Good afternoon Insiders, Jesse Whittock here with you today. Cannes is nearly here, and we’ve got you covered there, along with the rest of the noise from the international film and TV worlds.
Cannes Looms Large
The build-up: The 81st Cannes Film Festival kicks off in less than a week but all the early talk surrounding the fest is about events away from the big screen. The French industry is currently in a state of paralysis as speculation continues to mount in the local film industry over rumors that a bombshell #MeToo exposé will drop on the festival’s first day. There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of accusations is due to break in the lead-up and during the upcoming edition. The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to...
Cannes Looms Large
The build-up: The 81st Cannes Film Festival kicks off in less than a week but all the early talk surrounding the fest is about events away from the big screen. The French industry is currently in a state of paralysis as speculation continues to mount in the local film industry over rumors that a bombshell #MeToo exposé will drop on the festival’s first day. There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of accusations is due to break in the lead-up and during the upcoming edition. The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to...
- 5/10/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmaker Andrew Haigh’s follow up to the incredible All Of Us Strangers will reportedly be Belly Of The Beast – a true crime thriller set in 1980s New York.
Despite releasing back in January, there’s every chance that at the end of this year, writer-director Andrew Haigh’s All Of Us Strangers (pictured) will still hold the crown for film of 2024. At the very least it will be on lots of shortlists, and as such, interest has been running high over what Haigh would do next. Now that project has been revealed – a period drama-thriller called Belly Of The Beast – we’re very excited indeed.
According to Deadline, the project is headed to Cannes next week with the director and stars already attached. Given the acclaim surrounding Haigh’s last film and the involvement of both Colin Farrell and Ben Stiller, we’d imagine that this will be a popular package deal indeed.
Despite releasing back in January, there’s every chance that at the end of this year, writer-director Andrew Haigh’s All Of Us Strangers (pictured) will still hold the crown for film of 2024. At the very least it will be on lots of shortlists, and as such, interest has been running high over what Haigh would do next. Now that project has been revealed – a period drama-thriller called Belly Of The Beast – we’re very excited indeed.
According to Deadline, the project is headed to Cannes next week with the director and stars already attached. Given the acclaim surrounding Haigh’s last film and the involvement of both Colin Farrell and Ben Stiller, we’d imagine that this will be a popular package deal indeed.
- 5/10/2024
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
Before the film world descends onto the Croisette the floodgates have opened up for a flurry of film trade news and we have another high-profile project we’ll be keeping tabs on with Andrew Haigh cementing his next project. Deadline confirms that Ben Stiller and Colin Farrell have been tapped for Belly of the Beast – and that mk2 films, UTA Independent Film Group, CAA Media Finance and Village Roadshow Pictures have teamed for sales. The book to film adaptation of Jerome Loving’s nonfiction book, Jack and Norman: A State-Raised Convict and the Legacy of Norman Mailer’s ‘The Executioner’s Song.’ Colin and Claudine Farrell, Alison Rosenzweig and Michael Gaeta are producing.…...
- 5/9/2024
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Colin Farrell is on a bit of a hot streak in the wake of “The Banshees Of Inisherin” with his recent series “Sugar” and his upcoming Max spinoff gangster series, “The Penguin,” debuting later in the year. The Irish actor is lining up some impressive feature projects alongside those TV roles, including a new drama based on the Jerome Loving novel “Jack & Norman: A State-Raised Convict & The Legacy of Norman Mailer’s ‘The Execution’s Song’” according to a report from Deadline.
Continue reading ‘Belly Of The Beast’: Colin Farrell & Ben Stiller To Star In Andrew Haigh’s True-Crime Drama at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Belly Of The Beast’: Colin Farrell & Ben Stiller To Star In Andrew Haigh’s True-Crime Drama at The Playlist.
- 5/9/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Ben Stiller and Oscar nominee Colin Farrell have been confirmed to star in Andrew Haigh’s true crime story Belly of the Beast as mk2 films, UTA Independent Film Group, CAA Media Finance and Village Roadshow Pictures board sales for a Cannes launch.
Rumors of their involvement in the project surfaced at the beginning of the year and now the sales partners have unveiled the full details ahead of rolling out it to buyers in the South of France next week.
Bafta nominee Haigh will direct the film, which he and Alexis Jolly adapted from Jerome Loving’s nonfiction book, Jack and Norman: A State-Raised Convict and the Legacy of Norman Mailer’s ‘The Executioner’s Song.’
Per the official synopsis the feature will tell the timely and true story of the unlikely friendship between notorious literary titan Norman Mailer (Stiller) and his protégé, Jack Henry Abbott (Farrell).
Bolstered by Mailer’s mentorship,...
Rumors of their involvement in the project surfaced at the beginning of the year and now the sales partners have unveiled the full details ahead of rolling out it to buyers in the South of France next week.
Bafta nominee Haigh will direct the film, which he and Alexis Jolly adapted from Jerome Loving’s nonfiction book, Jack and Norman: A State-Raised Convict and the Legacy of Norman Mailer’s ‘The Executioner’s Song.’
Per the official synopsis the feature will tell the timely and true story of the unlikely friendship between notorious literary titan Norman Mailer (Stiller) and his protégé, Jack Henry Abbott (Farrell).
Bolstered by Mailer’s mentorship,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Nearly all of Oscar’s 2020 original-song nominees are newcomers, while only two of this morning’s original-score nominees are new to the competition.
Veteran songwriter Diane Warren earned her 12th nomination for “Io Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead,” shared with singer and co-lyricist Laura Pausini. She must be seen as the front-runner, as she has never won in over three decades of nominations; and she won the Golden Globe on Feb. 28.
Leslie Odom Jr., also nominated this morning for playing singer Sam Cooke in “One Night in Miami,” earned a second nomination as the writer of that film’s closing song, “Speak Now,” shared with Sam Ashworth.
All of the other song nominees are first-timers at the Academy Awards. British composer Daniel Pemberton received a nod for “Hear My Voice” for the film he scored, “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” shared with vocalist and co-writer Celeste.
H.E.R., fresh...
Veteran songwriter Diane Warren earned her 12th nomination for “Io Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead,” shared with singer and co-lyricist Laura Pausini. She must be seen as the front-runner, as she has never won in over three decades of nominations; and she won the Golden Globe on Feb. 28.
Leslie Odom Jr., also nominated this morning for playing singer Sam Cooke in “One Night in Miami,” earned a second nomination as the writer of that film’s closing song, “Speak Now,” shared with Sam Ashworth.
All of the other song nominees are first-timers at the Academy Awards. British composer Daniel Pemberton received a nod for “Hear My Voice” for the film he scored, “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” shared with vocalist and co-writer Celeste.
H.E.R., fresh...
- 3/15/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
“News of the World” and “Sound of Metal” led all films in nominations for the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ Golden Reel Awards, the Mpse announced on Monday. The two films each received three nominations in the seven Golden Reel film categories, including in the Feature Effects/Foley category, the Mpse category that most closely corresponded to the Oscars’ Best Sound Editing category.
(This year, the Academy has merged what were two sound categories, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing, into a single Best Sound category.)
Other nominees in the effect/foley category were “Cherry,” “Greyhound,” “The Midnight Sky,” “Tenet” and “Wonder Woman 84.” Films with two nominations include “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “The Midnight Sky,” “Tenet,” “Wonder Woman 84” and “Greyhound.”
In the television categories, “Snowpiercer,” “Better Call Saul,” “Ozark” and “The Queen’s Gambit” led all programs with three nominations each, while “The Umbrella Academy,...
(This year, the Academy has merged what were two sound categories, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing, into a single Best Sound category.)
Other nominees in the effect/foley category were “Cherry,” “Greyhound,” “The Midnight Sky,” “Tenet” and “Wonder Woman 84.” Films with two nominations include “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “The Midnight Sky,” “Tenet,” “Wonder Woman 84” and “Greyhound.”
In the television categories, “Snowpiercer,” “Better Call Saul,” “Ozark” and “The Queen’s Gambit” led all programs with three nominations each, while “The Umbrella Academy,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Original songs by Black artists with specifically Black themes have only occasionally found their way into contention for the Oscar and Golden Globes races over the past decade. “Glory” by Common and John Legend, from “Selma,” won seven years ago. Three years ago, Mary J. Blige’s “Mighty River” from “Mudbound” was up for the prize. But if these were considered outliers, the 2021 voting has reversed that narrative. With so many songs from Black films in the race, it’s a change that Sam Cooke (one of the subjects of “One Night in Miami”) might be proud of.
Among the songs with at least a subliminal sense of social consciousness, and in most cases a deep and explicit one, vying for the song prize at this stage of the voting for the Globes, Oscars or both: “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami,” sung and co-written by one of the film’s stars,...
Among the songs with at least a subliminal sense of social consciousness, and in most cases a deep and explicit one, vying for the song prize at this stage of the voting for the Globes, Oscars or both: “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami,” sung and co-written by one of the film’s stars,...
- 2/25/2021
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Just moments ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the total number of movies that are eligible to win their Best Picture prize. This time around, there are 366 films that are in contention to take the Oscar for Best Picture. That would be the largest number for the Academy in a half century, which is an interesting quirk, considering the expanded Academy Awards eligibility this year. The list is below, but it contains all of the expected flicks, as you might imagine. Now, we just have to wait a few more weeks and see which titles are nominated for Best Picture. Then, we can whittle this list down from 366 to something less than ten. Sit tight for that… Here are all 366 films eligible for this year’s Best Picture Oscar: Absent Now the Dead Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus Alberto and the Concrete Jungle All...
- 2/25/2021
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday revealed the 366 feature films that are eligible for consideration at the 93rd Oscars, which are set to air April 25 live on ABC.
The total number of films is up from last year’s 344 films in contention.
This year’s list was compiled based on tweaked eligibility rules implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the ceremony to its latest date ever. For this year, feature films had to open by February 28 in a commercial motion picture theater for a seven-day qualifying run in at least one of six metro areas: Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta. Drive-in theaters open nightly were included as qualifying venues, as were films intended for theatrical release but because of the lockdown made available first via streaming, VOD service or other broadcast.
Today’s news comes...
The total number of films is up from last year’s 344 films in contention.
This year’s list was compiled based on tweaked eligibility rules implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the ceremony to its latest date ever. For this year, feature films had to open by February 28 in a commercial motion picture theater for a seven-day qualifying run in at least one of six metro areas: Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta. Drive-in theaters open nightly were included as qualifying venues, as were films intended for theatrical release but because of the lockdown made available first via streaming, VOD service or other broadcast.
Today’s news comes...
- 2/25/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Predicting the nominees for Best Original Song at the Oscars is made more difficult by the three-stage process. In years past, many seemingly sure-fire contenders were deemed to be ineligible. Even those ditties that clear this hurdle then have to pass muster with the nearly 400 members members of the music branch of the academy. In recent years, upwards of 75 songs have been in the running. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2021 Oscar predictions for Best Original Song.)
To be even eligible for consideration, a tune must meet these criteria:
It must be an original song with words and music, both of which were original and written specifically for the film;
It must be the result of a creative interaction between the filmmaker(s) and the songwriter(s) who have been engaged to work directly on the film; and
There must be a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition (not necessarily visually...
To be even eligible for consideration, a tune must meet these criteria:
It must be an original song with words and music, both of which were original and written specifically for the film;
It must be the result of a creative interaction between the filmmaker(s) and the songwriter(s) who have been engaged to work directly on the film; and
There must be a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition (not necessarily visually...
- 2/10/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
This year’s Oscar Original Song shortlist has recognized a number of tunes from Black narrative or documentary films, while at the same time kept up an Academy tradition of begin able to embrace a silly song. On Tuesday that specifically meant “Wuhan Flu” from Amazon’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and “Husavik” from Netflix’s Will Ferrell-Rachel McAdams comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga both made the first cut.
“Wuhan Flu” and “Husavik” follows in the tradition of AMPAS honoring such satirical tunes as “Blame Canada” from 2000’s South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and the Bret McKenzie-penned ditty “Man or Muppet” in 2011 from The Muppets.
There was a time during the late 1980s when the Best Song category felt like a top 40 list with Oscar winners like “What a Feeling” from Flashdance, “I Just Called to Say I Loved You” from The Women in...
“Wuhan Flu” and “Husavik” follows in the tradition of AMPAS honoring such satirical tunes as “Blame Canada” from 2000’s South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and the Bret McKenzie-penned ditty “Man or Muppet” in 2011 from The Muppets.
There was a time during the late 1980s when the Best Song category felt like a top 40 list with Oscar winners like “What a Feeling” from Flashdance, “I Just Called to Say I Loved You” from The Women in...
- 2/10/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
The academy released the 2021 Oscars shortlists in nine categories on Tuesday, February 9. The hopefuls in a wide range of races found out if they are remain in contention for the 93rd annual Academy Awards. Among these are the marquee categories for Best International Feature Film (which was pared down to 10 films from the 93 submitted) and Best Documentary Feature (which went from 238 to 15).
Both music awards – Best Original Song and Best Original Score — were winnowed down to just 15 contenders from upwards of 100 submissions apiece. The Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects races as well as the three awards for shorts – animated, documentary and live-action — were culled from dozens of entries to 10 apiece.
Documentary Feature
Two hundred and thirty-eight films were eligible for consideration; there are 15 on the shortlist. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title,...
Both music awards – Best Original Song and Best Original Score — were winnowed down to just 15 contenders from upwards of 100 submissions apiece. The Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects races as well as the three awards for shorts – animated, documentary and live-action — were culled from dozens of entries to 10 apiece.
Documentary Feature
Two hundred and thirty-eight films were eligible for consideration; there are 15 on the shortlist. Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The films, listed in alphabetical order by title,...
- 2/9/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The shortlists for the Academy Awards’ two music categories are out, and while there are few surprises among the 375-member music branch’s 15 choices for best original score, there’s a remarkable shift in the original song category: Nearly half of the 15 songs on that list emerged from narrative films or documentaries whose casts or subjects were predominantly Black.
Most of these songs had already been tagged as leading contenders, even though it was hardly a certainty they’d all make the shortlist. Among them: Janelle Monae’s “Turntables” from the voter-suppression doc “All In: The Fight for Democracy,” Mary J. Blige’s “See What You’ve Done” from the prison-sterilization documentary “Belly of the Beast,” John Legend’s “Never Break” from the young-actor doc “Giving Voice,” Leslie Odom Jr.’s “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami,” H.E.R.’s “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah” and...
Most of these songs had already been tagged as leading contenders, even though it was hardly a certainty they’d all make the shortlist. Among them: Janelle Monae’s “Turntables” from the voter-suppression doc “All In: The Fight for Democracy,” Mary J. Blige’s “See What You’ve Done” from the prison-sterilization documentary “Belly of the Beast,” John Legend’s “Never Break” from the young-actor doc “Giving Voice,” Leslie Odom Jr.’s “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami,” H.E.R.’s “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah” and...
- 2/9/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has released the shortlists in the Oscars race for Best Original Score and Best Original Song. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” has landed on both lists to advance in the awards race, as have songs and compositions from “Mulan” and “Minari.” And Sacha Baron Cohen’s satiric “Wuhan Flu” from “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” also made the cut.
Fifteen scores and songs were added to each respective shortlist from a whopping 136 eligible scores and a record 105 eligible songs. In the score category, other films to make the cut included “Tenet” by Ludwig Goransson, Terence Blanchard for “Da 5 Bloods,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for “Mank,” Alexandre Desplat for “The Midnight Sky” and James Newton Howard for “News of the World.”
The most surprising entry on the list of scores was Lolita Ritmanis’ work in the Latvian film “Blizzard of Souls.” Notable...
Fifteen scores and songs were added to each respective shortlist from a whopping 136 eligible scores and a record 105 eligible songs. In the score category, other films to make the cut included “Tenet” by Ludwig Goransson, Terence Blanchard for “Da 5 Bloods,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for “Mank,” Alexandre Desplat for “The Midnight Sky” and James Newton Howard for “News of the World.”
The most surprising entry on the list of scores was Lolita Ritmanis’ work in the Latvian film “Blizzard of Souls.” Notable...
- 2/9/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The road to the 2021 Academy Awards hit an important marker today with the announcement of nine shortlists for the following categories: International Feature Film, Documentary, Original Score, Original Song, Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Live-Action Short Film, Documentary Short Subject, and Animated Short Film. Just as in previous years, members of the Academy will select from these reduced lists of contenders in each category the nominees for the 2021 Oscars. This year marked the third year in a row the Academy released nine of its shortlists on the same day.
The nominations for the 2021 Oscars will be announced Monday, March 15, ahead of the 93rd Academy Awards telecast on Sunday, April 25. The Academy pushed back the ceremony this year in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Films that were set for a theatrical release but headed to streaming and/or PVOD instead are eligible for Oscar consideration. The Oscar cutoff date for...
The nominations for the 2021 Oscars will be announced Monday, March 15, ahead of the 93rd Academy Awards telecast on Sunday, April 25. The Academy pushed back the ceremony this year in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Films that were set for a theatrical release but headed to streaming and/or PVOD instead are eligible for Oscar consideration. The Oscar cutoff date for...
- 2/9/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Music, score, visual effects, make-up and hairstyling, short film shortlists also unveiled.
The Academy has announced the 15 international and 15 documentary features that have made the cut as it unveiled nine Oscar shortlists on Tuesday (February 9).
Switzerland’s My Little Sister, Greece’s Apples and Poland’s Never Gonna Snow Again are notable absentees from an international list dominated by Europe with seven contenders, followed by Latin America on three, Africa and Asia on two apiece, and the Middle East with one.
In January the Academy expanded the international shortlist from 10 to 15, ruling that the international feature film preliminary committee would vote on the entire shortlist.
The Academy has announced the 15 international and 15 documentary features that have made the cut as it unveiled nine Oscar shortlists on Tuesday (February 9).
Switzerland’s My Little Sister, Greece’s Apples and Poland’s Never Gonna Snow Again are notable absentees from an international list dominated by Europe with seven contenders, followed by Latin America on three, Africa and Asia on two apiece, and the Middle East with one.
In January the Academy expanded the international shortlist from 10 to 15, ruling that the international feature film preliminary committee would vote on the entire shortlist.
- 2/9/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Music, score, visual effects, make-up and hairstyling, short film shortlists also unveiled.
The Academy has announced the 15 international and 15 documentary features that have made the cut as it unveiled nine Oscar shortlists on Tuesday (February 9).
Switzerland’s My Little Sister, Greece’s Apples and Poland’s Never Gonna Snow Again are notable absentees from an international list dominated by Europe with seven contenders, followed by Latin America on three, Africa and Asia on two apiece, and the Middle East with one.
In January the Academy expanded the international shortlist from 10 to 15, ruling that the international feature film preliminary committee would vote on the entire shortlist.
The Academy has announced the 15 international and 15 documentary features that have made the cut as it unveiled nine Oscar shortlists on Tuesday (February 9).
Switzerland’s My Little Sister, Greece’s Apples and Poland’s Never Gonna Snow Again are notable absentees from an international list dominated by Europe with seven contenders, followed by Latin America on three, Africa and Asia on two apiece, and the Middle East with one.
In January the Academy expanded the international shortlist from 10 to 15, ruling that the international feature film preliminary committee would vote on the entire shortlist.
- 2/9/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Music, score, visual effects, make-up and hairstyling, short film shortlists also unveiled.
The Academy has announced the 15 international features and 15 documentary shortlists that have made the cut as it unveiled nine Oscar shortlists on Tuesday (February 9).
Switzerland’s My Little Sister and Greece’s Apples are notable absentees from an international list dominated by Europe with seven contenders, followed by Latin America on three, Africa and Asia on two apiece, and the Middle East with one.
All shortlisted films proceed to the phase one voting stage that runs from March 5-9 prior to the nominations announcement on March 15. The 93rd...
The Academy has announced the 15 international features and 15 documentary shortlists that have made the cut as it unveiled nine Oscar shortlists on Tuesday (February 9).
Switzerland’s My Little Sister and Greece’s Apples are notable absentees from an international list dominated by Europe with seven contenders, followed by Latin America on three, Africa and Asia on two apiece, and the Middle East with one.
All shortlisted films proceed to the phase one voting stage that runs from March 5-9 prior to the nominations announcement on March 15. The 93rd...
- 2/9/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be announcing its shortlist on Tuesday in nine Oscar categories. The categories and number of films to be revealed include documentary feature (15), documentary short subject (10), international feature (15), makeup and hairstyling (10), original score (15), original song (15), animated short film (10), live action short film (10) and visual effects (10).
The shortlist voting concluded on Feb. 5, and the remaining will move on to the official phase one voting, which will take place on March 5-9. The Oscar nominations will be announced on March 15, with the show scheduled to take place on April 25.
Down below, find the predictions for the shortlist (except for the shorts) with commentary on what to expect. Go to the Awards Circuit prediction pages of each category for the contenders’ full rankings and the credited artisans.
Makeup and Hairstyling
“Bill & Ted Face the Music” (United Artists Releasing) “Emma.” (Focus Features) “Hillbilly Elegy” (Netflix...
The shortlist voting concluded on Feb. 5, and the remaining will move on to the official phase one voting, which will take place on March 5-9. The Oscar nominations will be announced on March 15, with the show scheduled to take place on April 25.
Down below, find the predictions for the shortlist (except for the shorts) with commentary on what to expect. Go to the Awards Circuit prediction pages of each category for the contenders’ full rankings and the credited artisans.
Makeup and Hairstyling
“Bill & Ted Face the Music” (United Artists Releasing) “Emma.” (Focus Features) “Hillbilly Elegy” (Netflix...
- 2/8/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s Oscars have set a new record for the largest number of entries ever in the Best Original Song category, but the 105 eligible songs do not include Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ “(If Only You Could) Save Me,” a 1930s-style big band song from “Mank” that was recently nominated for the second annual Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards.
The song is heard briefly coming from a radio in the background of one scene and plays for only about 40 seconds. Academy rules require “a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody,” and the song was judged to not fulfill that requirement.
Other songs that didn’t make the list, although they were thought to be in the running, include “Uh Oh” from “Promising Young Woman” and “Boss Bitch” from “Birds of Prey.” Even without those, the list of eligible songs tops 100 for the first time...
The song is heard briefly coming from a radio in the background of one scene and plays for only about 40 seconds. Academy rules require “a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody,” and the song was judged to not fulfill that requirement.
Other songs that didn’t make the list, although they were thought to be in the running, include “Uh Oh” from “Promising Young Woman” and “Boss Bitch” from “Birds of Prey.” Even without those, the list of eligible songs tops 100 for the first time...
- 2/5/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Oscar race is already underway for categories devoted to below-the-line crafts — cinematography, costume design, editing, makeup and hairstyling, music, production design, sound and visual effects.
Voting began on Feb. 1 to determine a shortlist of possible nominees culled from all eligible contenders in the four craft categories that use a two-step process: score, original song, visual effects and makeup & hairstyling.
Voters have until Feb. 5 to narrow down all the contenders to a shortlist of semifinalists: 15 each in the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories, 10 each in Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects. (The shortlists will be announced on Feb. 9 ahead of the March 15 announcement of nominees.)
Here are our thoughts on what might advance in the four below-the-line categories that use shortlists.
“News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
Best Original Score
The Music Branch’s shortlists are typically short on surprises — and when those do happen,...
Voting began on Feb. 1 to determine a shortlist of possible nominees culled from all eligible contenders in the four craft categories that use a two-step process: score, original song, visual effects and makeup & hairstyling.
Voters have until Feb. 5 to narrow down all the contenders to a shortlist of semifinalists: 15 each in the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories, 10 each in Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects. (The shortlists will be announced on Feb. 9 ahead of the March 15 announcement of nominees.)
Here are our thoughts on what might advance in the four below-the-line categories that use shortlists.
“News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
Best Original Score
The Music Branch’s shortlists are typically short on surprises — and when those do happen,...
- 2/2/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“Soul” is in, but “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is out: That’s the message the Academy’s music branch is sending to members who began voting today for the shortlists for both song and score.
Disney-Pixar’s “Soul” has been declared eligible for the original-score Oscar, but the song from Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was missing from the song list, indicating that the music-branch executive committee disqualified it from consideration.
Voters from the Academy’s approximately 375-member music branch will choose 15 songs and 15 scores for the shortlists (to be announced Feb. 9) that will be the basis for final voting for the five nominees in each category. The Academy qualified 105 songs and 136 scores.
The biggest question was: would “Soul” qualify for original score? It initially appeared doubtful, as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s dramatic score constituted less than the required 60 percent of total music in the film; and Jon Batiste’s jazz,...
Disney-Pixar’s “Soul” has been declared eligible for the original-score Oscar, but the song from Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was missing from the song list, indicating that the music-branch executive committee disqualified it from consideration.
Voters from the Academy’s approximately 375-member music branch will choose 15 songs and 15 scores for the shortlists (to be announced Feb. 9) that will be the basis for final voting for the five nominees in each category. The Academy qualified 105 songs and 136 scores.
The biggest question was: would “Soul” qualify for original score? It initially appeared doubtful, as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s dramatic score constituted less than the required 60 percent of total music in the film; and Jon Batiste’s jazz,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
As voting opens for the Oscar shortlists on Feb. 1, the picture is slowly coming into focus: Academy composers and songwriters are faced with one of the most diverse batches of scores they’ve ever heard.
The approximately 350 members of the Academy music branch are sifting through dozens of films to try and single out 15 scores and 15 songs worthy of placement on its shortlists, which will be revealed Feb. 9. These preliminary choices will be narrowed down to five final nominees in each category, to be announced March 15.
Best Original Score
It’s a surprisingly competitive year, making predictions even more difficult. But the music branch likes to reward familiar names, so look for such past winners as Alexandre Desplat (“Grand Budapest Hotel”) for his alternately melancholy and hopeful score for “The Midnight Sky”; Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther”) for his propulsive, synth-orchestra hybrid for the intense spy thriller “Tenet”; and Howard Shore...
The approximately 350 members of the Academy music branch are sifting through dozens of films to try and single out 15 scores and 15 songs worthy of placement on its shortlists, which will be revealed Feb. 9. These preliminary choices will be narrowed down to five final nominees in each category, to be announced March 15.
Best Original Score
It’s a surprisingly competitive year, making predictions even more difficult. But the music branch likes to reward familiar names, so look for such past winners as Alexandre Desplat (“Grand Budapest Hotel”) for his alternately melancholy and hopeful score for “The Midnight Sky”; Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther”) for his propulsive, synth-orchestra hybrid for the intense spy thriller “Tenet”; and Howard Shore...
- 1/29/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Another important moment in the awards season has come our way today. Yes, the Academy has released their lists of what’s eligible in a few of the Oscar categories. In short, we now know what’s up for Academy Award nominations in the Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best International Feature categories. Until we get to a shortlist, everything is up for grabs, but now we know what’s at least in the running, and that’s good… Here now are the lists: Animated Feature Film “Accidental Luxuriance of the Translucent Watery Rebus” “Bombay Rose” “Calamity” “The Croods: A New Age” “Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train” “Dreambuilders” “Lane” “On-Gaku: Our Sound” “Onward” “Over the Moon” “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” “Ride Your Wave” “Scoob!” “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” “Soul” “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” “Terra Willy” “Trolls World Tour...
- 1/28/2021
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday released its official entries for 2021 Oscars in the categories of Documentary Feature, Animated Feature and International Films. The takeaway: As expected, the eligible Documentary Feature lineup shatters the record for the most ever.
A total of 238 features are eligible for consideration in the Doc Feature category, breaking the previous record of 170 set in 2017. Last year, by contrast, 159 feature documentaries qualified. The Academy relaxed eligibility rules in light of Covid-19, so that any film that could make a claim of an intended theatrical release was deemed eligible. Earning awards from film festivals was an alternative way to qualify.
For the International Feature race, Lesotho, Sudan and Suriname are first-time entrants among the 93 eligible titles, the same total as last year. Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors boosted the number of films eligible for the shortlist from 10 to 15. Under the new rules,...
A total of 238 features are eligible for consideration in the Doc Feature category, breaking the previous record of 170 set in 2017. Last year, by contrast, 159 feature documentaries qualified. The Academy relaxed eligibility rules in light of Covid-19, so that any film that could make a claim of an intended theatrical release was deemed eligible. Earning awards from film festivals was an alternative way to qualify.
For the International Feature race, Lesotho, Sudan and Suriname are first-time entrants among the 93 eligible titles, the same total as last year. Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors boosted the number of films eligible for the shortlist from 10 to 15. Under the new rules,...
- 1/28/2021
- by Patrick Hipes and Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The team behind new PBS legal documentary Belly of the Beast has released a lyric video for the original song “See What You’ve Done,” written by Mary J. Blige, Nova Way and DJ Camper and performed by Blige.
The R&b singer-songwriter isn’t new to working music into film. Blige has nine Grammy Awards and scored a pair of Academy Award nominations for best supporting actress and best original song for her song “Mighty River” from the 2017 film Mudbound.
The lyric video opens with narration by the film’s focus, ex-convict Kelli Dillon, who tells her story while images of prison,...
The R&b singer-songwriter isn’t new to working music into film. Blige has nine Grammy Awards and scored a pair of Academy Award nominations for best supporting actress and best original song for her song “Mighty River” from the 2017 film Mudbound.
The lyric video opens with narration by the film’s focus, ex-convict Kelli Dillon, who tells her story while images of prison,...
- 1/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The team behind new PBS legal documentary Belly of the Beast has released a lyric video for the original song “See What You’ve Done,” written by Mary J. Blige, Nova Way and DJ Camper and performed by Blige.
The R&b singer-songwriter isn’t new to working music into film. Blige has nine Grammy Awards and scored a pair of Academy Award nominations for best supporting actress and best original song for her song “Mighty River” from the 2017 film Mudbound.
The lyric video opens with narration by the film’s focus, ex-convict Kelli Dillon, who tells her story while images of prison,...
The R&b singer-songwriter isn’t new to working music into film. Blige has nine Grammy Awards and scored a pair of Academy Award nominations for best supporting actress and best original song for her song “Mighty River” from the 2017 film Mudbound.
The lyric video opens with narration by the film’s focus, ex-convict Kelli Dillon, who tells her story while images of prison,...
- 1/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If you were to look at the members-only screening room where films in contention for the Academy Award for Best Picture stream for voters, you might think that documentaries are going to do very well in the Oscars top category this year.
As of Dec. 7, there were 104 films in the Academy Screening Room for the Best Picture category, 26 of which were documentaries. That’s a full 25% of the field, which seems to suggest that nonfiction filmmakers and the companies that release them are optimistic that Oscar voters will recognize docs when they vote this year. After all, it costs $12,500 to put a film in that screening room — and all 26 docs that paid the cost to be there are also in the separate screening room available to the Academy’s Documentary Branch. Spots in that screening room are free for any film that qualifies in the Best Documentary Feature category.
Common sense,...
As of Dec. 7, there were 104 films in the Academy Screening Room for the Best Picture category, 26 of which were documentaries. That’s a full 25% of the field, which seems to suggest that nonfiction filmmakers and the companies that release them are optimistic that Oscar voters will recognize docs when they vote this year. After all, it costs $12,500 to put a film in that screening room — and all 26 docs that paid the cost to be there are also in the separate screening room available to the Academy’s Documentary Branch. Spots in that screening room are free for any film that qualifies in the Best Documentary Feature category.
Common sense,...
- 12/8/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Music may be an auditory medium, but its role is an integral ingredient in the success of visual projects in TV, films and commercials. Singers, composers, music bookers and others working in this intersection joined Variety in the virtual Music for Screens Week from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, sharing their expertise on the importance of music in recent projects. Covering topics from talk shows to composition for 2020’s critically praised “Mank,” the professionals provided valuable insight into music’s role in the industry.
Read below for a list of 10 takeaways from the Music for Screens Week.
Filmmakers Recognize Music as a Strong Storytelling Device
“I have not come into contact with a director who doesn’t know the power of music and storytelling,” said Germaine Franco, composer for films like “Someone Great.”
During the State of Scoring Composers Panel, presented by ASCAP, Franco and other composers discussed the increasing experimentation in film and TV scores.
Read below for a list of 10 takeaways from the Music for Screens Week.
Filmmakers Recognize Music as a Strong Storytelling Device
“I have not come into contact with a director who doesn’t know the power of music and storytelling,” said Germaine Franco, composer for films like “Someone Great.”
During the State of Scoring Composers Panel, presented by ASCAP, Franco and other composers discussed the increasing experimentation in film and TV scores.
- 12/5/2020
- by Eli Countryman
- Variety Film + TV
With less than a week until one of the most important elections of our lifetime, Daniel Dae Kim’s 3Ad, along with the New York Theater Workshop, will present a one-day streaming event of the timely, politically charged play Belly of the Beast on November 1.
Written by Margaret Vandenburg and directed by Lisa Rothe, Belly of the Beast stars Kim, Joel de la Fuente (Man in the High Castle), Carrie Preston (True Blood), Tamilyn Tomita (Star Trek: Picard) and Antonia Thomas (The Good Doctor). The play is set in a time when American democracy is threatened by disinformation and fake news. Donald Trump campaign executives Alex (Kim) and Justin (de la Fuente) use psychographic profiling, microtargeting, Twitter bombs, and sock puppets to determine the outcome of the presidential election, replacing so-called reality with the political equivalent of reality TV. Yet Washington insiders are...
Written by Margaret Vandenburg and directed by Lisa Rothe, Belly of the Beast stars Kim, Joel de la Fuente (Man in the High Castle), Carrie Preston (True Blood), Tamilyn Tomita (Star Trek: Picard) and Antonia Thomas (The Good Doctor). The play is set in a time when American democracy is threatened by disinformation and fake news. Donald Trump campaign executives Alex (Kim) and Justin (de la Fuente) use psychographic profiling, microtargeting, Twitter bombs, and sock puppets to determine the outcome of the presidential election, replacing so-called reality with the political equivalent of reality TV. Yet Washington insiders are...
- 10/28/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Mary J. Blige has released the powerful “See What You’ve Done,” from the new documentary Belly of the Beast.
Co-written by Blige, Nova Wav, and DJ Camper, the track opens with warm piano chords. “What’s goin’ on,” Blige sings. “When I gotta fight for a right that is rightfully mine?/What’s goin’ on.”
Directed by Erika Cohn, Belly of the Beast focuses on Kelli Dillon — a survivor of domestic and state violence and community intervention specialist — and a radical lawyer as they discover the sterilization of women...
Co-written by Blige, Nova Wav, and DJ Camper, the track opens with warm piano chords. “What’s goin’ on,” Blige sings. “When I gotta fight for a right that is rightfully mine?/What’s goin’ on.”
Directed by Erika Cohn, Belly of the Beast focuses on Kelli Dillon — a survivor of domestic and state violence and community intervention specialist — and a radical lawyer as they discover the sterilization of women...
- 10/16/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
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