27 Animated Films Eligible for 93rd Academy Awards

ANIMATED, FEATURE FILMS ELIGIBLE FOR 93RD OSCARS® ANNOUNCED

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the feature films eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards®.  Eligibility lists by category can be viewed at Oscars.org/93rdFeatureEligibility.  Complete 93rd Academy Awards rules can be found at Oscars.org/rules.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Twenty-seven features are eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  Some of the films have not yet had their required qualifying release and must fulfill that requirement and comply with all the category’s other qualifying rules to advance in the voting process.

To determine the five nominees, members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch are automatically eligible to vote in the category.  Academy members outside of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch are invited to opt in to participate and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.  Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.

93RD ACADEMY AWARDS®ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE ANIMATED FEATURE FILM CATEGORY:

“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”

“Earwig and the Witch”

“Kill It and Leave This Town”

“Lupin III: The First”

“Mosley”

“My Favorite War”

“Nos Ili Zagovor Ne Takikh”

“No.7 Cherry Lane”

“On-Gaku: Our Sound”

“Onward”

“Over the Moon”

“Red Shoes and theSeven Dwarfs”

“Ride Your Wave”

“Scoob!”

“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”

“Soul”

“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run”

“Terra Willy”

“Trolls World Tour”

“A Whisker Away”

“The Willoughbys”

“Wolfwalkers”

All dates and rules for the 93rd Academy Awards are subject to change based on national guidelines, state-mandated government orders and Academy-determined best practices.

Nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, March 15, 2021.

The 93rd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2021, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 10,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

 

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 22nd to 30th, 2020 - Update #31

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 11/27 to 11/29/2020 weekend box office was DreamWorks Animation's "The Croods: A New Age" with an estimated take of 9.7 million dollars.

POLITICS - From GuardianUK:   Why Biden shouldn't extend an olive branch to Republicans

CULTURE - From YahooLife:  If it isn't the most unusual location for a McDonald's restaurant in America, it is one of the most.  See the Ace Hardward-McDonald's in Washington D.C.

MOVIES - From Time:   "Time Magazine" names the "Ten Best" acting performances in film for 2020.

SPORTS/CULTURE - From NPR:   Sarah Fuller of the Vanderbilt Commodores football team becomes the first woman in history to play in a "Power 5" conference football game.  Vanderbilt is a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as is their opponent in the game played on Sat. Nov. 28th, 2020, the University of Missouri Tigers.

SPORTS/MUSIC - From ESPN:   Grammy-winning, Canadian recording artist, "The Weeknd," will be the headlining act at the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show.

From CoS:  "The Weeknd" did not receive one 2021 Grammy nomination when they were recently announced, although he seemed to be a lock to receive several due to the smash success of his 2020 album, "After Hours."  Sources close to him believe that this lack of nominations is due to him performing at the Super Bowl LV halftime show.

STREAMING - From IndependentUK:   Acclaimed director David Lynch is apparently working on a series entitled "Wisteria" for Netflix.

OSCARS - From Variety:   Netflix could break an 85-year-old Oscar record.  That would be for the studio with the most "Best Picture" nominations in a year - held by MGM with five in 1937.

From Variety:  If you don't like the Academy Awards diversity standards, comedian and actor, Andy Samberg, says that you can f**k off.

CULTURE - From Yahoo/NYT:  A new generation of rich kids wants to tear down capitalism.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Actor Idris Elba will interview rock music legend and former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney for a BBC One special, "Idris Elba Meets Paul McCartney."

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:  Disney is apparently considering or developing a spinoff of 20th Century Fox's "Alien" franchise that involves a younger version of the beloved character "Ellen Ripley," made famous by Oscar-nominated actress, Sigourney Weaver.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Netflix has removed Comedy Central's "Chappelle's Show" from its streaming service at the request of the series' star, Dave Chappelle.  Chappelle claims that ViacomCBS

POLITICS - From YahooNYT:  The things Donald Trump really liked about being President of the USA.

MOVIES - From Collider:  Writer-director Chris Columbus provides an update on "Gremlins 3," which would be the second sequel to "Gremlins," the beloved 1984 he wrote.

GRAMMYS - From THR:   Trevor Noah, the host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," will host the 2021 Grammy Awards.

From ETOnline:  South Korea's musical act, BTS, has become the first K-Pop (Korean pop) act to receive a Grammy Awards nomination in a major category - "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" for their English-language single, "Dynamite."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Sports journalists, Jemele Hill, formerly of ESPN, and Kelley Carter, are  joining Gabriele Union and Sony Pictures TV to develop the half-hour comedy, "New Money," for Showtime.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:   Cherokee American actor Wes Studi revisits the Oscar-winning film, "Dances With Wolves" (including winning "Best Picture"), in which he appeared and also talks about the changing depictions of Native Americans in film and television

TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:   "Saturday Night Live" writer reveals how Eddie Murphy saved the late-night show 40 years ago.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 11/20 - 11/22/2020 weekend box office is "Freaky" with an estimated take of 1.2 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From THR:   Tyler Perry's giveaway of food and gift cards at Tyler Perry Studios on Sunday, Nov. 22nd attracted thousands.  People started lining up in their cars on Saturday...

MOVIES - THR: Tyler Perry, Melanie Lynskey and Ron Perlman are the latest stars to join the all-star cast of Adam McKay’s satire, "Don’t Look Up."

MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Grammy-winning recording artist and actor, Nelly, will portray seminal rock 'n' roll musician, Chuck Berry, in "Clear Lake," an upcoming biographical film about the late Buddy Holly.

CELEBRITY - From ShadowandAct:   Taylor Simone Ledward, the widow of actor Chadwick Boseman ("Black Panther"), is the administrator of the late actor's estate.

POLITICS - From Truthout:  President Joe Biden should cancel student debt on "Day One" of his administration.

MOVIES - From THR:   Channing Tatum has reunited with his "21 Jump Street" collaborator, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, for a "tongue-in-cheek" thriller based on the "Universal Monsters" franchise.

OBITS:

From YahooHuffPost:   The British actor and weightlifter and bodybuilder, David Prowse, has died at the age of 85, Saturday, November 28, 2020.  Prowse was best known for playing "Darth Vader" in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, beginning with "Star Wars" in 1977.  Prowse wore Vader's costume, but actor James Earl Jones provided Vader's voice.

From ESPN:   Argentine professional football (soccer) player, Diego Maradona, has died at the age of 60, Wednesday, November 25, 2020.  Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Maradona captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup championship.

From YahooEntertainment:   The brother of actors, Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray, Ed Murray, has died at the age of 76, Monday, November 23, 2020.  Ed was one of the inspirations for the iconic sports movie, "Caddyshack" (1980), which Brian co-wrote and in which Bill starred.

COVID-19:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remember when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/19 - From WashPost:  U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 200,000

9/23 - From CNBC:  Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," suggests that every household in American get a $1000 check every two weeks for the next two months.

11/7 - From YahooNews:  "It's a slaughter," doctors say of new coronavirus wave.

11/13 - YahooNews:  "We blew it": U.S. reaches 'explosive' COVID-19 spread as virus is nearly impossible to control, experts say.

11/29 From LATimes:  California sets record with most COVID-19 hospitalizations since pandemic began

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.

From APNews:  No one will be held accountable for the killing of Louisville African-American resident, Breonna Taylor.

From Channel4:  Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

From GuardianUK:  California is going to consider paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves after adopting a landmark law to study and to develop proposals around the issue.

From TheRoot:   What to Do When Your Country Turns Into a Dumpster Fire

From Vox:  It's True: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans Have Died in the Covid-19 Pandemic

From CBS:  Breonna Taylor's boyfriend certain cops didn't identify themselves

From DonaldTrump:  Well, because it has been in the news a lot lately (via Ice Cube and Li'l Wayne), here is "The Platinum Plan."  It is impressive, but no Republican Congress would go along with even 10 percent of this plan which is basically a long list of promises to the Black Americans - individually and as a group.

From Truthout:   Yes, 55 Percent of White Women Voted for Trump. No, I’m Not Surprised.

Universal and Cinemark Sign Release Window Agreement for Exhibiting Universal Films

Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Cinemark Theaters Announce Dynamic Release Window Agreement for Exhibition of Universal Films

This Dynamic Window Provides Flexibility by Allowing Films that Open to More Than $50 Million at the Box Office to Have At Least 31 Days of an Exclusive Theatrical Window, with All Other Titles Receiving a Minimum of 17 Days of Theatrical Exclusivity

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. & PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Building on the two companies’ shared commitment to the theatrical experience, while capitalizing on the opportunity to further adapt to changing consumer behavior, particularly in light of the current COVID-19 environment, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG), a division of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA), and Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) today announced a multi-year agreement under which UFEG films will be exhibited in Cinemark theaters in the U.S.

    “We are extremely pleased to further enhance our strong partnership with Universal as we evolve the exclusive theatrical window”

The agreement includes at least three full weekends (17 days) of theatrical exclusivity for all Universal Pictures and Focus Features theatrical releases, at which time the studio will have the option to make its titles available across premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms. Under the terms of the deal, any title that opens to $50 million or more, including many franchise titles, will play exclusively in theaters for at least five full weekends (31 days) before the title may become available on PVOD.

“Universal’s century-long partnership with exhibition is rooted in the theatrical experience, and we are more committed than ever for audiences to experience our movies on the big screen,” said Donna Langley, Chairman, UFEG. “Mark Zoradi and the team at Cinemark have been outstanding partners, and Peter Levinsohn [Vice Chairman & Chief Distribution Officer, UFEG] has done a remarkable job on the studio’s behalf in making deals that give us the confidence to release our movies in the marketplace, keep the content pipeline moving, and provide consumers with the optionality that they are looking for.”

“We are extremely pleased to further enhance our strong partnership with Universal as we evolve the exclusive theatrical window,” said Mark Zoradi, Cinemark CEO. “We believe a more dynamic theatrical window, whereby movie theaters continue to provide an event-sized launching platform for films that maximize box office and bolsters the success of subsequent distribution channels, is in the shared best interests of studios, exhibitors and, most importantly, moviegoers.”

The full terms of the deal are confidential and are not being disclosed.

UFEG’s film slate, including titles from Universal Pictures, Focus Features and DreamWorks Animation, has five theatrical releases remaining on the 2020 calendar: The Croods: A New Age, Half Brothers, All My Life, News of the World, and Promising Young Woman.

About Universal Filmed Entertainment Group:

Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) produces, acquires, markets and distributes filmed entertainment worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television and other distribution platforms. The global division includes Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation Film and Television. UFEG is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

 

About Cinemark Holdings, Inc.:

Headquartered in Plano, TX, Cinemark (NYSE: CNK) is one of the largest and most influential movie theater companies in the world. Cinemark’s circuit, comprised of various brands that also include Century, Tinseltown and Rave, operates 534 theaters with 5,977 screens globally (332 theaters and 4,522 screens across 41 states domestically; 202 theaters and 1455 screens in 15 countries throughout South and Central America). Cinemark consistently provides an extraordinary guest experience from the initial ticket purchase to the closing credits, including Movie Club, the first U.S. exhibitor-launched subscription program; the highest Luxury Lounger recliner seat penetration among the major players; XD - the No. 1 exhibitor-brand premium large format; and expansive food and beverage options to further enhance the moviegoing experience. For more information go to https://ir.cinemark.com/.

 

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 12th to 18th, 2020 - Update #24

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS - Hollywood and Beyond:

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooSports:   Brian Allen, the starting center for the Los Angeles Rams, announced that he has twice tested positive for COVID-19.  He is the first known NFL player to test positive for the virus.

From NBCSports:  Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller of the Denver Broncos has tested positive for COVID-19. 

From Deadline:  "Saturday Night Live" performer, Michael Che, is paying one month's rent for residents of the New York house complex where his late grandmother lived.  Che's grandmother, Martha, recently died of complications of COVID-19.

From NJHerald:  An investigation has been launched into an elder care facility after 17 bodies are found piled into a small morgue at the facility.

From Variety:  Thanks to a COVID-19 surge in orders, shares of Amazon's stock hits an all-time high.  The company is currently valued at 1.1 trillion dollars.

From CNN:  Actress and film producer, Rita Wilson (and wife of Tom Hanks), describes her experience with COVID-19 in her first interview

From YahooNews:  President Donald once wanted to let COVID-19 "wash over the country."

From Deadline:  Disney World to furlough 43,000 due to COVID-19 disruptions.

COVID-19 STIMULUS CHECK NEWS:

From YahooNews:  Deceased people are getting stimulus check... and the heirs and spouses may be able to keep them.

From YahooNews:  This article updates information on COVID-19 stimulus checks, including the introduction of a web tool that will let people track their checks.

According to the Washington Post, here is the timetable for when the IRS will start issuing checks to those who will receive their checks by mail:

Taxpayers with income up to $10,000: April 24

Taxpayers with income up to $20,000: May 1

Taxpayers with income up to $40,000: May 15.

The article has information about mailing dates after May 15th,

COVID-19 OBIT:

From Deadline:  The legendary celebrity, film and TV hairstylist, Charles Gregory Ross, died Wednesday, April 8, 2020 due to complications of COVID-19.  He worked on numerous film and TV productions over a nearly 30-year career.  Ross worked on many Tyler Perry productions and he received a 2005 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on the 2005 HBO movie, "Lackawanna Blues."

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REGULAR ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

MOVIES - From BET:  Halle Berry debuts her chiseled abs and hard new body as she preps for the martial arts drama, "Bruised," which she is directing.

TRAILER - From Variety:  Actor Tom Hardy and director Josh Trank's Al Capone biopic, "Capone," will hit video-on-demand (VOD) on May 12th.

MOVIES-CHARITY - From Deadline:  Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro offer a chance to win a walk-on role in Martin Scorsese's film, "Killers of the Flower Moon."

TELEVISION - From THR:  The site offers a review of "The Last Dance," ESPN's 10-part documentary TV series about Michael Jordan and the NBA's Chicago Bulls.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has cancelled its Sunday night TV series, "God Friended Me" after two seasons.  The two-hour series finale will be broadcast Sunday, April 26th.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures is still collecting data, but it expects a record-setting digital rental weekend for "Trolls: World Tour."  The DreamWorks Animation film was #1 on all on-demand platforms.

MOVIES - From VanityFair:  The magazine has a first look at Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet as "Paul Atreides" in director Denis Villeneuve's upcoming "Dune."

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney is in early development of a live-action/CG-hybrid of its animated film, "Robin Hood" (1973).  Carlos Lopez Estrada ("Blindspotting") will direct.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Dwayne Johnson talks about a "Hobbs & Shaw" sequel and about losing out of "Jack Reacher" to Tom Cruise.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Award-winning film, television, and stage actor, Brian Dennehy, has died at the age of 81, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, of cardiac arrest.  Dennehy is best known for his appearances in such films as "First Blood" (1982) and "Tommy Boy" (1995).  He won the Tony Award for "Best Actor in a Play," including for 1999 revival of the play, "Death of a Salesman."

From Heavy:  Prolific Japanese voice actor Keiji Fujiwara has died at the age of 55, Sunday, April 12, 2020 of cancer.  Fujiwara was a voice actor in numerous Japanese anime film ("Crayon Shin-chan" franchise) and television series ("Fullmetal Alchemist," "Kingdom Hearts") and video games ("Final Fantasy" franchise).  He also provided the Japanese dub for numerous English-language live-action movies.  He was most notably the Japanese voice dub for actor Robert Downey, Jr., providing the Japanese voice for Downey's "Tony Stark/Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes."

From CNN:  American actor and animation voice actor, Danny Goldman, has died at the age of 80, Monday, April 12, 2020, has died from complications of two strokes he suffered earlier this year.  Goldman is best known for being the voice of "Brainy Smurf" on NBC's Saturday morning animation series, "The Smurfs" (1981 to 1989).  His most memorable scene in a movie was as an annoying medical student vexing Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" (1974).

From BleacherReport:  Former NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has died at the age of 36, Sunday, April 12, 2020 in a single-car crash.  Jackson played in the NFL from 2006 to 2015.  It was during his second stint with the Seattle Seahawks (2013-2015) that he was a member of the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII (#48 held on Feb. 2nd, 2014) championship team.  Since 2019, he had been a quarterbacks coach with Tennessee State University.

From CNN:   American entrepreneur, publisher, businessman, philanthropist, and advocate of African-American businesses, Earl G. Graves, Sr., has died at the age of 85, Monday, April 6, 2020 of complications from Alzheimer's disease.  Graves was best known for founding "Black Enterprise" magazine, which was founded to focus on Black entrepreneurs and Black businesses.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 1st to 11th, 2020 - Update #43

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 and Hollywood and Beyond:

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From THR:  Universal test the bounds of premium on-demand (VOD) with the release of DreamWorks Animation, "Trolls World Tour," the sequel to its 2016 animated hit, "Trolls."  The film will also be released in the few movie theaters that remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Truthout:  Venture capitalist says that we should let "hedge funds" and billionaire CEOs get wiped out by the COVID-19 economic meltdown.  And that venture capitalist is himself a billionaire.

From Deadline:  The COVID-19 production shutdown of Hollywood has also halted production on the "Friends" reunion special that was set to debut with the streaming service, HBO Max's launch.

From YahooNews:  Veteran big rig truck driver describes the "chaos" after COVID-19.

From TheDailyBeast:  Filmmaker Tyler Perry payed for senior citizens' groceries in more than 70 stories combined in Georgia and Louisiana.  These were people who shopped during the time reserved for seniors to avoid COVID-19.

From YahooSports:  With the NBA shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard, CJ McCollum, says that some NBA players are living paycheck to paycheck.

From YahooEntertainment:  "Harry Potter" author, J.K. Rowling, says that she is fully recovered from having COVID-19 symptoms.

From YahooNews:  U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who revealed on March 27th that he had tested positive for COVID-19, recently entered the hospital.  Now, he has been moved to intensive care.

From YahooGMA:  Disney has launched a new free website for quarantined family, DisneyMagicMoments.com.

From Truthout:  In the age of COVID-19, is it time to abolish all debt?  It's time for a "Jubilee Year."

From YahooEntertainment:  Recording artist, John Taylor, bassist for the legendary British pop band, "Duran Duran," reveals that he tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks ago, and he reminds fans that testing positive doesn't not always mean death.

From PageSix:  On Friday (April 3rd), Grammy-winning recording artist, Pink, revealed that both she and her three-year old son had tested positive for COVID-19

From Variety:  U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who revealed on March 27th that he had tested positive for COVID-19, has entered the hospital.

From YahooNews:  President Donald and the federal government's 14 biggest failures in response to COVID-19.

From TheWeek:  President Donald is incapable of taking the coronavirus outbreak seriously.

From YahooTheWeek:  In having Navy Captain Brett Crozier of the USS Theodore Roosevelt removed, President Donald is playing with "revolutionary fire" in how he handles COVID-19 among military members.

From ShadowandAct:  The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Universal Pictures and MGM to move their "Candyman" remake from its June 12th release date to September 25, 2020.

From CNN:  CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin announced today (Fri., April 3rd) that she has tested positive for COVID-19.  She said that she experienced symptoms on Thursday afternoon, when "chills, aches, fever," suddenly came on her.

From Deadline:  British television writer, Dominic Minghella, creator of the comedy series, "Doc Martin" (ITV), says that he was hospitalized for five days with COVID-19 symptoms.

From CBSNews:  Daniel Newman, a 38-year-old film and TV actor who appeared in 10 episodes of AMC's "The Walking Dead" across Seasons 6, 7, and 8, has said that he was billed $9,000 for a coronavirus test.  However, the Georgia hospital that performed the test said that they could not process the test, but still billed Newman.

From YahooSports:  NFL player agent, Buddy Baker, has announced that both his parents died Sunday (March 29, 2020), six minutes apart from complications of COVID-19.

From Variety:  The All England Lawn Tennis Club has announced the cancellation of the 2020 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament (which was to be the 134th edition of the tournament), the first time the tournament has been cancelled since World War II.  The 134th edition of the tournament will now be staged from June 28 to July 11, 2021.

COVID-19 OBITS:

From Deadline:  Veteran actor Allen Garfield has died at the age of 80, Tuesday, April 7, 2020 of complications of COVID-19.  He impressive resume includes performances in such films as "The Conversation," "The Candidate," and "Nashville."

From Deadline:  Country folk singer-songwriter, John Prine, has died at the age of 73, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, of complications of COVID-19.  A two-time Grammy Award winner, Prine was considered one of the most influential songwriters of his generation.

From YahooEntertainment:  The actor Jay Benedict has died at the age of 68, Saturday, April 4, 2020 of complications of COVID-19.  Although born in the United States, Benedict worked mainly in the United Kingdom and Europe after moving there in the 1960s.  He best known work includes an appearance in James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986) and two episodes in the Brit TV drama, "Foyle's War."

From YahooSports:  Former NFL placekicker, Tom Dempsey, has died at the age of 73, Saturday, April 4, 2020 of complications of COVID-19.  Dempsey is best known for his time with the New Orleans Saints when he kicked a then-record 63-year field goal.

From Variety:  The actress Lee Fierro has died at the age of 91 of complications of COVID-19.  She is best known for playing the role of Mrs. Kintner, the mother of the second victim of the shark in "Jaws" (1975).

From CNN:  The American jazz pianist and educator, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., has died at the age of 85, Wednesday, April 1, 2020 from complications of COVID-19.  Marsalis was also the patriarch of a legendary musical family, which included sons, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, and Jason Marsalis, who all became jazz musicians.  His two others sons are Ellis III and Mboya.  Ellis' noted students include Harry Connick, Jr. and Terrence Blanchard.

From Variety:  Singer, songwriter, and recording artist, Adam Schlesinger, has died at the age of 52, Wednesday, April 1, 2020.  Schlesinger was the co-founder of the rock band, "Fountains of Wayne."  He won three Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award.  He was also nominated for a best song Oscar for the song, "That Thing You Do," from the 1996 film, "That Thing You Do!"

MOVIE NEWS:

From Variety:   Director Luca Guadagnino says that actors Timothy Chalamet and Armie Hammer are returning for a sequel to his Oscar-winning film, "Call Me by Your Name."

From THR:  How the 1918 Spanish flu shut down Hollywood.

From YahooEntertainment:  Michael Caine said that Christopher Nolan is so secretive about his new film, "Tenet," that Nolan did not give him a full script, but only the pages he needed for his scenes.  Caine said that he shot for only a day and acted with the film's lead, John David Washington.

TELEVISION NEWS:

From Deadline:  The sixth and final season of Fox's "Empire" will end early.  The 18th episode was the last filmed before production was shutdown because of COVID-19, and it will now serve as the series finale.  It will air April 21st.

STREAMING NEWS:

DISNEY - From Newsarama:  The streaming service Disney+ has surpassed 50 million subscribers worldwide.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Late last week Disney announced that its big-budget fantasy film, "Artemis Fowl" would move to the streaming service, Disney+, although it had been meant for a post-Memorial Day theatrical release.  Disney executive chairman, Bob Iger, says a few more movies might be going directly to Disney+

STAR TREK - From Variety:  Showrunner Michael Chabon is glad that his CBS All Access series, "Star Trek: Picard" is so divisive.

From BET:  Will Smith has two comedy shows, "This Joka" and "Will From Home," to entertain in these difficult times.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The actor James Drury has died at the age of 85, Monday, April 6, 2020.  Drury is best known for playing the nameless title character on the long-running Western TV series, "The Virginian" (NBC, 1962 to 1971).

From BBC:  The British actress Honor Blackman has died at the age of 94, Sunday, April 5, 2020.  Blackman is best known for several roles.  She was "Cathy Gale" on the first two seasons of the cult British TV series, "The Avengers."  She was the classic Bond girl, "Pussy Galore," in the 1964 James Bond film, "Goldfinger."  She was also the goddess, "Hera," in "Jason and the Argonaunts" (1963)

From Variety:  R&B singer and songwriter, Bill Withers, died at the age of 81, Monday, March 30, 2020.  Withers actively recorded music from 1970 to 1985, and his biggest success came in the 1970s with such timeless hits as "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Lean On Me" (1972), and "Use Me" (1972), all or which he wrote.  Withers won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for another four.  Withers was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 (by Stevie Wonder).

From TheWrap:  The actor Logan Williams has died at the age of 16, Thursday, April 2, 2020.  Williams was best known for his role on The CW's superhero TV series, "The Flash."  He also appeared in Hallmark's "When Calls the Heart."

From Deadline:  Visual effects producer, Rebecca Ramsey, died at the age of 53, Saturday, March 7, 2020.  Among her dozens of credits are "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," "The Hunger Games," and "Watchmen."

Nominations for the 2020 / 92nd Academy Awards Announced

92ND OSCARS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Actor-producer John Cho and producer-actress-writer Issa Rae announced the 92nd Oscars® nominations Monday, January 13, 2020, live from the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, opening later this year, via a global live stream on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, the Academy’s digital platforms, an international satellite feed and broadcast media.

Cho and Rae announced the nominees in 8 categories at 5:18 a.m. PT, and the remaining 16 categories at 5:30 a.m. PT. For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Oscars website, www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the 17 branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and International Feature Film categories, nominees are selected by a vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all 24 categories beginning Thursday, January 30 through Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

The 92nd Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby® Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. "Oscars: Live on the Red Carpet" will air at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Nominations for the 2020 / 92nd Academy Awards:

Best motion picture of the year

•     "Ford v Ferrari" Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and James Mangold, Producers
•     "The Irishman" Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
•     "Jojo Rabbit" Carthew Neal and Taika Waititi, Producers
•     "Joker" Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
•     "Little Women" Amy Pascal, Producer
•     "Marriage Story" Noah Baumbach and David Heyman, Producers
•     "1917" Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall, Producers
•     "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, Producers
•     "Parasite" Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

Performance by an actor in a leading role
    Antonio Banderas in "Pain and Glory"
    Leonardo DiCaprio in "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood"
    Adam Driver in "Marriage Story"
    Joaquin Phoenix in "Joker"
    Jonathan Pryce in "The Two Popes"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
    Tom Hanks in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"
    Anthony Hopkins in "The Two Popes"
    Al Pacino in "The Irishman"
    Joe Pesci in "The Irishman"
    Brad Pitt in "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood"

Performance by an actress in a leading role
    Cynthia Erivo in "Harriet"
    Scarlett Johansson in "Marriage Story"
    Saoirse Ronan in "Little Women"
    Charlize Theron in "Bombshell"
    Renée Zellweger in "Judy"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
    Kathy Bates in "Richard Jewell"
    Laura Dern in "Marriage Story"
    Scarlett Johansson in "Jojo Rabbit"
    Florence Pugh in "Little Women"
    Margot Robbie in "Bombshell"

Best animated feature film of the year
    "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" Dean DeBlois, Bradford Lewis and Bonnie Arnold
    "I Lost My Body" Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice
    "Klaus" Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Román
    "Missing Link" Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight
    "Toy Story 4" Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera

Achievement in cinematography
    "The Irishman" Rodrigo Prieto
    "Joker" Lawrence Sher
    "The Lighthouse" Jarin Blaschke
    "1917" Roger Deakins
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Robert Richardson

Achievement in costume design
    "The Irishman" Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson
    "Jojo Rabbit" Mayes C. Rubeo
    "Joker" Mark Bridges
    "Little Women" Jacqueline Durran
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Arianne Phillips

Achievement in directing
    "The Irishman" Martin Scorsese
    "Joker" Todd Phillips
    "1917" Sam Mendes
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Quentin Tarantino
    "Parasite" Bong Joon Ho

Best documentary feature
    "American Factory" Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert
    "The Cave" Feras Fayyad, Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjær
    "The Edge of Democracy" Petra Costa, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris and Tiago Pavan
    "For Sama" Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts
    "Honeyland" Ljubo Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska and Atanas Georgiev

Best documentary short subject
    "In the Absence" Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam
    "Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)" Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva
    "Life Overtakes Me" John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson
    "St. Louis Superman" Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan
    "Walk Run Cha-Cha" Laura Nix and Colette Sandstedt

Achievement in film editing
    "Ford v Ferrari" Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland
    "The Irishman" Thelma Schoonmaker
    "Jojo Rabbit" Tom Eagles
    "Joker" Jeff Groth
    "Parasite" Yang Jinmo

Best international feature film of the year
    "Corpus Christi" Poland
    "Honeyland" North Macedonia
    "Les Misérables" France
    "Pain and Glory" Spain
    "Parasite" South Korea

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
    "Bombshell" Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker
    "Joker" Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou
    "Judy" Jeremy Woodhead
    "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White
    "1917" Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
    "Joker" Hildur Guðnadóttir
    "Little Women" Alexandre Desplat
    "Marriage Story" Randy Newman
    "1917" Thomas Newman
    "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" John Williams

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

•     "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" from "Toy Story 4" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
•     "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from "Rocketman" Music by Elton John; Lyric by Bernie Taupin
•     "I'm Standing With You" from "Breakthrough" Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
•     "Into The Unknown" from "Frozen II" Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
•     "Stand Up" from "Harriet" Music and Lyric by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo

Achievement in production design
    "The Irishman" Production Design: Bob Shaw; Set Decoration: Regina Graves
    "Jojo Rabbit" Production Design: Ra Vincent; Set Decoration: Nora Sopková
    "1917" Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
    "Parasite" Production Design: Lee Ha Jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo

Best animated short film
    "Dcera (Daughter)" Daria Kashcheeva
    "Hair Love" Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver
    "Kitbull" Rosana Sullivan and Kathryn Hendrickson
    "Memorable" Bruno Collet and Jean-François Le Corre
    "Sister" Siqi Song

Best live action short film
    "Brotherhood" Meryam Joobeur and Maria Gracia Turgeon
    "Nefta Football Club" Yves Piat and Damien Megherbi
    "The Neighbors' Window" Marshall Curry
    "Saria" Bryan Buckley and Matt Lefebvre
    "A Sister" Delphine Girard

Achievement in sound editing
    "Ford v Ferrari" Donald Sylvester
    "Joker" Alan Robert Murray
    "1917" Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Wylie Stateman
    "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" Matthew Wood and David Acord

Achievement in sound mixing
    "Ad Astra" Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano
    "Ford v Ferrari" Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Steven A. Morrow
    "Joker" Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland
    "1917" Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler and Mark Ulano

Achievement in visual effects
    "Avengers: Endgame" Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick
    "The Irishman" Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephane Grabli
    "The Lion King" Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliot Newman
    "1917" Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy
    "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy

Adapted screenplay
    "The Irishman" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian
    "Jojo Rabbit" Screenplay by Taika Waititi
    "Joker" Written by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
    "Little Women" Written for the screen by Greta Gerwig
    "The Two Popes" Written by Anthony McCarten

Original screenplay
    "Knives Out" Written by Rian Johnson
    "Marriage Story" Written by Noah Baumbach
    "1917" Written by Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
    "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood" Written by Quentin Tarantino
    "Parasite" Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho

----------------------------

32 Animated Films Compete For Five Spots in 2019 / 92nd Oscar Race

32 ANIMATED FEATURES SUBMITTED FOR 2019 OSCAR RACE

Thirty-two features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 92nd Academy Awards®.

The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:

“Abominable”
“The Addams Family”
“The Angry Birds Movie 2”
“Another Day of Life”
“Away”
“Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles”
“Children of the Sea”
“Dilili in Paris”
“Frozen II”
“Funan”
“Genndy Tartakovsky’s ‘Primal’ – Tales of Savagery”
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
“I Lost My Body”
“Klaus”
“The Last Fiction”
“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”
“Marona’s Fantastic Tale”
“Missing Link”
“Ne Zha”
“Okko’s Inn”
“Pachamama”
“Promare”
“Rezo”
“The Secret Life of Pets 2”
“Spies in Disguise”
“The Swallows of Kabul”
“This Magnificent Cake!”
“The Tower”
“Toy Story 4”
“Upin & Ipin: The Lone Gibbon Kris”
“Weathering with You”
“White Snake”

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles seven-day qualifying run.  Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the nominations voting process.  To determine the five nominees, members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch are automatically eligible to vote in the category.  Academy members outside of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch are invited to opt-in to participate and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.

Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.

Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, January 13, 2020.

The 92nd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

------------------------

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 6, 2019

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT180347    ART OF BRAVELY DEFAULT HC    $39.99
NOV180263    ART OF HOW TRAIN YOUR DRAGON HIDDEN WORLD HC    $39.99
JAN190432    ASTRO HUSTLE #1 CVR A REILLY    $3.99
JAN190433    ASTRO HUSTLE #1 CVR B SMALLWOOD    $3.99
JAN190412    BLACK HAMMER 45 FROM WORLD OF BLACK HAMMER #1 CVR A KINDT    $3.99
JAN190413    BLACK HAMMER 45 FROM WORLD OF BLACK HAMMER #1 CVR B FISH    $3.99
NOV180266    DISNEY DON QUIXOTE STARRING GOOFY & MICKEY TP    $10.99
JAN190476    DISNEY FROZEN REUNION ROAD #1 CVR A    $3.99
JAN190477    DISNEY FROZEN REUNION ROAD #1 CVR B    $3.99
NOV180270    DRAGON AGE ASUNDER DELUXE EDITION HC    $29.99
JAN190410    GIRL IN THE BAY #2 (MR)    $3.99
JAN190440    HALO LONE WOLF #3 (OF 4)    $3.99
NOV180251    POLAR HC VOL 00 BLACK KAISER    $17.99
OCT180320    XERXES FALL HOUSE DARIUS RISE ALEXANDER HC (MR)    $30.00

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 24th to 28th, 2019 - Update #41

Support Leroy on Patreon:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  AMC is developing a second spinoff of "The Walking Dead."

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Will Smith is leaving "Suicide Squad 2," reportedly due to scheduling conflicts.  Writer-director James Gunn is hoping to start production on the film this fall for a August 2021 release.

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TELEVISION - From TVFanatic:  Fox's revival of its 1999-2000 series, "Beverly Hill, 90210," is scheduled to debut this coming summer in a six-episode first season.  Most of the original cast will return.

----------
ANIMATION - From Variety:  The next installment of the "Hotel Transylvania" animated film franchise, "Hotel Transylvania 4," will hit theaters December 2021.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick are set for the original animated comedy, "Human Discoveries" for "Facebook Watch," Facebook's video-on-demand streaming service.

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SCIENCE - From NPR:  The world's largest bee, the Wallace's giant bee — Megachile pluto, has been spotted for the first time since 1981.

----------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool:   Yahya Abdoul-Mateen II, who played the villain Black Manta in "Aquaman," will be Candyman in Jordan Peele's reboot of the "Candyman" film.

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COMICS-FILM - From Newsarama:  New "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" trailer is supposed to arrive Wednesday, February 27th.

----------
SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:  R. Kelly pleaded not guilty Monday (Feb. 25th) to charges that he sexually abused four people dating back to 1998, including three underage girls.  Kelly's attorney said the R&B star was still trying to pay the bail ($100,000) on a one million dollar bond that would allow him to go free while awaiting trial.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/22 to 2/24/2019 weekend box office is "How to Train Your Dragon 3" with an estimated take of 55.5 million dollars.

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OSCARS - From Vice:  Spike Lee's Oscar Speech Was A Lesson In Black History

From THR: Oscars: Read Spike Lee's Powerful Political Acceptance Speech

From YahooEntertainment:  Regina King almost turned down a role in "If Beale Street Could Talk."  It was a first film role in 10 years and it ultimately won her an Oscar for best supporting actress.

From Deadline:  President Trump tweets criticism at Spike Lee for Spike's acceptance speech after winning the best adapted screen play Oscar.

From Deadline:  2019 Oscar ratings better than 2018 Oscar ratings.

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GREEN BOOK - From ShadowandAct: " How 'Green Book' And The Hollywood Machine Swallowed Donald Shirley Whole"

From TheAtlantic: The Documentary Highlighting the Real "Green Book."

From LATimes:  Oscars 2019: ‘Green Book’ is the worst best picture winner since ‘Crash’

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OSCARS - From THR:  The winners at the 91st Academy Awards have been announced. "Green Book" was named "Best Motion Picture of the Year."

2019 / 91st Academy Award winners (for film achievements in 2018):

Best motion picture of the year:
“Green Book” Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga, Producers

Achievement in directing:
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Olivia Colman in “The Favourite”

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Rami Malek in “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Mahershala Ali in “Green Book”

Best animated feature film of the year:
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score):
“Black Panther” Ludwig Goransson

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song):
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt

Adapted screenplay:
“BlacKkKlansman” Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee

Original screenplay:
“Green Book” Written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly

Best live action short film:
“Skin” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman

Achievement in visual effects:
“First Man” Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm

Best animated short film:
“Bao” Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb

 Best documentary short subject:
“Period. End of Sentence.” Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton

Achievement in film editing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Ottman

Best foreign language film of the year:
“Roma” Mexico

Achievement in sound mixing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali

Achievement in sound editing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone

Achievement in cinematography:
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón

Achievement in production design:
“Black Panther” Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Jay Hart

Achievement in costume design:
“Black Panther” Ruth Carter

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling:
“Vice” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney

Best documentary feature:
“Free Solo” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Alfred Uhry reflects on the controversial 1989 best picture Oscar winner, "Driving Miss Daisy."  Uhry wrote the play upon which the film is based and won a Pulitzer Prize and Obie Award for the play.  He also won an Oscar for adapting his play into a screenplay.

----------
OBIT:

From Deadline:  The German-born, American conductor, composer, and pianist, Andre Previn has died at the age of 89, Thursday, February 28, 2019.  Previn was four Oscars for his film music and 10 Grammy Awards for his musical recordings.

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ROBERT KRAFT:

SCANDAL-SPORTS - From CNBC:  Robert Kraft, the owner of the NFL's New England Patriots, has been charged with prostitution in Jupiter, Florida, following a sting operation of the "Orchids of Asia Day Spa" massage palor.

From TMZ:  Graphic video from inside of "Orchids of Asia Day Spa," include ejaculation and subsequent cleanup.

From TCPalm:  "Orchids of Day Spa," which serviced NFL owner, Robert Kraft, may be involved in sex trafficking, with some women reportedly being "sex slaves."

From CNN:  How Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and accused of soliciting prostitution, became a billionaire.

From FoxNews:  New England Patriots' Robert Kraft was not the only rich guy caught in police sting operation of sex trafficking ring.

Netflix Debuts DreamWorks Animation's "3Below: Tales of Arcadia"

DreamWorks Debuts "3Below: Tales of Arcadia"

Premieres on Netflix December 21, 2018

DreamWorks Animation Television has released new clips for Guillermo del Toro’s highly anticipated Netflix original series 3Below: Tales of Arcadia, bringing an out-of-world experience exclusively to Netflix December 21, 2018.

Featuring an all-star voice cast including Diego Luna (Narcos: Mexico), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), Glenn Close (TheWife) and more. 3Below: Tales of Arcadia follows two royal teenage aliens, Aja (Maslany) and Krel (Luna), and their bodyguard Vex (Offerman), as they flee a surprise takeover of their home planet and crash-land on Earth – in Arcadia, the same town where the events of Trollhunters take place. Now on the run from intergalactic bounty hunters, they must blend in and adapt to the bizarre world of high school all while attempting to repair their shipt to return to and defend their home planet.

From the seven-time Emmy Award-winning team behind Trollhunters, 3Below is created and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro. Rodrigo Blaas, Marc Guggenheim and Chad Hammes also serve as executive producers. The star studded voice cast also includes Andy Garcia, Nick Frost, Alon Aboutboul, Chris Obi, Uzo Aduba, Cheryl Hines, Tom Kenny, Haley Atwell, Danny Trejo, and Ann Dowd. Additionally, The Crystal Method created the main title theme that can be heard in the main title sequence. Returning talent fromTrollhunters includes Emile Hirsch, Charlie Saxton, Lexi Medrano, Steven Yeun, Cole Sands, Kelsey Grammer and more in epic crossover episodes that bridge the events of Trollhunters and 3Below in surprising ways.

All 13 half-hour episodes of 3Below’s first season will become available to Netflix members worldwide on December 21, 2018.

3BELOW: TALES OF ARCADIA SEASON 1 - Trailer: https://youtu.be/jfVmNGUA-eo

----------------------------------

2018 Oscars "Best Animated Feature Film" - "Coco"

Animated Feature Film

Coco - Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson - WINNERS

Nominees
The Boss Baby - Tom McGrath and Ramsey Naito
The Breadwinner - Nora Twomey and Anthony Leo
Ferdinand - Carlos Saldanha and Lori Forte
Loving Vincent - Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman and Ivan Mactaggart

----------------------

2018 / 90th Academy Awards Nominees - Complete List

The Academy Awards is an American film accolade.  It is best known as the “Oscars,” and is an annual awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements primarily in the American film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette that is officially called the “Academy Award of Merit,” but has become commonly known by its nickname, the “Oscar.”   The awards were first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  The Academy Awards are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

The 90th Oscars nominations in 24 categories were announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.  Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2017 will be presented on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.  Jimmy Kimmel will return as host for the ceremony.

2018 / 90th Academy Award nominations (for film achievements in 2017):

Best Picture

Nominees
Call Me by Your Name - Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges and Marco Morabito, Producers

Darkest Hour - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten and Douglas Urbanski, Producers

Dunkirk - Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers

Get Out - Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr. and Jordan Peele, Producers

Lady Bird - Scott Rudin, Eli Bush and Evelyn O'Neill, Producers

Phantom Thread - JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison and Daniel Lupi, Producers

The Post - Amy Pascal, Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers

The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale, Producers

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh, Producers

Directing
Nominees
Dunkirk - Christopher Nolan
Get Out - Jordan Peele
Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig
Phantom Thread - Paul Thomas Anderson
The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro

Actor in a Leading Role
Nominees
Timothée Chalamet - Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis - Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out
Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington - Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominees
Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Actress in a Leading Role
Nominees
Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie - I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird
Meryl Streep - The Post

Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominees
Mary J. Blige - Mudbound
Allison Janney - I, Tonya
Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer - The Shape of Water

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Nominees
Call Me by Your Name - Screenplay by James Ivory
The Disaster Artist - Screenplay by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
Logan - Screenplay by Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green; Story by James Mangold
Molly's Game - Written for the screen by Aaron Sorkin
Mudbound - Screenplay by Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Nominees
The Big Sick - Written by Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
Get Out - Written by Jordan Peele
Lady Bird - Written by Greta Gerwig
The Shape of Water - Screenplay by Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor; Story by Guillermo del Toro
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - Written by Martin McDonagh

Animated Feature Film
Nominees
The Boss Baby - Tom McGrath and Ramsey Naito
The Breadwinner - Nora Twomey and Anthony Leo
Coco - Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson
Ferdinand - Carlos Saldanha and Lori Forte
Loving Vincent - Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman and Ivan Mactaggart

Cinematography
Nominees
Blade Runner 2049 - Roger A. Deakins
Darkest Hour - Bruno Delbonnel
Dunkirk - Hoyte van Hoytema
Mudbound - Rachel Morrison
The Shape of Water - Dan Laustsen

Costume Design
Nominees
Beauty and the Beast - Jacqueline Durran
Darkest Hour - Jacqueline Durran
Phantom Thread - Mark Bridges
The Shape of Water - Luis Sequeira
Victoria & Abdul - Consolata Boyle

Documentary (Feature)
Nominees
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail - Steve James, Mark Mitten and Julie Goldman
Faces Places - Agnès Varda, JR and Rosalie Varda
Icarus - Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan
Last Men in Aleppo - Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed and Søren Steen Jespersen
Strong Island - Yance Ford and Joslyn Barnes

Documentary (Short Subject)
Nominees
Edith+Eddie - Laura Checkoway and Thomas Lee Wright
Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 - Frank Stiefel
Heroin(e) - Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon
Knife Skills - Thomas Lennon
Traffic Stop - Kate Davis and David Heilbroner

Film Editing
Nominees
Baby Driver - Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos
Dunkirk - Lee Smith
I, Tonya - Tatiana S. Riegel
The Shape of Water - Sidney Wolinsky
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - Jon Gregory

Foreign Language Film
Nominees
A Fantastic Woman - Chile
The Insult - Lebanon
Loveless - Russia
On Body and Soul - Hungary
The Square – Sweden

Makeup and Hairstyling
Nominees
Darkest Hour - Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick
Victoria & Abdul - Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
Wonder - Arjen Tuiten

Music (Original Score)
Nominees
Dunkirk - Hans Zimmer
Phantom Thread - Jonny Greenwood
The Shape of Water - Alexandre Desplat
Star Wars: The Last Jedi - John Williams
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - Carter Burwell

Music (Original Song)
Nominees
"Mighty River" from Mudbound; Music and Lyric by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson

"Mystery Of Love" from Call Me by Your Name; Music and Lyric by Sufjan Stevens

"Remember Me" from Coco; Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

"Stand Up For Something" from Marshall; Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Lonnie R. Lynn and Diane Warren

"This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman; Music and Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Production Design
Nominees
Beauty and the Beast - Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
Blade Runner 2049 - Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Alessandra Querzola
Darkest Hour - Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
Dunkirk - Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
The Shape of Water - Production Design: Paul Denham Austerberry; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau and Jeffrey A. Melvin

Short Film (Animated)
Nominees
Dear Basketball - Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant
Garden Party - Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon
Lou - Dave Mullins and Dana Murray
Negative Space - Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata
Revolting Rhymes - Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer

Short Film (Live Action)
Nominees
DeKalb Elementary - Reed Van Dyk
The Eleven O'Clock - Derin Seale and Josh Lawson
My Nephew Emmett - Kevin Wilson, Jr.
The Silent Child - Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton
Watu Wote/All of Us - Katja Benrath and Tobias Rosen

Sound Editing
Nominees
Baby Driver - Julian Slater
Blade Runner 2049 - Mark Mangini and Theo Green
Dunkirk - Richard King and Alex Gibson
The Shape of Water - Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira
Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Matthew Wood and Ren Klyce

Sound Mixing
Nominees
Baby Driver - Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin and Mary H. Ellis
Blade Runner 2049 - Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill and Mac Ruth
Dunkirk - Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo and Mark Weingarten
The Shape of Water - Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern and Glen Gauthier
Star Wars: The Last Jedi - David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects
Nominees
Blade Runner 2049 - John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert and Richard R. Hoover
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner and Dan Sudick
Kong: Skull Island - Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus
Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould
War for the Planet of the Apes - Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon and Joel Whist


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Academy Announces New Scientific and Technical Academy Awards for 2018

10 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS TO BE HONORED WITH ACADEMY AWARDS

Jonathan Erland to receive Gordon E. Sawyer Award

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 10 scientific and technical achievements represented by 34 individual award recipients, as well as one organization, will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 10, 2018, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.

In addition, visual effects technologist Jonathan Erland will receive the Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar® statuette) for technological contributions that have brought credit to the industry.

“This year we are happy to honor a very international group of technologists for their innovative and outstanding accomplishments,” said Ray Feeney, Academy Award® recipient and chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee.  “These individuals have significantly contributed to the ongoing evolution of motion pictures, and their efforts continue to empower the creativity of our industry.”

Unlike other Academy Awards to be presented this year, achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards need not have been developed and introduced during 2017.  Rather, the achievements must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures.

The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (ACADEMY CERTIFICATES)

--To Jason Smith and Jeff White for the original design, and to Rachel Rose and Mike Jutan for the architecture and engineering, of the BlockParty procedural rigging system at Industrial Light & Magic.

BlockParty streamlines the rigging process through a comprehensive connection framework, a novel graphical user interface, and volumetric rig transfer, which has enabled ILM to build richly detailed and unique creatures while greatly improving artist productivity.

--To Joe Mancewicz, Matt Derksen and Hans Rijpkema for the design, architecture and implementation of the Rhythm & Hues Construction Kit rigging system.

This toolset provides a novel approach to character rigging that features topological independence, continuously editable rigs and deformation workflows with shape-preserving surface relaxation, enabling fifteen years of improvements to production efficiency and animation quality.

--To Alex Powell for the design and engineering, to Jason Reisig for the interaction design, and to Martin Watt and Alex Wells for the high-performance execution engine of the Premo character animation system at DreamWorks Animation.

Premo’s speed and simplicity enable animators to pose full-resolution characters in representative shot context, significantly increasing their productivity.

--To Rob Jensen for the foundational design and continued development, to Thomas Hahn for the animation toolset, and to George ElKoura, Adam Woodbury and Dirk Van Gelder for the high-performance execution engine of the Presto Animation System at Pixar Animation Studios.

Presto allows artists to work interactively in scene context with full-resolution geometric models and sophisticated rig controls, and has significantly increased the productivity of character animators at Pixar.

SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARDS (ACADEMY PLAQUES)

--To John Coyle, Brad Hurndell, Vikas Sathaye and Shane Buckham for the concept, design, engineering and implementation of the Shotover K1 Camera System.

This innovative six-axis stabilized aerial camera mount, with its enhanced ability to frame shots while looking straight down, enables greater creative freedom while allowing pilots to fly more effectively and safely.

--To Jeff Lait, Mark Tucker, Cristin Barghiel and John Lynch for their contributions to the design and architecture of the Houdini visual effects and animation system.

Houdini’s dynamics framework and workflow management tools have helped it become the industry standard for bringing natural phenomena, destruction and other digital effects to the screen.

--To Bill Spitzak and Jonathan Egstad for the visionary design, development and stewardship of the Nuke compositing system.

Built for production at Digital Domain, Nuke has become a ubiquitous and flexible tool used across the motion picture industry, enabling novel and sophisticated workflows at an unprecedented scale.

--To Abigail Brady, Jon Wadelton and Jerry Huxtable for their significant contributions to the architecture and extensibility of the Nuke compositing system.

Expanded as a commercial product at The Foundry, Nuke is a comprehensive, versatile and stable system that has established itself as the backbone of compositing and image processing pipelines across the motion picture industry.

--To Leonard Chapman for the overall concept, design and development, to Stanislav Gorbatov for the electronic system design, and to David Gasparian and Souhail Issa for the mechanical design and integration of the Hydrascope telescoping camera crane systems.

With its fully waterproof construction, the Hydrascope has greatly advanced crane technology and versatility by enabling precise long-travel multi-axis camera movement in, out of and through fresh or salt water.

ACADEMY AWARD OF MERIT (OSCAR STATUETTE)

To Mark Elendt and Side Effects Software for the creation and development of the Houdini visual effects and animation system.

With more than twenty years of continual innovation, Houdini has delivered the power of procedural methods to visual effects artists, making it the industry standard for bringing natural phenomena, destruction and other digital effects to the screen.

GORDON E. SAWYER AWARD (OSCAR STATUETTE)

Jonathan Erland

Presented to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry.

The 90th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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