7 articles

5 hours ago

‘Fences’ (Courtesy: Paramount)

By: Carson Blackwelder

Managing Editor

We already know what track record musicals have at the Oscars, but how well do works deriving from straight-up plays perform when the Academy is handing out the coveted trophy? With Fences being a frontrunner in the best picture category this year, does history indicate that a win could be in the work’s future? Let’s take a look back at how well this genre has performed at the awards show and see.

Fences, which is based on the August Wilson play of the same name and stars Denzel Washington (who also directed) and Viola Davis in the main roles, has landed on the prediction lists for most critics — including this site’s namesake, The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg — when it comes to best picture. Elsewhere, Washington is considered a frontrunner for best director and best actor, Davis is a »

- Carson Blackwelder

23 November 2016 1:00 PM, PST

Jeff Bridges (Courtesy: Getty Images)

By: Scott Feinberg

The Hollywood Reporter

“The word that comes to mind is ‘momentum,'” says actor Jeff Bridges as we sit down in Los Angeles to record an episode of The Hollywood Reporter‘s ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast and begin to discuss why he hasn’t given in to his temptation to retire. The 66-year-old Oscar-winner and fan favorite, who currently is the subject of significant best supporting actor buzz for his portrayal of a chatty Texas ranger out to solve one last case before retiring in David Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water, mulls over the matter for a moment before continuing. “I’ve been doing this for such a long time, and even though my m.o. is to try to turn down as many movies as I can — what’s that Pacino line? ‘Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in! »

- Carson Blackwelder

23 November 2016 6:00 AM, PST

Tom Hanks in ‘Sully’ (Courtesy: Keith Bernstein/Warner Bros.)

By: Carson Blackwelder

Managing Editor

One trend in the Oscar race this year seems to be films that are about recent events. This, of course, is not a new fad in cinema as hot-button topics have always lent themselves to being a solid jumping-off point for storytelling on the big screen. A few of the films grabbing attention this time around — Sully and Patriots Day for best picture as well as a few others from various categories — tackle some of the biggest recent events and narratives in recent memory.

Sully, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks, tells the story of Chesley Sullenberger and the Miracle on the Hudson involving Us Airways Flight 1549 from January 15, 2009. This real-life event centers around a flight from New York City’s Laguardia Airport to Charlotte Douglas International Airport was forced to land in the »

- Carson Blackwelder

22 November 2016 7:00 PM, PST

‘Other People’ (Courtesy: Sundance Institute)

By: Scott Feinberg

The Hollywood Reporter

As nominations were announced on Tuesday morning for the 32nd annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, Barry Jenkins’ widely-celebrated Moonlight and Andrea Arnold’s less-heralded American Honey, with six nominations each, grabbed the headlines. Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea also woke to a more-than-respectable showing, with five nominations. While those three films were nominated for the Spirit Awards’ best feature prize, along with Pablo Larrain’s Jackie and Michael Franco’s Chronic, several other contenders failed to crack the top category — among them 20th Century Women, Hell or High Water and Loving.

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- Carson Blackwelder

22 November 2016 6:00 AM, PST

‘Moonlight’ (Courtesy: David Bornfriend/A24)

By: Carson Blackwelder

Managing Editor

This year, maybe more than any other in recent memory, features a unique format of storytelling: having multiple actors play the same character in various stages of his or her life. It’s not a new trend by any stretch of the imagination but it has cropped up in this year’s Oscar race with the likes of Hidden Figures, Lion, and Moonlight all in the mix.

Each of these films is considered a frontrunner for being a best picture nominee, according to Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter in his most recent check-in before Thanksgiving. The actors and actresses who are being portrayed by various players are key players in the acting categories, too: Taraji P. Henson is considered a major threat for Hidden Figures and Dev Patel is a frontrunner for best supporting actor for Lion. Mahershala Ali, »

- Carson Blackwelder

21 November 2016 2:00 PM, PST

(Courtesy: Hopper Stone/Twentieth Century Fox Film)

By: Scott Feinberg

The Hollywood Reporter

With AFI Fest in the rearview mirror and the holiday break just around the corner, THR’s awards analyst offers his latest assessment of the landscape.

These projections are a reflection of Scott Feinberg’s personal impressions (from advance screenings), publicly available information (release dates, genres, talent rosters and teasers/trailers often offer valuable clues), historical considerations (how other films with similar pedigrees have resonated), precursor awards (some awards groups have historically correlated with the Academy more than others) and consultations with industry insiders (including fellow members of the press, awards strategists, filmmakers and awards voters).

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- Carson Blackwelder

21 November 2016 6:00 AM, PST

Emma Stone in ‘La La Land’ (Courtesy: Lionsgate)

By: Carson Blackwelder

Managing Editor

Emma Stone is poised to do something very historic this year if she takes home the best actress Oscar for La La Land. The history of leading ladies from musicals in this category isn’t that long and, should the 28-year-old win — as critics are predicting even considering Natalie Portman in Jackie — it would be an occurrence we haven’t seen for quite some time.

In the Damien Chazelle-directed flick, Stone plays an aspiring actress named Mia opposite Ryan Gosling as a jazz musician named Sebastian — their third time playing love interests after 2011’s Crazy, Stupid, Love and 2013’s Gangster Squad. As these two fall in love amid their struggle to make it in Los Angeles, their individual quests for fame begin to pull them apart.

The other frontrunners to give Stone competition for best actress »

- Carson Blackwelder

7 articles

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