teller – Whpilash
Best Villain:
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods Jillian Bell – 22 Jump Street
Peter Dinklage – X-Men: Days of Future Past
(Spoilers) – Gone Girl
JK Simmons – Whiplash
Best Musical Moment:
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Bill Hader & Kristen Wiig – The Skeleton Twins
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Seth Rogen & Zac Efron – Bad Neighbours
Miles Teller – Whiplash
Best Comedic Performance:
Channing Tatum – 22 Jump Street Rose Byrne – Bad Neighbours
Kevin Hart – The Wedding Ringer
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Chris Rock – Top Five
Best On Screen Transformation:
Elizabeth Banks – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Steve Carell – Foxcacher
Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Zoe Saldana – Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Hero:
Dylan O’Brien – The Maze Runner Shailene Woodley – Insurgent
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Martin Freeman – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy
Trailblazer Award:
Shailene Woodley (The Descendants, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, The Spectacular Now)
Comedic Genius Award:
Kevin Hart (Get Hard, Ride Along, Think Like a Man, The Wedding Ringer)
Generation Award:
Robert Downey Jr (The Avengers, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Sherlock Holmes, Zodiac)
Here’s the winners’ leaderboard:
Bad Neighbours, The Fault in Our Stars, The Maze Runner – 3 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – 2 22 Jump Street, American Sniper, The Boy Next Door, Into the Woods – 1
With various big names already attached to his fantasy adventure The BFG, famed director Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, Lincoln) has enlisted even more cast members for the project. Rebecca Hall, the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated star of Iron Man 3, The Town, The Prestige and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, was the first major addition in an announcement that included Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows, Flight at the Conchords) and Penelope Wilton (Shaun of the Dead, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). The cast already includes Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall, Bridge of Spies), Bill Hader (Superbad, The Skeleton Twins) and Martin Freeman (Fargo, Sherlock, The Hobbit trilogy).
It’s so far unclear if the new film Creed will be an Oscar favourite or a limp reboot of the lagging Rocky franchise (one that began with a Best Picture win in 1976 steadily declined through four sequels in the 1980s and returned with the minor hit of 2006’s Rocky Balboa). The new addition of the franchise has Michael B Jordan (Chronicle, The Fantastic Four) reteaming with his Fruitvale Station (an acclaimed urban drama) director Ryan Coogler to play Creed’s grandson who recruits Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone – First Blood) as his new mentor to become a new boxing legend. The film’s first still has been revealed. Graham McTavish (The Hobbit, Outlander) and Tessa Thompson (Selma, Dear White People).
BAFTA chose Boyhood, Golden Globes elected the latter and The Grand Budapest Hotel, Oscars voted for Birdman while our own pick was Guardians of the Galaxy. Empire, a ceremony that brilliantly mashes together the arthouse and the mainstream, has just revealed its recipients. Previous winners of Best Film have included Seven, The Matrix, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Dark Knight, Avatar, Inception, Skyfall and Gravity. For a bit of background on the honorary awards, Hero marks a current contribution to cinema (Simon Pegg, Daniel Radcliffe, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Jude Law), the Icon/Legend celebrates a lifespan of great work (Brian Cox, Ewan MacGregor, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Gary Oldman, Hugh Jackman) and Inspiration is for a modern master filmmaker (Monty Python, Aardman, Pixar, Michael Mann, Ray Harreyhausen, Guillermo Del Toro, Sam Mendes, Ron Howard, Kenneth Branagh, Edgar Wright, Stephen Frears, Spike Lee, Paul Greengrass).
Best Film:
Interstellar Boyhood
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The Imitation Game
Best British Film:
Kingsman: The Secret Service Paddington
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Under the Skin
Best Director:
Christopher Nolan – Interstellar Matt Reeves – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game
Peter Jackson – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Best Actor:
Andy Serkis – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Eddie Redmanye – The Theory of Everything
Richard Armitage – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Best Actress:
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina
Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Best Male Newcomer:
Taron Egerton – Kingsman: The Secret Service Dan Stevens – The Guest
Daniel Huttlestone – Into the Woods
Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood
Jack O’Connell – Unbroken
Best Female Newcomer:
Karen Gillan – Oculus and Guardians of the Galaxy Carrie Coon – Gone Girl
Essie Davis – The Babadook
Gugu Mbatha Raw – Belle
Sophie Cookson – Kingsman: The Secret Service
Best Comedy:
Paddington 22 Jump Street
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Inbetweeners 2
The Lego Movie
Best Horror:
The Babadook Annabelle
Oculus
The Guest
Under the Skin
Best Sci-fi/Fantasy:
X-Men: Days of Future Past Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Best Thriller:
The Imitation Game Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Gone Girl
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Locke
Empire Legend:
Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Schindler’s List, Skyfall)
Empire Hero:
Game of Thrones (Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harrington, Lena Headey, Charles Dance, Natalie Dormer, Sean Bean)
Empire Inspiration:
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy, The Following, Inception, Insomnia, Interstellar, Memento, The Prestige)
Here’s a few images from the night itself, hosted by James Nesbitt. Guests include: Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace), Jessica Chastain (The Help), Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), James McAvoy (Atonement), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Reece Shearsmith (A Field in England) and Matt Berry (The IT Crowd).
In a first time special we’ll be revealing the nominees and winners of our favourite TV picks of the past year. We’ve tried to blend drama with comedy and UK with US shows.
Best Show:
Agents of SHIELD (Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell, Joss Whedon) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Dan Goor, Michael Schur)
Fargo (Noah Hawley)
Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel, Peter Staughan)
The Wrong Mans (James Corden, Matthew Baynton, Tom Basden)
Best Actor:
Andy Samberg as Jake Peralta in Brooklyn Nine-Nine Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo in Fargo
Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory
Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall
Martin Freeman as Lester Nygaard in Fargo
Best Actress:
Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall
Eliza Taylor as Clarke Griffin in The 100
Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler in The Big Bang Theory
Sofie Grabol as Hilder Odegard in Fortitude
Stephanie Beatriz as Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Best Supporting Actor:
Andre Braugher as Ray Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Bill Paxton as John Garrett in Agents of SHIELD
Colin Hanks as Gus Grimly in Fargo
Damian Lewis as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall
Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock in Gotham
Best Supporting Actress:
Allison Tolman as Molly Solverson in Fargo Chelsea Peretti as Gina Linetti in Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney in Gotham
Jessica Raine as Jane Boleyn in Wolf Hall
Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory
Best Drama:
Broadchurch Fargo
Fortitude
Prey
Wolf Hall
Best Comedy:
The Big Bang Theory Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Not Going Out
The Wrong Mans
Best Action/Adventure:
The 100 Agents of SHIELD
Doctor Who
Gotham
The Musketeers
Here’s the winner’s leaderboard:
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – 4 Fargo – 2 Agents of SHIELD, Wolf Hall – 1
Here’s the nominations leaderboard:
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fargo, Wolf Hall – 6 The Big Bang Theory – 4 Agents of SHIELD, Gotham – 3 The 100, Fortitude, The Wrong Mans – 2
The losers of the 2015 awards season were evident. American Sniper, The Imitation Game, Foxcatcher, Nightcrawler, Into the Woods and Gone Girl all received plenty of nominations but failed to convey them as wins. For this list we’re compiling a top ten based on their wins in the Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTAs (what we consider the the three key ceremonies) as well as the commercial and critical effect the awards have had. Here they are:
10) Selma
Director: Ava DuVernay Starring: David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tom Wilkinson, Giovanni Ribisi, Oprah Winfrey Wins: 2 – Best Original Song Nominations: 6 – Best Picture IMDb Rating: 7.6 Box-office: $57 million
9) Interstellar
Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Matthew MacConaughey, Mackenzie Foy, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine Wins: 2 – Best Special Effects Nominations: 10 – Best Original Score, Best Cinematography IMDb Rating: 8.8 Box-office: $672 million
8) Ida
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski Starring: Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzenuchowska, Dawid Ogrodnik Wins: 2 – Best Foreign Language Film Nominations: 5 – Best Cinematography IMDb Rating: 7.5 Box-office: $10 million
7) Citizenfour
Director: Laura Poitras Starring: Edward Snowden Wins: 2 – Best Documentary Nominations: 2 IMDb Rating: 8.3 Box-office: $2 million
6) Still Alice
Directors: Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland Starring: Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth Wins: 3 – Best Leading Actress (Moore) Nominations: 3 IMDb Rating: 7.5 Box-office: $15 million
5) The Theory of Everything
Director: James Marsh Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, David Thewlis, Charlie Cox, Simon McBurney Wins: 6 – Best Leading Actor (Redmayne), Best British Film Nominations: 19 – Best Picture, Best Leading Actress (Jones) IMDb Rating: 7.8 Box-office: $110 million
4) Whiplash
Director: Damien Chazelle Starring: Miles Teller, JK Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell Wins: 7 – Best Supporting Actor (Simmons), Best Editing Nominations: 11 – Best Picture, Best Adapted/Original Screenplay IMDb Rating: 8.6 Box-office: $13 million
3) Boyhood
Director: Richard Linklater Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater Wins: 7 – Best Film, Best Supporting Actress (Arquette), Best Director Nominations: 16 – Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Hawke) IMDb Rating: 8.2 Box-office: $44 million
2) Birdman
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts Wins: 7 – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography Nominations: 26 – Best Actor (Keaton), Best Supporting Actress (Stone), Best Supporting Actor (Norton) IMDb Rating: 8.0 Box-office: $87 million
1) The Grand Budapest Hotel
Director: Wes Anderson Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Saoirse Ronan, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody Wins: 10 – Best Film Comedy/Musical, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay Nominations: 24 – Best Picture, Best Actor (Fiennes), Best Director, Best Cinematography IMDb Rating: 8.1 Box-office: $174 million
If you found this post interesting please tell us in the comments as we may be publishing more top tens like this in the future. Bye for now!
Neill Blomkamp has been busy giving sci-fi and the South African film industry a good name with the Best Picture nominated District 9, the Matt Damon-starring Elysium and his new thriller Chappie but he was secretly developing ideas for a new Alien film. When the bold concept art was released it showcased a brilliant insight of the project he’d envisioned and the acclaim it received has sparked some level of interest. The Johannesburg-born filmmaker’s Alien instalment has been officially commissioned in addition to Ridley Scott’s Prometheus sequel. Details such as a release date or cast are yet to be confirmed but we might see appearance from Blomkamp regular Sharlto Copley (Maleficent, Powers) or a return for Sigourney Weaver (Avatar, The Cabin in the Woods) AKA Ripley.
Birdman, Boyhood, Still Alice and Whiplash took centre stage at the Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes in the past few months but the Empire Awards are set to amalgamate the mainstream and the arthouse in their public-voted awards. Previous winners include The Bourne Ultimatum, Men in Black Seven, Skyfall, Inception and Gravity. Click here for the voting while you can admire all of the nominees below.
Best Film:
The Imitation Game
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Boyhood
Best Director:
Peter Jackson – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Matt Reeves – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Richard Linklater – Boyhood Christopher Nolan – Interstellar Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game
Best Actress:
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina
Jameson Best Actor:
Andy Serkis – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything Bradley Cooper – American Sniper Richard Armitage – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Best British Film:
The Imitation Game
Paddington
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Under the Skin
The Theory of Everything
Best Thriller:
The Imitation Game
Gone Girl
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Locke
Best Comedy:
The Inbetweeners 2
Paddington
The Lego Movie
22 Jump Street
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Horror:
The Guest
Oculus
The Babadook
Annabelle
Under the Skin
Best Sci-fi/Fantasy:
Guardians of the Galaxy
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Interstellar
Best Female Newcomer:
Carrie Coon (Gone Girl) Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) Essie Davis (The Babadook) Sophie Cookson (Kingsman: The Secret Service) Gugu Mbatha Raw (Belle, Beyond the Lights, Jupiter Ascending)
Best Male Newcomer:
Jack O’Connell (Unbroken, ’71, Starred Up) Dan Stevens (The Guest, A Walk Among the Tombstones) Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Testament of Youth) Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood) Daniel Huttlestone (Into the Woods)
Here’s the leaderboard:
The Imitation Game – 6 Dawn of the Planet if the Apes, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Kingsman: The Secret Service – 4 Boyhood, Gone Girl, Interstellar, The Theory of Everything – 3 The Babadook, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Guest, Oculus, Paddington, Under the Skin, X-Men: Days of Future Past – 2
Finally today, we have the first major poster of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, tipped to be the biggest blockbuster of 2015. Joss Whedon (Serenity, Toy Story, The Cabin in the Woods) directs the cast of Robert Downey Jr (The Judge), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher), Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation), Chris Hemsworth (Rush), Chris Evans (Snowpiercer), Jeremy Renner (American Hustle), Samuel L Jackson (Pulp Fiction), Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother), Don Cheadle (Crash), James Spader (The Blacklist), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Aaron Taylor Johnson (Kick-Ass), Thomas Kretschmann (The Pianist), Stellan Skarsgard (Good Will Hunting), Andy Serkis (The Hobbit) and Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind).
We, like so many, predicted that Richard Linklater’s loving endeavour of a film would snatch top prize last night but the Broadway-set black comedy depicting a disgraced actors attempted resurgence has caused an unexpected upset. Birdman is this year’s victor, succeeding the recent likes of 12 Years a Slave, Argo, The Artist and The King’s Speech. It received four awards, including Best Picture, Director and Cinematography. Here’s the full winners list.
Best Picture:
Birdman American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Best Director:
Alejandro Gonazlez Inarritu – Birdman Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Bennett Miller – Foxcatcher
Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game
Best Actor:
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Best Actress:
Julianne Moore – Still Alice Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild
Best Supporting Actor:
JK Simmons – Whiplash Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood Laura Dern – Wild
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Best Original Screenplay:
Birdman – Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo Boyhood – Richard Linklater
Foxcatcher – E Max Frye, Dan Futterman
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness
Nightcrawler – Dan Gilroy
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Imitation Game – Graham Moore American Sniper – Jason Dean Hall
Inherent Vice – Paul Thomas Anderson
The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten
Whiplash – Damien Chazelle
Best Animated Feature Film:
Big Hero 6 The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Best Foreign Language Film:
Ida Leviathan
Tangerines
Timbuktu
Wild Tales
Best Documentary – Feature:
Citizenfour Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga
Best Documentary – Short:
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 Joanna
Our Cruise
The Reaper
White Earth
Best Live Action Short Film:
The Phone Call Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
Best Animated Short Film:
Feast The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life
Best Original Score:
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Alexandre Desplat The Imitation Game – Alexandre Desplat
Interstellar – Hans Zimmer
Mr Turner – Gary Yershon
The Theory of Everything – Johann Johannsson
Best Original Song:
“Glory” – John Legend, Common – Selma “Everything is Awesome” – The Lonely Island, Tegan and Sara – The Lego Movie
“Grateful” – Dianne Warren – Beyond the Lights
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” – Glen Campbell, Julian Raymond – Glen Campbell: I’ll be Me
“Lost Stars” – Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois – Begin Again
Best Sound Editing:
American Sniper Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken
Best Sound Mixing:
Whiplash American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Best Production Design:
The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr Turner
Best Cinematography:
Birdman (Emmanuel Lubezki) The Grand Budapest Hotel (Robert Yeoman)
Ida (Lukasz Zal, Ryszard Lenczewski)
Mr Turner (Dick Pope)
Unbroken (Roger Deakins)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
The Grand Budapest Hotel Foxcatcher
Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Costume Design:
The Grand Budapest Hotel Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr Turner
Best Film Editing:
Whiplash American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Best Visual Effects:
Interstellar Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Tonight will be considered a triumph for Birdman, Whiplash and The Grand Budapest Hotel. The team of Boyhood, besides the winning Arquette, may be disappointed with the lack of payoff for their monumental effort. Considering their high amount of nominations, The Imitation Game, Mr Turner, Unbroken and Foxcatcher have suffered a let down. Here’s the winner’s leaderboard:
Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel – 4 Whiplash – 3 American Sniper, Big Hero 6, Boyhood, Citizenfour, Ida, The Imitation Game, Interstellar, Selma, Still Alice, The Theory of Everything – 1
Making predictions for next year, perhaps Spielberg’s thriller St James Place or the Coen Brothers’ Hail Caesar could feature. Inarritu may be at it again with his release The Revenant or Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight may emerge. Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs? David O Russell’s Joy? Bryan Cranston’s Trumbo? Del Toro’s Crimson Peak. We may even give Star Wars: The Force Awakens a shot. We’ll see you next year.
Tonight, questions will be answered. Will American Sniper gun down competition? Will Birdman take flight? Is Boyhood coming of age? Will The Grand Budapest Hotel cater to its awards dreams? Will Imitation Game crack Hollywood? Is Selma marching for the Academy’s vote? Is a breakthrough in store for The Theory of Everything? Is tonight a diagnosis of Whiplash? Besides all male protagonists, what connects these fine films is their involvement in this year’s Academy Awards.
How I Met Your Mother and Gone Girl star Neil Patrick Harris has the answers and will be revealing them soon but for now we’ll be recapping on the most important awards race of the year as the Oscars kick off.
In Best Picture, eight nominees are challenging and we can divide them into two categories. Firstly, the safer bets: Boyhood, a coming of age tale filmed across twelve years, is our shoe in for victory, having been raved since its summer release and picking up top prize at the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes. The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything are both emotional and excellent but may struggle due to their lack of distinguishing from eachother, both depicting Oxbridge-type geniuses and the difficulties of their personal life. Fellow biopic Selma is missed out on all other major categories so we’d doubt its chances here.
Leading the way in the edgier options is Birdman, a tale centred on an egotistical, washed up actor escaping the demons of the Hollywood superhero he once played. It is still trailing Boyhood despite cleaning up at the Indie Spirit and a Globe Comedy/Musical win. Fact based army thriller American Sniper, is the highest grossing of the eight so it may follow the steps of Gravity by retreating to the technical categories. Whimsical comedy caper The Grand Budapest Hotel is greatly popular but has struggled to pose a serious threat while drumming drama Whiplash actually leads on IMDb rankings and is one of the few prolific entries that wasn’t part of some grand Oscar campaign from is inception.
Best Director is a category overshadowed by the controversial snubbing of Selma’s Ava DuVernay, a major oversight for the Academy. From the five white male contenders, the Mexican Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Birdman) and Richard Linklater (Boyhood) are going head to head; the latter is tipped to win but Inarritu has the backing of the Director’s Guild. Wes Anderson (Grand Budapest) is still set to miss out on winning his first Oscar and it might be a rough evening for Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher) and thirty year old newcomer Damien Chazelle (Whiplash).
Best Actor has four first time candidates. Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) is on his third consecutive nomination after Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle but there’s an alarming lack of hype surrounding his chances. Despicable Me/Anchorman star Steve Carell‘s transformation in Foxcatcher and Sherlock/Benedict Cumberbatch‘s turn in The Imitation Game have so far found the acceptance podium illusive. It’s between Birdman’s comeback king Michael Keaton and Theory of Everything’s mastermind Eddie Redmayne.
In Actress, former winners Marion Cotillard (Two Days One Night) and Reese Witherspoon (Wild) are proving popular but it’ll be fifth time lucky for Still Alice star Julianne Moore. Brits Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) and Felicity Jones (Theory of Everything) might prove to be dark horses however.
Elsewhere, JK Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) are set to surmount competition from veterans Robert Duvall (The Judge) and Meryl Streep (Into the Woods), Hulk actors Edward Norton (Birdman) and Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) as well as the likes of Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Laura Dern (Wild), Emma Stone (Birdman) and Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game).
Here’s a few more faces to look out for tonight:
Interstellar – Original Score, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Production Design, Visual Effects
Foxcatcher – Actor in a Leading Role (Steve Carell), Actor in a Supporting Role (Mark Ruffalo), Directing, Original Screenplay, Makeup and Hairstyling
Nightcrawler – Original Screenplay
Into the Woods – Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep), Costume Design, Production Design
Mr Turner – Cinematography, Costume Design, Original Score, Production Design
The BAFTAs and Golden Globes all favoured Boyhood while other awards have crowned the likes of Birdman, The Imitation Game or The Grand Budapest Hotel. Far more prestigious than any of those however is our own ceremony. Succeeding Hugo, Les Miserables and Captain Phillips is our new winner: Guardians of the Galaxy, a space adventure that took both Marvel and the audience into the reach universe of outer space. Get the full list of winners below.
Best Film:
Guardians of the Galaxy Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
The Lego Movie
Locke
Mr Turner
The Theory of Everything
Best British Film:
Paddington The Imitation Game
Locke
Mr Turner
The Theory of Everything
Best Director:
Christopher Nolan – Interstellar Bryan Singer – X-Men: Days of Future Past
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner
Peter Jackson – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Best Actor:
Andy Serkis – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Martin Freeman – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Matthew MacConaughey – Interstellar
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
Tom Hardy – Locke
Best Actress:
Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow Anne Hathaway – Interstellar
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Zoe Saldana – Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Supporting Actor:
Bradley Cooper – Guardians of the Galaxy Chris O’Dowd – Calvary
Richard Armitage – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Toby Kebbell – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Tyler Perry – Gone Girl
Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Chastain – Interstellar Elizabeth Olsen – Godzilla
Emma Stone – Birdman
Kim Dickens – Gone Girl
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Best Original Screenplay:
Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness – The Grand Budapest Hotel John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Christopher and Jonathan Nolan – Interstellar
Phil Lord, Chris Miller – The Lego Movie
Steven Knight – Locke
Best Adapted Screenplay:
James Gunn, Nicole Perlman – Guardians of the Galaxy Christopher McQuarrie, Jez and John Henry Butterworth – Edge of Tomorrow
Gillian Flynn – Gone Girl
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner
Paul King, Hamish McColl – Paddington
Best Sci-Fi:
Guardians of the Galaxy Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Edge of Tomorrow
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Best Fantasy:
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies The Boxtrolls
Godzilla
Into the Woods
Noah
Best Comedy:
The Grand Budapest Hotel The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie
Paddington
Best Drama:
The Theory of Everything Birdman
The Imitation Game
Locke
Mr Turner
Best Thriller:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier Before I Go to Sleep
Fury
Gone Girl
The Two Faces of January
Best Animated Film:
The Lego Movie The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Newcomer:
Dave Bautista David Gyasi
Tony Revolori
Best Original Score:
Howard Shore – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Henry Jackman – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Alexandre Desplat – Godzilla
Alexandre Desplat – The Imitation Game
Hans Zimmer – Interstellar
Best Original Song:
Tegan & Sara, The Lonely Island – “Everything is AWESOME!!!” – The Lego Movie
Alicia Keys – “It’s on Again” – The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Billy Boyd – “The Last Goodbye” – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Best Cinematography:
Interstellar Edge of Tomorrow
Godzilla
Guardians of the Galaxy
Mr Turner
Best Special Effects:
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Paddington
Here’s the winner’s leaderboard.
Guardians of the Galaxy – 5
Interstellar – 3
The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Lego Movie, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 2
Paddington, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Edge of Tomorrow, The Theory of Everything – 1
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