With a change of release date, Paramount’s The Big Short may now be entering the Oscar race. Adam McKay – writer of Anchorman, Step Brothers, The Other Guys and Ant-Man – is stepping up with a high-stakes drama about the men who made millions from the global meltdown.
Starring Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, American Hustle), Steve Carell (Foxcatcher, Crazy Stupid Love), Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Ides of March), Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Prisoners), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler, The Lincoln Lawyer), Karen Gillan (Oculus, Guardians of the Galaxy), Rafe Spall (Life of Pi, Prometheus) and Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club) – a cast with 14 Oscar nominations.
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
Writer director Adam McKay is well renowned for his excellent comedy work with Step Brothers, The Other Guys and the cult classic Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy but he’s moving into a different phase of his career with a Marvel film in the works and now the new political drama The Big Short. It has already assembled one of the finest casts of any upcoming film.
The cast of the film will feature Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March, The Notebook, The Place Beyond the Pines, Drive), Brad Pitt (Fight Club, Burn After Reading, Moneyball, Seven), Steve Carell (Foxcatcher, The 40 Year Old Virgin, The Office, Despicable Me), Melissa Leo (Frozen River, Prisoners, Oblivion, The Fighter), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler, My Cousin Vinny, In the Bedroom, The Lincoln Lawyer), Rafe Spall (Life of Pi, Prometheus, What If, Hot Fuzz) and Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, American Psycho, American Hustle, The Prestige).
Following a chilling turn as The Wolf in Into the Woods, we can now see the latest transformation of Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Neverland, Public Enemies, Edward Scissorhands) as the gangster Whitey Bulger in the new thriller Black Mass. Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) directs while Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey), Joel Edgerton (Warrior), Juno Temple (The Dark Knight Rises), Corey Stoll (House of Cards), Adam Scott (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad), Julianne Nicholson (August: Osage County), Peter Sarsgaard (An Education) and Kevin Bacon (Apollo 13) also star.
When Brad Pitt’s WWII thriller Fury, depicted the crew of the titular tank, was released last week it smashed into US’ number one spot but it may struggle to retain it. This week, low budget horror Ouija (pronounced wee-gee) and action thriller John Wick debut. As well as Willem Dafoe, the latter stars a fledging Keanu Reeves, previously known for the rip-roaring successes of The Matrix, Speed and Point Break but now clearly struggling (particularly after the recent flop of 47 Ronin). Will Reeves prove himself as box office material once more or will the might of the micro budget win over.
US:
Ouija – Director: Stiles White – $19.9 million
John Wick – David Leitch, Chad Stahelski – $14.4 million
Fury – David Ayer – $13.4 million
Gone Girl – David Fincher – $11 million
The Book of Life – Jorge R Gutierrez – $10 million
UK:
Fury – David Ayer – £2.7 million
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Jonathan Liebesman – £1.9 million
Gone Girl – David Fincher – £1.6 million
The Book of Life – Jorge R Gutierrez – £1 million
The Maze Runner – Wes Ball – £0.9 million
Ouija, which was trashed by almost all critics and watchers, has disappointingly, but unsurprisingly, triumphed. John Wick picked up a lot of critical praise but there’s been next to no interest or anticipation for it. It’s still a step in the right direction for Keanu though. Mexican family animation The Book of Life slip places while Gone Girl is proving that Oscar bait can still haul in cash as it crosses the $250 million mark worldwide. Fury’s UK victory is testament to Brad Pitt’s enduring popularity. This week I’ve scored a decent 5/10.
US:
Nightcrawler – Dan Gilroy
Ouija – Stiles White
John Wick – David Leitch, Chad Stahelski
Fury – David Ayer
Gone Girl – David Fincher
UK:
Fury – David Ayer
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Jonathan Liebesman
Ouija – Stiles White
Gone Girl – David Fincher
Horns – Alexandre Aja
Olivia Cooke in Ouija, this week’s US number one.
Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman and Brad Pitt in Fury, this week’s UK number one.
In today’s post we’re going to have to quickly skim over the results of the past two weeks. These weeks saw the major releases of horror epic Dracula Untold and star studded WWII tank thriller Fury. One by one they’ll face off with David Fincher’s smash hit drama Gone Girl in the battle for October supremacy. We’re in an odd period after the September dry spell but before the packed schedules of November and December (Interstellar, The Hunger Games 3, The Hobbit 3, Exodus: Gods and Kings) followed by the dreaded January/February pit. This is where a lot of releases get the chance to become sleeper hits but the need to make an initial mark. Last week it was predicted that the Dracula reboot would edge past Gone Girl but let’s see what really went down.
US:
Gone Girl – Director: David Fincher – $26.4 million
Dracula Untold – Gary Shore – $23.5 million
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – Miguel Arteta – $18.4 million
Annabelle – John R Leonetti – $15.9 million
The Judge – David Dobkin – $13.1 million
UK:
Gone Girl – David Fincher – £3.1 million
The Maze Runner – Wes Ball – £2.1 million
Annabelle – John R Leonetti – £2.- million
One Direction: Where We Are – Paul Dugdale – £1 million
Dracula Untold – Gary Shore – £0.8 million
Gone Girl’s triumph takes its international total to well over $200 million while Dracula Untold is struggling to reach that mark. In this week I score a dismal 1/10.
Neil Patrick Harris in Gone Girl, last week’s US and UK number one.
US:
Fury – David Ayer – $23.7 million
Gone Girl – David Fincher – $17.5 million
The Book of Life – Jorge R Gutierrez – $17 million
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – Miguel Arteta – $11.5 million
The Best of Me – Michael Hoffman – $10 million
UK:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Jonathan Liebesman – £4.8 million
Gone Girl – David Fincher – £2.4 million
Annabelle – John R Leonetti – £1.6 million
The Maze Runner – Wes Ball – £1.4 million
The Best of Me – Michael Hoffman – £0.6 million
Fury’s chart-toppping takings are a little below par but are still impressive. Mexican animation The Book of Life takes a modest third. In the UK the Ninja Turtles took in a surprisingly high amount of money. Here are my predictions for next week:
US:
Fury – David Ayer
Ouija – Stiles White
Gone Girl – David Fincher
John Wick – David Leitch, Chad Stahelski
The Book of Life – Jorge R Gutierrez
UK:
Fury – David Ayer
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Jonathan Liebesman
Gone Girl – David Fincher
Annabelle – John R Leonetti
The Babadook – Jennifer Kent
Brad Pitt in Fury, this week’s US number one.
Megan Fox in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this week’s UK number one.
In just six years, Marvel have introduced and greatly developed seven central characters – Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Nick Fury – three of whom now have their own mulit-billion franchises. There’s now a great demand for Black Widow, played by Lost in Translation’s Scarlett Johansson, to at last get her own standalone film; she’s so far only had supporting roles in Iron Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Avengers. X-Men and Watchmen’s writer David Hayter and Game of Thrones’ Neil Marshall have both expressed interest in directing the project while Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) has criticised Marvel for not yet confirming the film.
Robert Downey Jr is now weighing in on the discussion. “It just seems like whatever Scarlett does people want to go see it,” the star of Zodiac, Chaplin, Tropic Thunder and Sherlock Holmes explained. “The funny thing is honestly at this point everyone deserves a franchise,” Downey continued. “I think Jeremy Renner is — when folks see the Avengers: Age of Ultron – he’s just a rockstar. And Ruffalo is pumped. He does great work. I’d like to hear them talk even more seriously about a Hulk franchise, because that’s been one of the toughest ones to get right. But I’m sure that my parent company is feeling expansive and bold after the summer they’ve had.”
The British Film Industry’s London Film Festival (BFI LFF) is back this autumn and at last the full line up has been announced. The festival opens with wartime drama The Imitation Game. Headhunters’ Morten Tyldum directs the biopic of codebreaker Alan Turing. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Trek Into Darkness), Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean, Never Let Me Go), Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Kick-Ass), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, Gosford Park), Matthew Goode (Watchmen, Stoker) and Rory Kinnear (Skyfall, Southcliffe).
Also featuring in the festival are the following: Sporting drama Foxcatcher, although it is far from its wide release, is already an Oscar favourite after causing a great stir at Cannes. Bennett Miller (Capote, Moneyball) directs the cast of Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller and Mark Ruffalo. Ansel Elgort, Adam Sandler, Judy Greer, JK Simmons, Jennifer Garner and Emma Thompson star in Jason Reitman’s (Juno) comedy Men Women & Children. Timothy Spall is the title character of multi-award winning Mr Turner, from Mike Leigh (Topsy Turvy, Another Year).
Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line, Mud) may be on her way to a second Oscar with Wild, the new directorial effort from Jean Marc Vallee (Dallas Buyers Club, The Young Victoria). A slightly more mainstream event arrives in the form of epic sequel Monsters: Dark Continent, from first time director Tom Green. The festival’s conclusion will be marked by a screening of WW2 thriller Fury. David Ayer (End of Watch) directs the cast of Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena and Jason Isaacs.
Looking at any annual film schedule, its evident that the first half of the year can never quite live up to the second and 2014 is no exception. This year really did get off to a rotten start with 47 Ronin, The Legend of Hercules and I Frankenstein dragging their heals at the box-office but this did pave a way for others; The Wolf of Wall Street and Ride Along both enjoyed three consecutive weeks at the top of the UK and US box-office respectively. Following that came some genuine surprises. Wes Anderson’s ensemble comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel reached 1st and 3rd in the UK and US against all odds and The Lego Movie, one of the most poorly marketed films in recent years, was an unexpected treat and certainly and future cult classic.
The biblical format seemed to increase in popularity around Easter with the low-key Christian dramas Heaven is For Real, Son of God and God’s Not Dead taking nearly thirty times their micro-budgets but these religious flicks aren’t proving successful outside of America, besides Aronofsky’s star-driven epic Noah. The “Katniss-effect” of The Hunger Games has evidently given studios the faith to put stronger female characters into the fray of action and adventure with Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent and Shailene Woodley’s Divergent winning out over Johnny Depp’s Transcendence or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Sabotage financially. Edge of Tomorrow even managed it to the extent of Tom Cruise needing saving from Emily Blunt’s ultimate warrior.
In the last six months, certain individuals are lighting up the box-office left, right and centre. Former comedian Kevin Hart has lead a trio of success, Ride Along, About Last Night and Think Like a Man Too, while the Jump Street quartet (director Phil Lord and Chris Miller/stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill) have a cinematic Midas-touch. It’s evident that Lego’s Chris Pratt can do no wrong and, with Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy coming soon, he’s well on his way to man-of-the-year status. The biggest winners of the year have to be Marvel. Even though their heroes are divided across Sony, Fox and Disney, Stan Lee’s creations of Spider-Man, Captain America (kind-of) and the X-Men are currently the three biggest films of the year so far and they’ll only continue to grow bigger.
Below you can find the international box-office top ten followed by our own personal picks of the year so far as well as the ten to look for in the rest of 2014:
International Box-office Top 10:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Director:Anthony and Joe Russo – Starring:Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Robert Redford, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily Van Camp, Samuel L Jackson, Hayley Attwell, Toby Jones – Box-office:$710.8 million
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – Marc Webb – Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Dane DeHaan, Jamie Foxx, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Chris Cooper – $703.3 million
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Bryan Singer – Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Dinklage, Ellen Page, Evan Peters, Shawn Ashmore, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Josh Helman, Omar Sy, Fan Bingbing, Adan Canto, Booboo Stewart, Lucas Till – $700 million
Maleficent – Robert Stromberg – Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville – $531.8 million
Godzilla – Gareth Edwards – Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche – $478.7 million
Rio 2 – Carlos Saldanha – Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, Bruno Mars, Jemaine Clement, Jamie Foxx, will.i.am – $469.4 million
The Lego Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller – Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Cobie Smulders – $467.2 million
Noah – Darren Aronofsky – Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth, Anthony Hopkins – $356.2 million
300: Rise of an Empire – Noam Murro – Eva Green, Sullivan Stapleton, Lena Headey, Jack O’Connell, Rodrigo Santoro, Callan Mulvey, David Wenham – $331.1 million
Edge of Tomorrow – Doug Liman – Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Jonas Armstrong – $298.8 million
Tuorhoth’s Top 10:
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Bryan Singer – Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Dinklage, Ellen Page, Evan Peters, Shawn Ashmore, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Josh Helman, Omar Sy, Fan Bingbing, Adan Canto, Booboo Stewart, Lucas Till
Godzilla – Gareth Edwards – Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche
The Lego Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller – Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Cobie Smulders
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Anthony and Joe Russo – Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Robert Redford, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily Van Camp, Samuel L Jackson, Hayley Attwell, Toby Jones
Edge of Tomorrow – Doug Liman – Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Jonas Armstrong
The Two Faces of January – Hossein Amini – Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Isaac, Kirsten Dunst
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – Justin Chadwick – Idris Elba, Naomi Harris
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit – Kenneth Branagh – Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Costner, Nonso Anozie, Gemma Chan
RoboCop – Jose Padilha – Gary Oldman, Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Michael Keaton, Jay Baruchel, Jennifer Ehle, Jackie Earle Haley, Aimee Garcia, Michael K Williams, Samuel L Jackson
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – Marc Webb – Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Dane DeHaan, Jamie Foxx, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Chris Cooper
Top 10 Anticipated:
Interstellar – Christopher Nolan – Matthew MacConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Topher Grace, Casey Affleck, David Oyelowo, John Lithgow, Matt Damon
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Peter Jackson – Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Aidan Turner, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy, Lee Pace, Manu Bennett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee
Gone Girl – David Fincher – Ben Affleck, Neil Patrick Harris, Rosamund Pike
Kingsman: The Secret Service – Matthew Vaughn – Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Samuel L Jackson, Mark Hamill, Mark Strong
Guardians of the Galaxy – James Gunn – Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, John C Reilly
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Matt Reeves – Jason Clarke, Andy Serkis, James Franco, Judy Greer, Gary Oldman, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit McPhee
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – Francis Lawrence – Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Jena Malone, Sam Clafin, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Natalie Dormer, Philip Seymour, Hoffman
Fury – David Ayer – Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Jason Isaacs, Michael Pena, Shia LeBeouf
Exodus: Gods and Kings – Ridley Scott – Christian Bale, Aaron Paul, Sigourney Weaver, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley
The Judge – David Dobkin – Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, Vera Farmiga
No release date has yet been set but the new Hollywood-set comedy Hail Caesar, from legendary writer/directors the Coen brothers (Fargo, Inside Llewyn Davis, True Grit, Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou, A Serious Man, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, No Country for Old Men), is quickly becoming one of the most hyped upcoming films. With George Clooney (The Descendants, Gravity, Oceans Eleven) and Josh Brolin (Guardians of the Galaxy, Milk, Gangster Squad, The Goonies) already confirmed to be reteaming with the writing maestros as private eyes Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling, a trio of excellent actors have joined them to make their Coen debuts.
Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Skyfall, The English Patient, The Grand Budapest Hotel, In Bruges) and Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Moonrise Kingdom, Snowpiercer, Michael Clayton) have been cast as fictional Hollywood stars Laurence Lorenz and Hedda Hopper while Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street, Foxcatcher, Haywire, The Vow, Side Effects, White House Down) has been cast in an undisclosed role. It sounds as if these additions will be portraying caricature versions of themselves on screen which could be immensely fun to watch.
You may remember back at SDCC (which returns this year) 2013 that a short trailer appeared to be teasing a new Predator film but turned out, to our disappointment, to be an anniversary rerelease of the original. Even if it is just an Arnie vehicle, Predator has hugely stood the test of time and is easily most glorious piece of ’80s awesomeness. Back in ’87, Shane Black portrayed the supporting character of Hawkins (the guy who points out that Phillips is bleeding) but has now become renowned as the writer of Lethal Weapon and The Monster Squad and the director of Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Since then, Predator has starred in an additional four films (1990’s Predator 2, 2004’s Alien vs. Predator, 2007’s Aliens vs. Predator and 2010’s Predators) and remains an icon of horror and of sci-fi, only Alien and The Thing could pose a challenge. Black is now confirmed to be writing and directing a new reboot of the franchise and he seems like a solid choice for the gig. Not only does he bring the original’s DNA but he can make his films fun, thrilling and really to the tone of John McTiernan’s forever quotable masterpiece of cheese and gore. Some die-hard fans are rooting for McTiernan (The Hunt for Red October, The Thomas Crown Affair, Die Hard, With a Vengeance) to return now that he’s out of prison but Black’s take seems too promising to pass on.
It’s not irregular for modern blockbusters to take the path of promoting your film with a viral website. Days of Future Past had Trask Industires/The Bent Bullet and RoboCop had OmniCorp but no tie-in site has become as detailed or consumed as the propaganda of The Hunger Games’ benevolent massacrer the Capitol. President Snow’s (Donald Sutherland) chilling new address to Panem has an excellently crafted twist that may well prove spoilery for those who haven’t read the books or seen the most recent film, Catching Fire. Mockingjay Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) will star Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Sam Clafin, Jena Malone, Liam Hemsworth, Willow Shields, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Natalie Dormer, Toby Jones and Stanley Tucci as well as featuring one of the final performances of the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master, Synecdoche New York, Capote).
Finally today we’re excited to present the very first trailer for WWII thriller Fury which tells the loosely true story of its titular tank and its crew. The footage shown is oddly promising so we can safely name it as a major Oscar contender for next year, alongside The Judge, Foxcatcher, Interstellar and Gone Girl. David Ayer (writer of Training Day and director of Harsh Times/End of Watch) directs Brad Pitt, Michael Pena, Jon Beranthal, Shia LaBeouf and Jason Isaacs.
Fury – October 24th
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – November 21st
After director Steve McQueen and star Michael Fassbender were snubbed for both Hunger and Shame, they’re finally getting award recognition for 12 Years a Slave, which won Best Film at the Golden Globes and People’s Choice and shone out at the Academy Award nominations. Here’s the full list
Best Picture
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Saving Mr Banks
Best Actor
Matthew MacConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Christian Bale – American Hustle
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
Robert Redford – All is Lost
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Brie Larson – Short Term 12
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
Emma Thompson – Saving Mr Banks
Best Supporting Actor
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
Barkhad Abdi – Captain Philllips
Daniel Bruhl – Rush
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Best Supporting Actress
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
Scarlett Johansson – Her
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
June Squibb – Blue Jasmine
Oprah Winfrey – The Butler
Best Young Actor/Actress
Adele Exarchopoulos – Blue is the Warmest Colour
Asa Butterfield – Ender’s Game
Liam James – The Way Way Back
Sophie Nelisse – The Book Thief
Tye Sheridan – Mud
Best Acting Ensemble
American Hustle
August: Osage County
The Butler
Nebraska
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
Spike Jonze – Her
Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
David O’Russell – American Hustle
Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Original Screenplay
Spike Jonze – Her
Eric Warren Singer, David O’Russell – American Hustle
Woody Allen – Blue Jasmine
Joel and Ethan Coen – Inside Llewyn Davis
Bob Nelson – Nebraska
Best Adapted Screenplay
John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave
Tracy Letts – August: Osage County
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke – Before Midnight
Billy Ray – Captain Phillips
Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope – Philomena
Terence Winter – The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Cinematography
Emmannuel Lubezki – Gravity
Bruno Delbonnel – Inside Llewyn Davis
Phedon Papamichael – Nebraska
Roger Deakins – Prisoners
Sean Bobbit – 12 Years a Slave
Best Art Direction
The Great Gatsby
Gravity
Her
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
12 Years a Slave
Best Editing
Gravity
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Rush
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Costume Design
The Great Gatsby
American Hustle
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Saving Mr Banks
12 Years a Slave
Best Hair and Make-up
American Hustle
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Butler
Rush
12 Years a Slave
Best Visual Effects
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
Pacific Rim
Star Trek Into Darkness
Best Animated Feature
Frozen
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Monsters University
The Wind Rises
Best Action Movie
Lone Survivor
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Iron Man 3
Rush
Star Trek Into Darkness
Best Actor in an Action Movie
Mark Wahlberg – Lone Survivor
Henry Cavill – Man of Steel
Robert Downey Jr – Iron Man 3
Brad Pitt – World War Z
Best Comedy
American Hustle
Enough Said
The Heat
This is the End
The Way Way Back
The World’s End
Best Actor in a Comedy
Leonardo Di Caprio – The Wolf of Wall Street
Christian Bale – American Hustle
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Simon Pegg – The World’s End
Sam Rockwell – The Way Way Back
Best Actress in a Comedy
Amy Adams – American Hustle
Sandra Bullock – The Heat
Greta Gerwig – Frances Ha
Julia Louis Dreyfus – Enough Said
Melissa McCarthy – The Heat
Best Sci-fi Horror Movie
Gravity
The Conjuring
Star Trek Into Darkness
Iron Man 3
Best Foreign Language Film
Blue is the Warmest Colour
The Great Beauty
The Hunt
The Past
Best Documentary Feature
20 Feet From Stardom
The Act of Killing
Blackfish
Stories We Tell
Tim’s Vermeer
Best Song
Let it Go – Frozen
Atlas – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Happy – Despicable Me 2
Ordinary Love – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Please Mr Kennedy – Inside Llewyn Davis
Young and Beautiful – The Great Gatsby
Best Score
Stephen Price – Gravity
William Butler, Owen Pallett – Her
Thomas Newman – Saving Mr Banks
Hans Zimmer – 12 Years a Slave
Gravity has won the most awards with an impressive six wins but it’s 12 Years a Slave’s day as it picked up Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. American Hustle gained four wins while Frozen, The Great Gatsby, Blue is the Warmest Colour and Lone Survivor got two. I’m not going to do in depth analysis but I’m stilled surprised Her is being praised as an “original” and “fresh” premise as it has exactly the same plot as a Big Bang Theory episode where a lonely Raj (Kunal Nayyar) falls in love with his I-Phone’s Siri. I’m probably not the first to say it but I haven’t heard anyone else pick up on it.
The only other major piece of news is the stunning new poster for Marvel and Sony’s superhero sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Marc Webb directs and Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Dane DeHaan and Chris Cooper star but today’s focus is the hopefully terrifying new villain Electro, played by Ray, Collateral and Django Unchained’s Jamie Foxx.
The PGoA, or Producers Guild of America, aren’t the most mainstream of Award Ceremonies but they often give us a sneak peek at what’s going to make it big at the Oscars and BAFTAs. The nominated entries were:
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:
American Hustle – Producers: Megan Ellison, Jon Gordon, Charles Roven, Richard Suckle – Director:David O’Russell
Blue Jasmine – Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum – Woody Allen
Captain Phillips – Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, Scott Rudin – Paul Greengrass
Dallas Buyers Club – Robbie Brenner, Rachel Winter – Jean Marc Vallee
Gravity – Alfonso Cuaron, David Heyman – Alfonso Cauron
Her – Megan Ellison, Spike Jonze, Vincent Landay – Spike Jonze
Nebraska – Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa – Alexander Payne
Saving Mr Banks – Ian Collie, Alison Owen, Philip Steuer – John Lee Hancock
12 Years a Slave – Anthony Katagas, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner – Steve McQueen
The Wolf of Wall Street – Riza Aziz, Emma Koskoff, Joey McFarland – Martin Scorsese
Outstanding Producer of an Animated Theatrical Motion Picture:
The Croods – Kristine Belson, Jane Hartwell – Kirk De Micco, Chris Sanders
Despicable Me 2 – Janet Healy, Chris Meledandri – Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Epic – Jerry Davis, Lori Forte – Chris Wedge
Frozen – Peter Del Vecho – Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Monsters University – Kori Rae – Dan Scanlon
Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:
A Place at the Table – Julie Goldman, Ryan Harrington, Kristi Jacobson, Lori Silverbush – Kristi Jacobsen, Lori Silverbush
Far Out Isn’t Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story – Brad Bernstein, Rick Cikowski – Brad Bernstein
Life According to Sam – Andrea Nix Fine, Sean Fine, Miriam Weintraub – Sean Fine, Andrea Nix
We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks – Alexis Bloom, Alex Gibney, Marc Shmuger – Alex Gibney
Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? The Life And Time Of Tim Hetherington – James Brabazon, Nick Quested – Sebastian Junger
If you really want the TV results than I’ll skip over them quickly. In the mini-series and TV movies category, the nominees were American Horror Story: Asylum, Behind the Candelabra, Killing Kennedy, Phil Spector and Top of the Lake. The Norman Felton Award for episodic drama was spearheaded by Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland and House of Cards while the Danny Thomas Award for episodic comedy nominations of 2014 featured 30 Rock, Arrested Development, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family and Veep.
The only other scrap of news from today would be the confirmation of BAFTA’s Rising Star nominees. The award, now sponsored by EE, has had previous winners such as James McAvoy, Shia LaBeouf, Eva Green, Kristen Stewart and Tom Hardy while unlucky nominees have included Jesse Eisenberg, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chris O’Dowd, Eddie Redmayne, Elizabeth Olsen, Rachel McAdams, Michelle Williams, Emily Blunt, Naomie Harris, Cillian Murphy, Ben Whishaw, Sienna Miller, Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Rebecca Hall, Gemma Arteton, Adnrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Carey Mulligan, Suraj Sharma, Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Andrea Riseborough so we can expect big things from this year’s lot.
Lupita Nyong’o is one of the breakout stars of harrowing Oscar favourite 12 Years a Slave who’s picked up a Rising Star nom but I’m afraid that this means she won’t be in consideration for Best Supporting Actress at the BAFTAs. Lea Seydoux is a French actress who took the lead role in Palme D’Or winner Blue is the Warmest Colour which’ll certainly pick up Best Foreign Language Film. George MacKay is one of the busiest young British actors of the moment after bringing out lead roles in Sunshine on Leith, For Those in Peril and How I Live Now all on the same day, October 4th. Will Poulter has moved on from Son of Rambo and being the best thing in the third Narnia film to producing hits with successful comedies Wild Bill and We’re the Millers. Dane DeHaan is ready-made box office material after proving himself as one to watch with Chronicle, Lincoln, Kill Your Darlings, Lawless and The Place Beyond the Pines as well as landing the huge role of Harry Osborn in this year’s superhero sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
The rest of this year’s BAFTA nominees will be announced this Wednesday so expect full coverage from Tuorhoth Movies. By for now!
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