Martin Scorsese to direct Devil in White City

Leonardo Di Caprio (Titanic, Catch Me If You Can, Blood Diamond, Inception) has been priming his passion project The Devil in the White City for some time but it’s now been reported that he’ll make the film his sixth collaboration with Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, Hugo). The team’s previous work includes the Best Picture nominated Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street as well as the smash hit Shutter Island and Best Picture winner The Departed.

Di Caprio has been developing the true crime thriller since he snagged the rights in 2010 to the 2003 novel by Erik Larson. The Imitation Game’s Graham Moore came and went on the project before Captain Phillips’ Billy Ray was recruited. The Devil in the White City will tell the story of one of America’s most notorious serial killers Dr HH Holmes, who rigged a murder hotel at the time of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and his victims are estimated to be as many as 200. The film is easily setting itself up to be the new Zodiac or Seven.

We will next see the duo going head to head at the 2016 Oscars when Di Caprio releases his civil war epic thriller The Revenant and Scorsese unveils his missionary drama Silence.

The Devil in the White City – 2018?

Theory of Everything and Grand Budapest Hotel lead in 2015 BAFTA nominations

Last year, out of conning flick American Hustle, action thriller Captain Phillips, space-set disaster Gravity, biopic 12 Years a Slave and bittersweet comedy Philomena, Gravity took the most awards with six (including Best Director and Best British Film) but 12 Years a Slave’s victory on Best Film and Best Leading Actor was a more prestigious win.

We’re now prepped to meet the contenders of the 68th British Academy Awards. The Hobbit star Stephen Fry will host the ceremony on the 8th of February.

Best Film:

Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything

Outstanding British Film:

’71
Paddington
Pride
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Under the Skin

Best Film Not in the English Language:

Ida
Leviathan
The Lunchbox
Trash
Two Days, One Night

Best Animated Film:

Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie

Best Director:

Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
James Marsh – The Theory of Everything

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer:

Stephen Beresford, David Livingstone – Pride
Gregory Burke, Yann Demange – ’71
Elaine Constantine – Northern Soul
Paul Katis, Andrew de Lotbiniere – Kajaki
Hong Khaou – Lilting

Best Actor:

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

Best Actress:

Amy Adams – Big Eyes
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

Best Supporting Actor:

Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
JK Simmons – Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress:

Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Rene Russo – Nightcrawler
Imelda Staunton – Pride
Emma Stone – Birdman

Best Original Screenplay:

Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
Dan Gilroy – Nightcrawler
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Jason Dean Hall – American Sniper
Gillian Flynn – Gone Girl
Paul King, Hamish McColl – Paddington
Anthony McCarten – The Theory of Everything
Graham Moore – The Imitation Game

Best Cinematography:

Emmanuel Lubezki – Birdman
Dick Pope – Mr Turner
Hoyte Van Hoytema – Interstellar
Robert Yeoman – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal, Ryzsard Lenczewski – Ida

Best Original Music:

Alexandre Desplat – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Johann Johannsson – The Theory of Everything
Mica Levi – Under the Skin
Antonio Sanchez – Birdman
Hans Zimmer – Interstellar

Best Sound:

American Sniper
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

Best Production Design:

Big Eyes
Interstellar
Mr Turner
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game

Best Special Visual Effects:

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Costume Design:

Into the Woods
Mr Turner
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything

Best Makeup and Hair:

Guardians of the Galaxy
Into the Woods
Mr Turner
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Theory of Everything

Best Editing:

Birdman
Nightcrawler
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Short Film:

Boogaloo and Graham
Emotional Fusebox
Slap
The Karman Line
Three Brothers

Best Short Animation:

Monkey Love Experiments
My Dad
The Bigger Picture

EE Rising Star Award:

Gugu Mbatha Raw – Belle, Beyond the Lights
Jack O’Connell – Starred Up, Unbroken, 300: Rise of an Empire, ’71
Margot Robbie – Suite Francaise, The Wolf of Wall Street
Miles Teller – Divergent, That Awkward Moment, Whiplash
Shailene Woodley – Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars

Perhaps there is a leaning towards the obvious candidates but there are a few shocks about. While Birdman, Boyhood and Whiplash lead the way, Oscar favourites such as Gone Girl, Foxcatcher, American Sniper, Big Eyes and Into the Woods may have slipped behind but Selma, Unbroken and A Most Violent Year are completely exempt of a mention. Mr Turner is the other major snub, losing out the expected nods Best Actor (Timothy Spall), Director (Mike Leigh) and British Film. The surprisingly prolific appearances of Nightcrawler, Interstellar, Under the Skin and Paddington shake things up.

Here’s the current leaders:

The Grand Budapest Hotel – 11 nominations
Birdman, The Theory of Everything – 10 nominations
The Imitation Game – 9 nominations
Boyhood, Whiplash – 5 nominations
Interstellar, Mr Turner, Nightcrawler – 4 nominations
Pride – 3 nominations
’71, American Sniper, Big Eyes, Foxcatcher, Gone Girl, Guardians of the Galaxy, Ida, Into the Woods, Paddington, Under the Skin – 2 nominations

Review of the Year – The 2014 Review Issue

This is the first of a two-part special for Tuorhoth Movies that’ll conclude one year and kick off another. Tomorrow we’re discussing the mammoth releases of 2015 but this year’s given plenty to talk about, from the B-movie delights of Godzilla to the D’Movie horror of Mrs Brown. We’ll begin with the year’s financial countdown featuring the US, UK and international takings. These may not prove to be the definitive figures as Interstellar, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, Big Hero 6 and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies are all still rising and last year Frozen proved us wrong by overtaking Iron Man 3. But for now these calculations are our most accurate.

US:

1. Guardians of the Galaxy – Director: James Gunn – Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan – $332.9 million
2. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – Francis Lawrence – Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman – $311.3 million
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Anthony and Joe Russo – Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Sebastian Stan, Samuel L Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie – $259.8 million
4. The Lego Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller – Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, Will Arnett – $257.8 million
5. Transformers: Age of Extinction – Michael Bay – Mark Wahlberg, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Stanley Tucci – $245.4 million
6. Maleficent – Robert Stromberg – Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Sam Riley – $241.4 million
7. X-Men: Days of Future Past – Bryan Singer – Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Patrick Stewart, Peter Dinklage – $233.9 million
8. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Matt Reeves – Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell – $208.5 million
9. Big Hero 6 – Don Hall, Chris Williams – Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, TJ Miller – $203.2 million
10. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – Marc Webb – Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan – $202.9 million
11. Godzilla – Gareth Edwards – Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins – $200.7 million
12. 22 Jump Street – Phil Lord, Chris Miller – Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Wyatt Russell – $191.7 million
13. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Jonathan Liebesman – Megan Fox, William Fichtner, Will Arnett – $191.2 million
14. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Peter Jackson – Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Luke Evans, Aidan Turner, Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett – $183.5 million
15. Interstellar – Christopher Nolan – Matthew MacConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, McKenzie Foy, Bill Irwin, Wes Bentley, David Gyasi, Casey Affleck – $178.8 million

UK:

1. The Lego Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller – Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, Will Arnett – £36.5 million
2. The Inbetweeners 2 – Damon Beesley, Iain Morris – Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas – £35.8 million
3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Matt Reeves – Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell – £35.4 million
4. Guardians of the Galaxy – James Gunn – Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan – £30.4 million
5. X-Men: Days of Future Past – Bryan Singer – Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Patrick Stewart, Peter Dinklage – £29.3 million
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – Francis Lawrence – Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman – £27.4 million
7. How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Dean DeBlois – Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill – £26.6 million
8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – Marc Webb – Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan – £26.1
9. The Wolf of Wall Street – Martin Scorcese – Leonardo Di Caprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew MacConaughey, Margot Robbie – £24 million
10. Gone Girl – David Fincher – Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris – £24.2 million
11. Transformers: Age of Extinction – Michael Bay – Mark Wahlberg, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Stanley Tucci – £21.3 million
12. 12 Years a Slave – Steve McQueen – Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lupita Nyong’o, Sarah Paulson, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Brad Pitt – £21.2 million
13. Maleficent – Robert Stromberg – Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Sam Riley – £21 million
14. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Anthony and Joe Russo – Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Sebastian Stan, Samuel L Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie – £20.7 million
15. 22 Jump Street – Phil Lord, Chris Miller – Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Wyatt Russell – £20.2 million

Worldwide:

1. Transformers: Age of Extinction – Michael Bay – Mark Wahlberg, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Stanley Tucci – $1.1 billion
2. Guardians of the Galaxy – James Gunn – Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan – $772.5 million
3. Maleficent – Robert Stromberg – Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Sam Riley – $757.8 million
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past – Bryan Singer – Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Patrick Stewart, Peter Dinklage – $746 million
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Anthony and Joe Russo – Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Sebastian Stan, Samuel L Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie – $714.1 million
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – Marc Webb – Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan – $709 million
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Matt Reeves – Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell – $708.3 million
8. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – Francis Lawrence – Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman – $676.2 million
9. Interstellar – Christopher Nolan – Matthew MacConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, McKenzie Foy, Bill Irwin, Wes Bentley, David Gyasi, Casey Affleck – $650.1 million
10. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Peter Jackson – Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Luke Evans, Aidan Turner, Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett – $628.8 million
11. How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Dean DeBlois – Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill – $618.9 million
12. Godzilla – Gareth Edwards – Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins – $525 million
13. Rio 2 – Carlos Saldanha – Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jemaine Clement, Jamie Foxx – $498.8 million
14. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Jonathan Liebesman – Megan Fox, William Fichtner, Will Arnett – $477.2 million
15. The Lego Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller – Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, Will Arnett – $468.1 million
16. Lucy – Luc Besson – Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman – $458.9 million
17. Edge of Tomorrow – Doug Liman – Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson – $369.2 million
18. Noah – Darren Aronofsky – Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ray Winstone, Douglas Booth, Anthony Hopkins – $362.6 million
19. Gone Girl – David Fincher – Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris – $356.6 million
20. The Maze Runner – Wes Ball – Dylan O’Brien, Will Poulter, Kaya Scodelario – $339.8 million
21. 22 Jump Street – Phil Lord, Chris Miller – Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Wyatt Russell – $331.3 million
22. 300: Rise of an Empire – Noam Murro – Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Jack O’Connell – $331.1 million
23. Big Hero 6 – Don Hall, Chris Williams – Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, TJ Miller – $325.5 million
24. The Fault in Our Stars – Josh Boone – Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe – $304.2 million
25. Divergent – Neil Burger – Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Zoe Kravitz, Ansel Elgort – $288.7 million

In an era where billion dollar movies are a fairly regular recurrence, 2014’s claim of one film to have accomplished this feat is a slump from previous years (2010 – Toy Story 3, Alice in Wonderland; 2011 – Harry Potter 8, Transformers 3, Pirates 4; 2012 – The Avengers, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit; 2013 – Frozen, Iron Man 3) and nearly all new entries are failing to cross the $800 million mark but this is still an overall lucrative year for film.

Interstellar is the only original property to feature in the top 10 and the top 25 only includes Edge of Tomorrow, Lucy and The Lego Movie (also perhaps the very loosely adapted Noah). Godzilla, Maleficent and TMNT are all revivals or remakes of previous material and the only non-sequel adaptations are Guardians of the Galaxy, The Maze Runner, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars and Gone Girl.

The return of stalwart franchises Planet of the Apes, The Hunger Games, Transformers and The Hobbit dominated but Marvel Comics have most obviously triumphed. The rebooted Spidey’s second outing was actually a slip up from the first but the X-Men’s goliath comeback made it the first time they’d graced the annual top 10 since 2006’s The Last Stand.

While Chris Pine (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) and Jennifer Lawrence (Serena) have struggled, stars to have consistently impressed this year include Michael Keaton (Birdman), Matthew MacConaughey (Interstellar), Scarlett Johansson (Under the Skin), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher), Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), David Oyelowo (Selma), Tom Hardy (Locke), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Jack Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Domhnall Gleeson (Frank) and Jack O’Connell (Unbroken, ’71, Starred Up).

However our own heroes of the year are Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The duo (behind Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street) brought us a pair of smash hits this year: the first was the greatly dreaded release of The Lego Movie, the year’s most charmingly brilliant film. Comedy sequels seem to never turn out well but Lord and Miller’s follow up to Jump Street outdid the original’s impact. We’re still distraught they they didn’t get the Ghostbusters gig as it’s hard to imagine anyone more perfect for the film.

We now advance to our main feature, the top ten (or twelve) best films of the year. This ought not to be confused with the upcoming Tuorhoth Awards which may include the late entries The Theory of Everything, Into the Woods, Jupiter Ascending, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Paddington and Exodus: Gods and Kings. For now, we feel the need to highlight the releases that almost made the cut, Mr Turner, The Boxtrolls, The Maze Runner, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Noah.

12) The Imitation Game

Director: Morten Tyldum
Writer: Graham Moore/Andrew Hodges
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Allen Leech, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Rory Kinnear, Mark Strong
Why It Was Great: This harrowing WW2 story may thrill quite as much as its “race-against-time” pitch suggests but Cumberbatch, Knightley and Dance’s truly thought provoking performances all engage.

11) The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson, Hugo Guiness
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Jude Law, Tom Wilkinson, F Murray Abraham
Why It Was Great: The often tedious Anderson brings us a genuinely hilarious caper. As loveable as Revolori’s Zero is, Fiennes (tied with Channing Tatum) is the comedy revelation of the decade.

10) The Two Faces of January

Director: Hossein Amini
Writer: Hossein Amini/Patricia Highsmith
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Isaac, Kirsten Dunst
Why It Was Great: Amini’s directorial debut is gorgeously shot and Isaac and Mortensen’s roles are stunningly intense.

9) Edge of Tomorrow

Director: Doug Liman
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth/Hiroshi Sakurazaka
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton
Why It Was Great: Maybe a career best for Cruise, this sci-fi flick was excellent in concept and execution via Liman’s thrilling action and Blunt’s reinvention as an action star.

8) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Director: Anthony and Joe Russo
Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Ed Brubaker
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Redford, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L Jackson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Cobie Smulders
Why It Was Great: Marvel’s back to basics premise slips up in the OTT finale but the Bourne like quality of action was astonishing. Evans proves Cap’ as more than the patriotic stereotype.

7) The Lego Movie

Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Writers: Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman
Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day
Why It Was Awesome: Consistent in gags and created on of the greatest on screen Batmans. Freeman’s Vitruvius is a delight.

6) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Peter Jackson, Guillermo Del Toro, Frank Walsh, Philippa Boyens/JRR Tolkien
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Aidan Turner, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett
Why It Was Great: A slip up from previous instalments but it’s still a phenomenally crafted fantasy adventure.

5) Godzilla

Director: Gareth Edwards
Writers: Max Borenstein, Dave Callaham
Starring: Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche
Why It Was Great: An British indie director steps up to the big leagues as he helms a multi-million blockbuster that has all the same style, suspense and human drama of his previous work (Monsters) while still being the ultimate homage to a screen legend.

4) X-Men: Days of Future Past

Director: Bryan Singer
Writers: Simon Kinberg, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Peter Dinklage, Evan Peters, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore
Why It Was Great: A masterful marketing strategy landed the film on nearly double the series’ previous peak but this time-setting crossover delivers for fans as the most emotionally battering superhero film yet.

3) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver/Pierre Boulle
Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit McPhee, Gary Oldman
Why It Was Great: Serkis is simply brilliant as Caesar, Reeves direction is sharp and stunning and there are APES ON HORSES. What’s not to love?

2) Guardians of the Galaxy

Director: James Gunn
Writers: James Gunn, Nicole Perlman/Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Rooker, Djimon Hounsou, Glenn Close, John C Reilly
Why It Was Great: The return of the one liner (“We’re just like Kevin Bacon”), thrilling, fantastical action and antiheroes to become enduring icons of the decade.

1) Interstellar

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan
Starring: Matthew MacConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessican Chastain, Mackenzie Foy, Michael Caine, David Gyasi, Wes Bentley, Bill Irwin, Casey Affleck, Topher Grace, John Lithgow, Ellen Burstyn
Why It Was Great: If not his greatest, this is Nolan’s grandest picture yet. The visual effects are on a level previously unrealised on film while the performances are numbingly raw and the altogether result is truly beautiful.

Coming Soon – The 2015 Preview Issue

The Best Films of 2014 – the Half-Way Point

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:

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. Maleficent – Robert Stromberg – Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville – $531.8 million
5. Godzilla – Gareth Edwards – Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche – $478.7 million
6. Rio 2 – Carlos Saldanha – Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, Bruno Mars, Jemaine Clement, Jamie Foxx, will.i.am – $469.4 million
7. 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
8. Noah – Darren Aronofsky – Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth, Anthony Hopkins – $356.2 million
9. 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
10. Edge of Tomorrow – Doug Liman – Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Jonas Armstrong – $298.8 million

Tuorhoth’s Top 10:

1. 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
2. Godzilla – Gareth Edwards – Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche
3. 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
4. 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
5. Edge of Tomorrow – Doug Liman – Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Jonas Armstrong
6. The Two Faces of January – Hossein Amini – Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Isaac, Kirsten Dunst
7. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – Justin Chadwick – Idris Elba, Naomi Harris
8. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit – Kenneth Branagh – Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Costner, Nonso Anozie, Gemma Chan
9. 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
10. 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:

1. Interstellar – Christopher Nolan – Matthew MacConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Topher Grace, Casey Affleck, David Oyelowo, John Lithgow, Matt Damon
2. 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
3. Gone Girl – David Fincher – Ben Affleck, Neil Patrick Harris, Rosamund Pike
4. Kingsman: The Secret Service – Matthew Vaughn – Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Samuel L Jackson, Mark Hamill, Mark Strong
5. 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
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Matt Reeves – Jason Clarke, Andy Serkis, James Franco, Judy Greer, Gary Oldman, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit McPhee
7. 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
8. Fury – David Ayer – Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Jason Isaacs, Michael Pena, Shia LeBeouf
9. Exodus: Gods and Kings – Ridley Scott – Christian Bale, Aaron Paul, Sigourney Weaver, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley
10. The Judge – David Dobkin – Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, Vera Farmiga

The Empire Awards 2014 – 12 Years! Hobbit! Gravity! Alan Partridge! World’s End! Filth! Hunger Games and more!

The fantastic Empire unload their biggest awards yet with their 25th anniversary special. They, like us, let the worthy blockbusters to go head to head with the awards bait. It’s not as prestigious as the Oscars but does show us for of the fans’ view. So in that respect, this really is quite major.

Best Male Newcomer:

Aidan Turner – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips

George MacKay – Sunshine on Leith

Oscar Isaac – Inside Llewyn Davis

Tye Sheridan – Mud

Will Poulter – We’re the Millers

Best Female Newcomer:

Margot Robbie – The Wolf of Wall Street

Adele Exarchopoulos – Blue is the Warmest Colour

Antonia Thomas – Sunshine On Leith

Elizabeth Debecki – The Great Gatsby

Freya Mavor – Sunshine on Leith

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

Best Horror:

The Conjuring

A Field in England

Evil Dead

World War Z

You’re Next

Best Comedy:

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

This is 40

This is the End

The World’s End

Best Thriller:

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Captain Phillips

Now You See Me

Prisoners

Trance

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy:

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Gravity

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Pacific Rim

Star Trek Into Darkness

Best Supporting Actor:

Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave

Daniel Bruhl – Rush

Sam Clafin – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Richard Armitage – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Tom Hiddleston – Thor: The Dark World

Best Supporting Actress:

Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine

Evangeline Lilly – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

Mia Wasikowska – Stoker

Jameson Best Leading Actor:

James McAvoy – Filth

Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave

Leonardo Di Caprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Freeman – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips

Best Leading Actress:

Emma Thompson – Saving Mr Banks

Amy Adams – American Hustle

Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Sandra Bullock – Gravity

Best Director:

Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity

Edgar Wright – The World’s End

Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips

Peter Jackson – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave

Empire Icon:

Hugh Jackman

Empire Hero:

Simon Pegg

Empire Inspiration:

Paul Greengrass

25 Years Award – The Action Hero of Our Lifetime:

Arnold Schwarzenegger

25 Years Award – The Legend of Our Lifetime:

Tom Cruise

Best British Film:

The World’s End

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Filth

Rush

Sunshine on Leith

Best Film:

Gravity

12 Years a Slave

Captain Phillips

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Seth Rogen enrols for Console Wars, Marvel unveils Doctor Strange directing shortlist and find the Empire Award nominees

The award ceremony season is in full swing with last week’s BAFTAs, this weekend’s Oscars and last night’s homegrown Tuorhoth Awards. Another alternate look on the last year’s films can be found with the Empire Awards for which the nominations have just been announced. The winners will be announced on March 30th but you can vote for your favourites here.

Best Film:

12 Years a Slave

Captain Phillips

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Best Director:

Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity

Edgar Wright – The World’s End

Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips

Peter Jackson – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave

Best Leading Actor:

Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave

James McAvoy – Filth

Leonardo Di Caprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Freeman – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips

Best Leading Actress:

Amy Adams – American Hustle

Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine

Emma Thompson – Saving Mr Banks

Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Sandra Bullock – Gravity

Best British Film:

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Filth

Rush

Sunshine on Leith

The World’s End

Best Supporting Actress:

Evangeline Lilly – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

Mia Wasikowska – Stoker

Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine

Best Supporting Actor:

Daniel Bruhl – Rush

Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave

Sam Clafin – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Richard Armitage – The Hobbit:The Desolation of Smaug

Tom Hiddleston – Thor: The Dark World

Best Sci-fi/Fantasy:

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Pacific Rim

Star Trek Into Darkness

Best Thriller:

Captain Phillips

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Now You See Me

Prisoners

Trance

Best Comedy:

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

This is 40

This is the End

The World’s End

Best Horror:

A Field in England

The Conjuring

Evil Dead

World War Z

You’re Next

Best Female Newcomer:

Adele Exarchopoulous – Blue is the Warmest Colour

Antonia Thomas – Sunshine on Leith

Elizabeth Debecki – The Great Gatsby

Freya Mavor – Sunshine on Leith

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

Margot Robbie – The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Male Newcomer:

Aidan Turner – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips

George McKay – Sunshine on Leith

Oscar Isaac – Inside Llewyn Davis

Tye Sheridan – Mud

Will Poulter – We’re the Millers

Picking up a Best Comedy nomination at the Empires was This is the End and the writing/directing duo behind it are lining up a new project. Evan Goldberg (writer of Goon, Pineapple Express and Superbad) and Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, 50/50, Paul) have been hired by Sony for Console Wars. This is a comedy detailing the vicious rivalry between Sega and Nintendo in the ’90s which lead to the multi-billion industry we know today. The pair will write and direct, as they did in This is the End, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Rogen went on to star in the film yet nothing’s been confirmed about that just yet.

Finally, we can announce the directing shortlist for Marvel’s upcoming fantasy project Doctor Stranger. The film was greenlighted by producer Kevin Feige in October and since there’s been huge speculation as to both who would call the shots on the superhero adventure as well as who would portray the titular hero. The potential directors are Mark Andrews, Nicolaj Arcel, Dean Israelite and Jonathan Levine. We’ll give you a quick brief for these four candidates.

Oscar winning director Mark Andrews directed Pixar’s feature length Brave and short animation One Man Band as well as writing Pixar’s short Jack-Jack Attack and John Carter. Israelite, cousin of Jonathan Liebesman is the director of successful short films The Department of Nothing and Magician. The most famous of the quartet is probably Jonathan Levine (50/50, Warm Bodies, The Wackness) but the most promising is Danish born Nikolaj Arcel, director of King’s Game and the brilliant period drama A Royal Affair.

The film will likely be the second in Marvel’s third phase but, if you can’t wait till 2016, there’s plenty of superhero action to keep you company. Captain America: The Winter Soldier comes this March, Guardians of the Galaxy launches in August, The Avengers: Age of Ultron battles in May 2015 followed by Ant-Man in July of that year. After that, there could be Captain America 3, Thor 3, Guardians 2 or Black Panther before Avengers 3.

Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo and the Battle that Defined a Generation – 2016

Doctor Strange – 2016

2014 Empire Awards – March 30th

Weekend box-office – 19th to 26th of February 2014 – will RoboCop buy Lego for a dollar?

The LEGO Movie’s success has been pretty astronomical, both commercially and critically. Uninanimous four and five star reviews added to last week’s $70 million US opening led to the confirmation of sequel, scheduled for 2017, and our review of the animation is coming soon but the true test of a film’s box office success is if it can stay on top in the weeks to come. Sadly, LEGO had some tough competition this week with the new releases of RoboCop, About Last Night, Endless Love and Winter’s Tale while it made its debut in the UK. Let’s find out how it did.

US:

1. The LEGO Movie – Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller – $49.8 million
2. About Last Night – Steve Pink – $25.6 million
3. RoboCop – Jose Padhila – $21.7 million
4. The Monument’s Men – George Clooney – $15.5 million
5. Endless Love – Shana Feste – $13.3 million

UK:

1. The LEGO Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller – £8.1 million
2. The Monument’s Men – George Clooney – £1.6 million
3. RoboCop – Jose Padhila – £1.5 million
4. Mr Peabody and Sherman – Rob Minkoff – £1.4 million
5. The Wolf of Wall Street – Martin Scorsese – £1.1 million

My predictions from last week score me a vastly disappointing 1/10 taking my running total to 77/160. The LEGO Movie made a brilliant debut in the UK and held off tough competition across the Atlantic. About Last Night made a good entry while RoboCop made a remarkably poor opening. Valentine’s Day favourites Endless Love and Winter’s Tale opened at fifth and seventh respectively. The latter is terribly disappointing, making $8 million from a $60 million budget. Joining Lego and Monuments, new UK entries The Pirate Fairy and Cuban Fury debuted at sixth and seventh respectively.

US:

1. Pompeii  – Paul WS Anderson
2. The LEGO Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller
3. About Last Night – Steve Pink
4. RoboCop – Jose Padhila
5. The Monument’s Men – George Clooney

UK:

1. The LEGO Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller
2. The Monument’s Men – George Clooney
3. Stalingrad – Fyodor Bondarchuk
4. RoboCop – Jose Padhila
5. Only Lovers Left Alive – Jim Jarmusch

Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) and Lord Business (Will Ferrell) in The LEGO Movie, this week’s UK and US number one.

Weekend box-office – 11th to 18th of January 2014 – will The LEGO Movie de-construct Monuments Men?

Both the UK and US box offices have had films completely dominate the box office recently. However, Ride Along and The Wolf of Wall Street both have to compete with two major releases each; The Wolf must face off with RoboCop and Mr Peabody and Sherman while Ride Along tackles head on The LEGO Movie and The Monuments Men. Find last week’s predictions here.

US:

1. The Lego Movie – Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller – $69.1 million
2. The Monument’s Men – George Clooney – $22 million
3. Ride Along – Tim Story – $9.6 million
4. Frozen – Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee – $6.9 million
5. Lone Survivor – Peter Berg – $5.6 million

UK:

1. Mr Peabody and Sherman – Rob Minkoff – £3.9 million
2. RoboCop – Jose Padhila – £2.4 million
3. The Wolf of Wall Street – Martin Scorsese – £1.6 million
4. Dallas Buyers Club – Jean Marc Vallee – £1 million
5. 12 Years a Slave – Steve McQueen – £1 million

Toy adaptation The LEGO Movie has made a brilliant entry, trumping the flat release of Clooney’s WW2 drama Monument’s Men. RoboCop’s UK opening has been pretty sluggish, losing out to sci-fi comedy animation Mr Peabody – that doesn’t fair well for its US release next week. The Oscar laden Wolf of Wall Street, Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave cap off the box-office this week. My predictions from last week score me 6/10 taking my running total to 76/150.

US:

1. RoboCop – Jose Padhila
2. The LEGO Movie – Chris Miller, Phil Lord
3. Endless Love – Shana Feste
4. Winter’s Tale – Akiva Goldsman
5. The Monument’s Men – George Clooney

UK:

1. The LEGO Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller
2. Mr Peabody and Sherman – Rob Minkoff
3. The Monument’s Men – George Clooney
4. Her – Spike Jonze
5. RoboCop – Jose Padhila

Mr Peabody and Sherman (voiced by Ty Burrell and Max Charles), this week’s UK box-office number one.

Emmet (Chris Pratt) and Batman (Will Arnett) in The LEGO Movie, this week’s US box office number one.

Tune in tomorrow at nine o’clock for our live BAFTA’s special. See you then.

Weekend box-office – 4th to 11th of January 2014 – will Ride Along and Wolf of Wall Street have That Awkward Moment?

Two films have have dominated the box office recently and their wrath as continued today. New entries such as Jack Ryan, I Frankenstein and That Awkward Moment haven’t been able to knock off The Wolf of Wall Street and Ride Along for a third week running, despite my predictions from last week.

US

1. Ride Along – Director: Tim Story – $12 million
2. Frozen – Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee – $8.9 million
3. That Awkward Moment – Tom Gormican – $8.7 million
4. The Nut Job – Peter Lepeniotis – $7.3 million
5. Lone Survivor – Peter Berg – $7.1 million

UK

1. The Wolf of Wall Street – Martin Scorsese – £2.7 million
2. 12 Years a Slave – Steve McQueen – £1.4 million
3. That Awkward Moment – Tom Gormican – £1 million
4. I, Frankenstein – Stuart Beattie – £0.8 million
5. Frozen – Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee – £0.8 million

New comedy That Awkward Moment has had a vastly disappointing start, making just two thirds of its $12 million budget, even though its only rivals were films that were kicking around in box-office for weeks, nearly two months in Frozen’s case. Jason Reitman’s Labor Day didn’t make a major impact either, entering seventh place with $7 million. Lone Survivor dropped three places but, seeing as it’s already made a brilliant $114 million, the studios won’t be fussed at this point. Sadly, these surprisingly low new entries mean that this week’s total is 2/10 taking my running score to 70/140.

US

1. The LEGO Movie – Phil Lord, Chris Miller
2. The Monument’s Men – George Clooney
3. Ride Along – Tim Story
4. Frozen – Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
5. That Awkward Moment – Tom Gormican

UK

1. RoboCop – Jose Padhila
2. The Wolf of Wall Street – Martin Scorsese
3. Mr Peabody and Sherman – Rob Minkoff
4. Dallas Buyers Club – Jean Marc Vallee
5. 12 Years a Slave – Steve McQueen

Leonardo Di Caprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, this week’s UK box-office number one.

Ice Cube and Kevin Hart in Ride Along, this week’s US box-office number one.

Neeson in talks for Scorsese’s Silence and Her and Captain Phillips triumph at Writer’s Guild Awards

In loving memory of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, an Oscar winning legend and star of The Master, Capote, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mission: Impossible 3, who died today aged 46. July 23rd 1967 – January 2nd 2014

Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity) picked up the Director’s Guild; American Hustle, Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Matthew MacConaughey and Jared Leto (both Dallas Buyers Club) swept up at the Screen Actor’s Guild; Gravity and 12 Years a Slave tied and Producer’s Guild. The Guild Awards now conclude with the Writer’s Guild Awards.

Best Original Screenplay:

Her – Spike Jonze

American Hustle – Eric Warren Singer, David O’Russell

Blue Jasmine – Woody Allen

Dallas Buyers Club – Craig Borten, Melissa Wallack

Nebraska – Bob Nelson

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Captain Phillips – Billy Ray

August: Osage County – Tracy Letts

Before Midnight – Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy

Lone Survivor – Peter Berg

The Wolf of Wall Street – Terence Winter

Best Documentary Screenplay:

Stories We Tell – Sarah Polley

Dirty Wars – Jeremy Scahill, David Riker

Herblock: The Black and the White – Sara Lukinson, Michael Stevens

No Place on Earth – Janet Tobais, Paul Laikin

We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks – Alex Gibney

In TV, Breaking Bad, Veep, Days of Our Lives, House of Lies and The Colbert Report won one award each.

Just a quick snippet of news to say that two Oscar nominated legends will be teaming up for an upcoming project. Director Martin Scrosese (The Departed, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Shutter Island, Hugo, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Aviator, Casino, Cape Fear, The Age of Innocence, The Last Temptation of Christ, After Hours, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy and Mean Streets) has just added Liam Neeson (Taken, Schindler’s List, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight Rises, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia) to the cast of the upcoming drama Silence alongside Andrew Garfield, Ken Watanabe and Adam Driver. The pair will be reuniting for the first time twelve years, the last being when the acclaimed Gangs of New York was released.

Silence – 2015