HBO, as usual, leads in the nomination list of DGA Awards with a string of its 2010 projects. This year, the Directors Guild Awards is looking forward to honor miniseries "The Pacific" and the cable's new series "Boardwalk Empire" as well as TV movies "Temple Grandin" and "You Don't Know Jack".
"Pacific" takes in three nods with accolades for David Nutter who directed the eighth episode, Tim van Patten who directed "Part 9" and Jeremy Podeswa who directed the series finale. Meanwhile, "Boardwalk" receives the two nods in Dramatic Series, one for Martin Scorsese who directed the pilot and the other for Allen Couter who directed the 11th episode called "Paris Green". Scorsese had received 8 DGA nominations but this is his first in TV.
ABC is also making it a competition through "Modern Family". Taking nods for Steve Levitan and Michael Spiller, the comedy will compete with episodic directors of "30 Rock", "Glee" and "Entourage". This is not "Modern" 's first nomination because it won the category last year.
Reality programs nominations go to "The Hills", "The Next Iron Chef", "Private Chefs of Beverly Hills: Challah Back", "Master Chef" and "The Amazing Race".
The DGA is also honoring other categories such as commercials, musical variety and children's programs. The complete nominations are available at DGA.org. The ceremony to announce the winners would be held on January 29 in Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland.
"Whether it's a 30-second commercial or a multi-part miniseries, television directors are crucial to the success of any television project," DGA persident Taylor Hackford said. "As the DGA celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, we salute the critical role of the director in TV and are proud to honor the tremendous range of excellence found in the projects nominated today. Congratulations to all of the nominees."
Saturday, January 15, 2011
2011 DGA Awards Nominees in TV and Commercials
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
'Glee' Will Inject A Dose of Blondes into Its Second Season
"Glee" will inject a dose of blondes into its second season. Gwyneth Paltrow is confirmed to return for not only one but two episodes as Holly Holliday. Meanwhile, Lady GaGa has allowed the show to use her song "Born This Way" and Kristin Chenoweth is back as April Rhodes for a multi-episode arc.
On Paltrow's return, co-creator Ryan Murphy said, "Gwyneth is coming back for two episodes. She's coming back specifically to date Will. Those two have become really good friends in real life and had really good chemistry. She's coming back as a sex education teacher."
"Gwyneth and I are emailing, talking every week: What are we gonna sing? We're trying to do something fantastic. So she'll be [in episodes] 15 and 16. She comes back [to film] in January and she's with us for three and a half weeks I think."
Regarding GaGa's not-yet-released song, it is used in either a March or April episode which centers on Karofsky. Murphy added, "I love that that song is anthem. This show is by nature optimistic and I think a character like Karofsky could turn to booze or pills or alcohol and kill themselves or do something dark."
"But I also love Max and I love that character and I sorta want that character to have a happy ending. So I don't really know what that's going to be, but I do know we're going to do a whole episode that's about that song."
Meanwhile, Chenoweth will be recurring once again as the ex Glee member in "the last batch of episodes of the season", EW reported.
In the last piece of news, Justin Bieber tribute episode is not going to happen but his song will indeed be used. "Those [tributes] are reserved for artists with big catalogs," Murphy said, adding "Bieber comes up in episode 13 as a small plot point. Sam sings a JB song to win Quinn's approval."
Rosamund Pike Has Made James Bond History
British actress Rosamund Pike has made James Bond history by becoming the first woman to narrate a 007 story for a new audiobook series. The "Die Another Day" star will give voice to Bond creator Ian Fleming's words in a retelling of "The Spy Who Loved Me".
She tells WENN, "I do a lot of audio books just for fun because I like using voice to create character. Most recently I've done one of the James Bond novels, The Spy Who Loved Me, which is coming out. It's the only one that was narrated by a woman."
"They're releasing the whole audio set of all 20 original Fleming/Bond novels next year."
Friday, January 7, 2011
'V' Will Come Back with More Story
"V" will come back with more story about the ruler before Anna. In "Serpent's Tooth", Anna and Diana square off in the dark bowels of the Mothership, Diana has been down there for 15 years and not had a single glimpse of Anna.
TV Guide asked Morena Baccarin who plays Anna to interview Jane Badler who plays her on-screen mom Diana. Baccarin asked, "Who do you think would win in a fight for the throne? You or me?" Badler answered, "I think we are incredibly evenly matched, which is why it's so exciting."
Meanwhile, Erica has Tyler's blood analyzed, and learns the V's did something sinister to her when she was pregnant with him. "There is far more action and there is far more of what you want in an alien-invasion story, where the aliens are out to use us as food and take our technology and do everything bad you can think about," Elizabeth Mitchell revealed to EW.
"Serpent's Tooth" airs January 11 on ABC.
John Cusack's '2012' Is The Worst Sci-Fi Movie By NASA
NASA scientists have named John Cusack's blockbuster "2012 (2009)" as the most "absurd" sci-fi film of all time. Experts at America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Science and Entertainment Exchange have put together a list of the least plausible science fiction movies ever made, and the big budget 2009 picture came top.
The film, which depicted Earth besieged by natural disasters, featured ahead of two more 'end-of-the-world' movies - 2003's "The Core" and 1998's "Armageddon". Donald Yeomans, head of NASA's Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission, says of "2012", "It's absurd. The film-makers took advantage of public worries about the so-called end of the world as apparently predicted by the Mayans of Central America, whose calendar ends on December 21, 2012."
"The agency is getting so many questions from people terrified that the world is going to end in 2012 that we have had to put up a special website to challenge the myths. We have never had to do this before."
Staff at the organization also compiled a list of the top 10 most realistic sci-fi films, with 1997's "Gattaca", starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman as space agency workers, winning the highest praise from the scientists. NASA experts also named dinosaur movie "Jurassic Park" and Jodie Foster's "Contact among the most realistic sci-fi films.
Update: WENN wishes to make it clear the Science and Entertainment Exchange was not connected to the movie poll.
New Films Cinema to Drop 'Burning Palms' in Selected U.S. Theaters
In less than two weeks, New Films Cinema is going to drop "Burning Palms" in selected U.S. theaters. Before that, the studio has shared a trailer for the film via Trailer Park Movies. It offers quick glimpses to several scenes involving different characters who appear to be unrelated to each other.
The movie, in fact, interlaces multiple stories where no taboo is left unexplored. Framed as a graphic novel come to life, it unfolds in five popular neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Each story from the sandy beaches of Santa Monica, to the gated mansions of Holmby Hills, a motley crew of characters careens toward a hilarious and twisted fate in a movie unlike anything you've ever seen before.
Zoe Saldana, Nick Stahl, Dylan McDermott, Rosamund Pike, Shannen Doherty, Lake Bell and Jamie Chung are among those starring "Burning Palms". This dark comedy, directed and written by Christopher B. Landon, will hit limited U.S. cinemas on January 14.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
'Little Fockers' Proven to Be A Perfect Option for Holidays' Movie
"Little Fockers" has proven to be a perfect option for holidays' movie. It wins at North American Box Office on new year's weekend with an estimated $26.3 million cume after debuting on number one during Christmas.
"True Grit" still follows on number two, adding an estimated $24.5 million to its domestic revenue. "Tron Legacy" also remains strong, securing the second runner-up position in its third week with an approximately $18.3 million gross.
"Yogi Bear" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" swap places with the former rising to number four and the latter dropping to the fifth. The animation earns an estimated $13 million this weekend, while the third installment of the fantasy film franchise pulls in an estimated $10.5 million.
Review for the whole 2010 box office shows a decline in annual revenues. While inflation and pricey 3-D tickets drove revenues above $10 billion for only the second time, the number of tickets sold was only 1.35 billion. This marked the second-worst year since 1996 when 1.33 billion tickets sold to moviegoers.
Moreover, the number of attendance suffered a 5.4% drop from 2009, making it the largest drop since attendance fell 8.1% in 2005, according to Hollywood.com.
Top Ten Movies at Box Office for December 31-January 2:
- "Little Fockers" - $26.3 million
- "True Grit" - $24.5 million
- "Tron Legacy" - $18.3 million
- "Yogi Bear" - $13 million
- "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" - $10.5 million
- "Tangled" - $10 million
- "The Fighter" - $10 million
- "Gulliver's Travels" - $9.1 million
- "Black Swan" - $8.4 million
- "The King's Speech" - $7.6 million
Monday, January 3, 2011
New 'Water for Elephants' Photos
Robert Pattinson portrays an animal lover in "Water for Elephants" and it has been highlighted in some new pictures from the film. The depicter of veterinarian Jacob is seen lying on an elephant called Rosie in one image, while another picture sees him wearing dull clothes and having some fun with the 4.5 ton elephant.
The images appear on People magazine and the scans can be found here. Additionally, there is a photo showing Jacob dancing with Reese Witherspoon's Marlena and the other image features the twosome along with Marlena's husband August, who is portrayed by Christoph Waltz.
"Water for Elephants" follows Jacob who meets and falls in love with Marlena, a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for a special elephant. Against all odds - including the wrath of Marlena's charismatic but dangerous husband, August - Jacob and Marlena find lifelong love.
The story is based on bestseller book by Sara Gruen with the same title. Richard LaGravenese turns the novel into a script, while Francis Lawrence directs the movie. This drama is set for April 22, 2011 release in the U.S.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Battle Scene in 'Breaking Dawn'
"The Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn" will allegedly feature two contradictory things, life and death. While welcoming their daughter Renesmee, Edward and Bella will be seen dead in the second part of the film, says a source who claims to have read the script.
According to Lainey Gossip (via Hollywood Life), this bloody scene happens as the Volturi confront the Cullens about their half vampire/half human child, Renesmee. While in the book the conflict is solved with talking, both parties are almost involved in brutal killings in the film version.
[SPOILER ALERT!] Fortunately, it is just a vision that Alice shares with Aro. The details read, "Alice touches that head [Volturi] guy. When she touches the [Volturi] guy he 'sees' what will happen if he continues his course. So, the first person whose head comes off is Carlisle. In the vision."
"Then everything goes to s**t and all kinds of dying happens. And Bella and Edward kill Aro. Bella and Edward, they die too. All these other people die, too. Jane and her brother. Lots of deaths on both sides. Then the [Volturi] guy snaps out of it, says he's sorry. Everybody makes up and lives happily ever after."
Split into two parts, "Breaking Dawn" will see the newfound married bliss of Bella and Edward cut short when a series of betrayals and misfortunes threatens to destroy their world. "The Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn Part I" will come out November 18, 2011 in the U.S., while "The Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn Part II" will be released a year later on November 16, 2012.
Both movies are shot back to back with Bill Condon serving behind the lens. Filming locations include Louisiana, Brazil, Vancouver and Mexico.