The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that seven films remain in competition in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 88th Academy Awards.
The films are listed below in alphabetical order:
“Black Mass” “Concussion” “Legend” “Mad Max: Fury Road” “Mr. Holmes” “The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared” “The Revenant”
On Saturday, January 9, 2016, all members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.
The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Returning cast members include Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg, Keke Palmer, Wanda Sykes, and Jennifer Lopez and new cast members feature Stephanie Beatriz, Adam DeVine, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Max Greenfield, Jessie J, Nick Offerman, Melissa Rauch, Michael Strahan and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapults him into the universe where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the Ice Age World. To save themselves, Sid, Manny, Diego, and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest full of comedy and adventure, traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters.
Dexter Fletcher & Matthew Vaughn bring you the feel good film of 2016 with the upcoming film, EDDIE THE EAGLE.
Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman star in the first trailer for the movie.
EDDIE THE EAGLE follows the realisation of the childhood dream of Michael Edwards (a.k.a Eddie), and his unflinching determination to become Great Britain’s first Olympic ski-jumper. Reluctantly aided by former ski-jumper Bronson Peary as his coach, Eddie is unwavering in his quest to reach the 1988 Calgary Winter Games. EDDIE THE EAGLE is an uplifting, inspirational story that celebrates human spirit, passion, and one man’s refusal to accept defeat.
Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) stars as Eddie and Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) as coach Bronson Peary. The film is directed by Dexter Fletcher (Sunshine on Leith) and produced by Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman: The Secret Service) alongside Adam Bohling, David Reid, Valerie Van Galder and Rupert Maconick.
EDDIE THE EAGLE is joined by a supporting cast that includes Jo Hartley (‘This Is England’), Tim McInnerny (‘Blackadder’), Keith Allen (‘Robin Hood’), Iris Berban (‘Rosa Roth’) and Rune Temte (‘The Last Kingdom’), Christopher Walken (‘Catch Me If You Can’) and Jim Broadbent (‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’).
EDDIE THE EAGLE will be released in the UK & Ireland by Lionsgate Films April 1st.
On Monday fans across the galaxy joined the Force for the world premiere of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, the highly anticipated next film in the iconic Star Wars saga, picking up 30 years after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
The stars came out for the premiere at the Dolby, El Capitan and TCL Theatres in Hollywood, CA.
Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as Star Wars returns to the big screen with STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS.
The cast and crew of Star Wars(L-R) Actors Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie FisherActress Daisy RidleyThe cast and crew speak onstage during the World PremiereDirector J.J. Abrams, producer Kathleen Kennedy, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios, Alan Horn and president, The Walt Disney Studios, Alan Bergman speak onstage during the World Premiere
Actors Adam Driver (L) and Oscar IsaacJohn Boyega and Lupita Nyong’oSphero BB8 attends the after party for the World Premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Hollywood Blvd (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Actress Gwendoline Christie
The film stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is written by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt.
Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENSopens in U.S. theaters on December 18, 2015, and is rated PG-13. For more information on the film, visit: www.theforceawakens.com
LAIKA, the award-winning animation studio nestled in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, celebrates 10 years of bold and memorable filmmaking this month. For a company whose name means “little barker” in Russian, Portland, Oregon-based LAIKA has made quite a noise in the global film industry over a relatively short time.
With its world-class filmmaking team, LAIKA pushes the boundaries of family entertainment and animated movies, redefining what stories can and should be told through the art form.
“When LAIKA began we had a simple goal: to make movies that matter,” says Travis Knight, LAIKA’s President and CEO, who also is lead animator and a producer on its films. “LAIKA is devoted to telling new and original stories in new and original ways.”
“We aspire to make films that are bold, distinctive, and enduring,” Knight continues. “We are committed to telling stories that are thematically challenging, aesthetically beautiful, emotionally resonant, and a wee bit subversive. By combining stop-motion animation with cutting-edge creative approaches, we’ve embraced the fusion of art and craft and technology, honoring tradition while looking toward the future. We invented new systems and technologies for liberating the camera, to make our films more cinematic. We created new techniques for building and animating our puppets, to make our characters more lifelike and to connect more immediately and intimately with audiences. We discovered new processes for integrating practical and digital visual effects, to make our worlds more authentic. But we’re never satisfied. There’s an inherent restlessness at LAIKA. We always want to challenge ourselves.”
LAIKA began its unconventional cinematic journey with Coraline in 2009, continuing with ParaNorman in 2012 and The Boxtrolls in 2014. All three films featured LAIKA’s unique and innovative 3D stop-motion and CG hybrid technique. LAIKA’s original distribution partners, Focus Features and Universal Pictures International, remain the studio’s collaborators to this day. “We have the bravest distributors in the world,” says Knight. “They are lionhearted souls who took a chance on a ragged band of misfits from Oregon. Together, we share an abiding love for original stories and inventive storytelling.”
In addition to numerous critics’ awards and multiple Annie Awards (the animation community’s Oscars equivalent), all three of LAIKA’s feature films have been nominated for Academy Awards, BAFTA, and PGA Awards. The Boxtrolls also received a Golden Globe nomination; ParaNorman was cited as the year’s best animated feature by more critics’ groups than any other film in 2012, and Coraline was named one of the American Film Institute’s Top 10 Films of the year. “These last ten years have been magical,” says Knight. “But as I look forward, I’m more excited for what the future holds. We’re just getting warmed up.”
Knight, who makes his directorial debut with LAIKA’s next film, Kubo and the Two Strings (release date: August 19, 2016) adds, “Stripping everything else away, we’re simple storytellers. We’re the heirs of flamboyant stage magicians, plainspoken raconteurs spinning yarns around a campfire, and knuckle-dragging troglodytes scrawling stick figures on a cave wall. We believe telling stories is one of the prime functions of the human mind and spirit. A good story can elicit empathy, opening us up to new possibilities, to new ways of thinking, to recognizing the shared humanity in which we all participate. And, in the end, that’s ultimately LAIKA’s reason for being.”
LAIKA FILMOGRAPHY
Coraline (Release Date: February 6, 2009) Combining the visionary imaginations of two premier fantasists, director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and author Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Coraline is a wondrous and thrilling, fun and suspenseful adventure and the first stop motion film ever to be conceived and photographed in stereoscopic 3-D, unlike anything moviegoers had ever experienced before. In Coraline, a young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life – only much better. But when this wondrously off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous and her counterfeit parents try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home and save her family.
Voice Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr., and Ian McShane. Produced by Bill Mechanic, Claire Jennings, Henry Selick, Mary Sandell. Based on the book by Neil Gaiman. Written for the Screen and Directed by Henry Selick.
ParaNorman (Release Date: August 17, 2012)
In the comedy thriller, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman, who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul-whisperer bravely summons up all that makes a hero – courage and compassion – as he finds his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.
Voice Cast:Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Bernard Hill, Jodelle Ferland, Tempestt Bledsoe, Alex Borstein, and John Goodman. Produced by Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight. Written by Chris Butler. Directed by Sam Fell, Chris Butler.
The Boxtrolls (Release Date: September 26, 2014)
This comedic fable unfolds in Cheesebridge, a posh Victorian-era town obsessed with wealth, class, and the stinkiest of fine cheeses. Beneath its charming cobblestone streets dwell the Boxtrolls, foul monsters who crawl out of the sewers at night and steal what the townspeople hold most dear: their children and their cheeses. At least, that’s the legend residents have always believed. In truth, the Boxtrolls are an underground cavern-dwelling community of quirky and lovable oddballs who wear recycled cardboard boxes the way turtles wear their shells. The Boxtrolls have raised an orphaned human boy, Eggs since infancy as one of their dumpster-diving and mechanical junk-collecting own. When the Boxtrolls are targeted by villainous pest exterminator Archibald Snatcher, who is bent on eradicating them as his ticket to Cheesebridge society, the kindhearted band of tinkerers must turn to their adopted charge and adventurous rich girl Winnie to bridge two worlds amidst the winds of change – and cheese.
Voice Cast: Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Elle Fanning, Dee Bradley Baker, Steve Blum, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, and Simon Pegg. Produced by David Bleiman Ichioka, Travis Knight. Screenplay by Irena Brignull, Adam Pava. Based on the book Here Be Monsters by Alan Snow. Directed by Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable.
Kubo and the Two Strings (Release date: August 19, 2016)
Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA, the film follows clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of Game of Thrones) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Hashi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Kamekichi (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen – a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.
Voice Cast: Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, Art Parkinson, George Takei, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brenda Vaccaro. Screenplay by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler. Produced by Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight. Directed by Travis Knight.
Warner Bros. Pictures has unveiled the new trailer and poster for the much-anticipated adventure FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. The trailer gives audiences the first glimpse at a never-before-seen part of the wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling.
Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) stars in the central role of wizarding world magizoologist Newt Scamander, under the direction of David Yates, who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” blockbusters.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM also stars Katherine Waterston (“Steve Jobs,” “Inherent Vice”) as Tina; Tony Award winner Dan Fogler (“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”) as Jacob; Alison Sudol (“Dig,” “Transparent”) as Tina’s sister, Queenie; Ezra Miller (“Trainwreck”) as Credence; two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton (“In America,” “Sweet and Lowdown”) as Mary Lou; Oscar winner Jon Voight (“Coming Home,” TV’s “Ray Donovan”) as Henry Shaw, Sr.; Ron Perlman (the “Hellboy” films) as Gnarlack; Carmen Ejogo (“Selma”) as Seraphina; Jenn Murray (“Brooklyn”) as Chastity; young newcomer Faith Wood-Blagrove as Modesty; and Colin Farrell (“True Detective”) as Percival Graves.
The film marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, whose beloved Harry Potter books were adapted into the top-grossing film franchise of all time. Her script was inspired by the Hogwarts textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, written by her character Newt Scamander.
The film reunites a number of people from the “Harry Potter” features, including producers David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram.
Collaborating with Yates behind the scenes are: Oscar-winning director of photography Philippe Rousselot (“A River Runs Through It,” the “Sherlock Holmes” movies), three-time Oscar-winning production designer Stuart Craig (“The English Patient,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Gandhi,” the “Harry Potter” films), three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (“Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Alice in Wonderland”), Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Tim Burke (“Gladiator,” the “Harry Potter” films), Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Christian Manz (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1”), and Yates’ longtime editor Mark Day (the last four “Harry Potter” films).
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM is being filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, which was home to the “Harry Potter” films for a decade. Some scenes were also shot on location in Liverpool, England.
Warner Bros. Pictures has slated FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM for worldwide release in 3D and IMAX on November 18, 2016.
For the past few years, The Academy has been releasing online new episodes of their series, Academy Originals. The documentary-style series examines everything from the creative process, to the moments that changed the course of filmmaking, to the artists who are charting its future.
Their latest Monday episode features Bryce Dallas Howard (JURASSIC WORLD) and her father Ron Howard (APOLLO 13, IN THE HEART OF THE SEA). Just last week, the Oscar-winning director received his second star on Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame.
In “Family Film School: The Howards,” watch as the father/daughter duo discuss their careers in Hollywood, what they’ve learned from each other and some of their favorite film moments.
In addition to IN THE HEART OF THE SEA, Howard’s recent films include the critically acclaimed drama RUSH, staring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl, written by Peter Morgan; and “Made In America,” a music documentary he directed for Showtime, starring Jay Z. He recently completed filming on the upcoming INFERNO, his third film based on Dan Brown’s best-selling novels, with Tom Hanks reprising the role of Robert Langdon.
Bryce Dallas Howard has previously starred in THE HELP, THE LADY IN THE WATER, THE VILLAGE, SPIDER-MAN 3 and this summer’s JURASSIC WORLD. She can next be seen in Stephen Gaghan’s GOLD alongside Matthew McConaughey and Edgar Ramirez and Disney’s PETE’S DRAGON with Wes Bentley, Karl Urban and Robert Redford (Aug. 12, 2016).
In his Fantastic Fest 2015 review, Michael Haffner writes HIGH-RISE “is a masterful satire of society’s instinctual lust for depravity.”
This week the clever new trailer for Ben Wheatley’s film came online with the invitation:
“Ever wanted something more? Join us at the high-rise.”
Haffner says of the plot: “Dr. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston) has just moved into a new building designed by architect Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons) – a wealthy hermit who takes up residence on the top floor of the multi-story building. In fact, the building is situated as such that each floor is a class of their own, going from the lower class on the bottom to the wealthy at the top. As Laing adjusts to life in the high-rise, he becomes more aware of tension between the classes, which ultimately leads to all-out chaos.”
HIGH-RISE also features Sienna Miller, Elisabeth Moss and Luke Evans.
Paramount Pictures has released five brand new posters for their upcoming comedy ZOOLANDER NO. 2 and boy are they hilarious.
ZOOLANDER 2 is directed by Ben Stiller and features an all star cast of Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, Milla Jovovich, Christine Taylor, Justin Theroux and Kyle Mooney. The film is written by Justin Theroux & Ben Stiller and Nick Stoller and John Hamburg.
ZOOLANDER No. 2 opens in theaters February 12, 2016.
A24 Films has released the powerful trailer for REMEMBER, directed by Atom Egoyan, starring Christopher Plummer, Dean Norris, Martin Landau, Heinz Lieven, and Henry Czerny.
HeyUGuys (Jo-Ann Titmarsh) called it “an entertaining and intelligent Holocaust thriller.”
Christopher Plummer gives a “poignant lead performance,” said Variety (Guy Lodge).
REMEMBER tells the story of Zev Guttman (Academy Award® Winner Christopher Plummer), a 90-year-old struggling with memory loss who is living out his final years in a serene retirement home. A week following the death of his beloved wife Ruth, he suddenly gets a mysterious package from his close friend Max (Academy Award® Winner Martin Landau), containing a stack of money and a letter detailing a shocking plan. Both Zev and Max were prisoners in Auschwitz, and the same sadistic guard was responsible for the death of both their families—a guard who, immediately after the war, escaped Germany and has been living in the U.S. ever since under an assumed identity. Max is wheelchair-bound but in full command of his mental faculties; with his guidance, Zev will embark on a cross-continental road-trip to bring justice once and for all to the man who destroyed both their lives.
Academy Award nominated director Atom Egoyan creates a thrillingly fast-paced revenge story that, in a highly original and deeply intimate way, deals with the aftermath of one of the most deplorable and significant events in recent history. With an incredible lead performance from Christopher Plummer as the frail but unstoppable Zev, REMEMBER manages to keep audiences on the edge of their seats while giving them something to think about long after the film is over.
