Steven Spielberg Page 6

Director Richard Donner unofficially confirmed he was working on a sequel to the hit 1985 children's classic, The Goonies, on Saturday (5th April). Although rumors have circulated for years, he stated the project was being seriously considered but gave little indication as to a release date or further details.

Corey Feldman has told fans all he knows about The Goonies 2.

Read more: The Goonies Director, Richard Donner, Unofficially Confirms A Sequel Is In The Works.

Continue reading: Corey Feldman Echoes Richard Donner: 'The Goonies' Sequel Is "Close" To Becoming A Reality

Forbes has just released its annual 'The Most Influential Celebrities' list.

With a field filled of broadcast personalities, award winning film directors and media moguls, it was clear that this year's winner wasn't going to be a gossip site's favourite, aka Kim Kardashian or Miley Cyrus.

The No.1 spot is awarded to famed director Steven Spielberg, he overtakes last year's winner, Oprah Winfrey, who now falls into second place.

Continue reading: Steven Spielberg Surpasses Oprah On Forbes List Of The Most Influential Celebrities

This year’s Cannes Film Festival – which will take place between 14-25 May – will see Jane Campion preside over judging responsibilities.

Campion is best known for The Piano, a film that saw her win the Palme d'Or at the French film festival in 1993. She was the first female winner, and remains the only one to this day. The film also won her a best screenplay award at The Oscars.

Jane Campion's consierable reputation has seen her take the head judge spot at Cannes 2014

Continue reading: Jane Campion To Take Up Head Judge Spot At This Year's Cannes

In a move that has terrified fans the world over, Disney have acquired the full rights to the INDIANA JONES movies series, meaning they are now free to film future Indie titles as and when they please. According to Deadline, Walt Disney Studios and Paramount Pictures came to an agreement on Friday, 6 December, that secures marketing and distribution privileges for the Indiana Jones franchise.

Will Harrison Ford be appearing in another adventure?

The deal between the two picture houses comes a year after Disney took their first steps towards securing the rights to the Indiana Jones series, when the company purchased Lucasfilms in a multi-billion-dollar deal last October. The new deal gives Disney marketing and distribution rights to any future Indie films and also means that Lucasfilm retains the ownership rights to all the Indiana Jones films. Essentially, the deal means that Disney are now the sole owners of the Indiana Jones movie franchise and have full authority to do whatever they please with it.

Continue reading: Disney Secures Full Rights To 'Indiana Jones' - Future Movies Could Be On Their Way

Jurassic World will bring back dinosaurs to the big screen as the guys behind Jurassic Park have come back for a fourth time to release the exciting follow-up to 2001's Jurassic Park 3. The film has been given the official release date of June 12, 2015.

Steven Spielberg will be returning to produce the film

As the Hollywood Reporter initially reported, Steven Spielberg, who produced and directed the first two films of the dino-resurrecting film, will be returning to only produce this time, alongside Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley. Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) has been handed the reins to direct and will be working from a script drafted by Derek Connolly and re-worked on by himself.

Continue reading: The Dinos Are Back: 'Jurassic World' Will Hit Theatres June 2015

Under The Dome, the premise is simple: the residents of small American town Chester's Mill find themselves separated from the rest of the world by a giant physical barrier, known as 'the dome.' No one knows why the mysterious, semi-permeable dome has appeared but the Chester's Mill denizens must find a way to maintain order, survive, and ultimately escape.

The show is based on master horror writer Stephen King's 2009 novel of the same name and the author also wrote the first episode of the CBS series. Set for 8 episodes, the series is billed as the "mini-series of the summer" and has been widely praised by US critics, having been one of the six series chosen for the 'Critics' Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series,' and attracting a whopping nearly 18 million viewers to its pilot episode on 24th June.

Continue reading: 'Under The Dome' Debuts On UK TV After US Success: Are Critics Won Over?

Steven Spielberg's futuristic thriller Extant - a serialized drama - has been picked up by CBS Television Studios for next summer. Spielberg, Greg Walker and Mickey Fisher, who penned the script, will executive producer alongside Brooklyn Weaver, Justin Falvey and Darryl Drank.

The series follows a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family after returning a year in outer space. Her experiences lead to events that ultimately change the course of human history.

"Extant is a very original concept with layers of humanity, mystery and surprise that reveal itself throughout the script," said CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler, "Our partnership with Amblin for Under the Dome showed that viewers respond to high-quality event programming in the summer. We look forward to building on that with Extant and offering CBS audiences another high-concept, unique event for summer television."

Continue reading: CBS Wins Bidding War For Steven Spielberg's Astronaut Series 'Extant'

Steven Spielberg's newest television project, Under The Dome, is proving to be the latest success for CBS in it's late night programming. In a bid to capitalise on this current run of success, the TV company have decided to double up on Spielberg and have agreed a deal with the Oscar-winning filmmaker to air his next project; Extant.

Spielberg will be at the heart of the new series

On Wednesday (7 August), the joint project from Spielberg's Amblin Television and CBS Television Studios was green-lit by studio execs. and work began on the futuristic drama-thriller. The Hollywood Reporter has since revealed that the series will be penned by Spielberg, Greg Walker and Mickey Fisher, and that it will be a future-set family drama and thriller about a returning female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family after spending a year outside the Earth's atmosphere. This is more than just a family-reconnection series though, as our female protagonist has experienced things in space that will ultimately alter the course of human history.

Continue reading: New Steven Spielberg Series, 'Extant,' Green-Lit By CBS

If three decades of quoting “E.T phone home” didn’t hint to you that E.T was the nation’s favourite film, then the official poll will have to do it.

Nostalgic voters have been thinking back to their childhoods and have decided that the 1982 Steven Spielberg epic is the best film… ever, really.

It beat out Bambi – obviously – The Goonies, The Lion King and Toy Story – a list that makes us want to heat up some popcorn and regress. E.T was a smash in the early-eighties, but has continued to rake in the cash, taking a worldwide total of $435m (£283m) and that’s not even accounting for inflation – that includes people spending $2 on a cinema ticket!

Continue reading: E.T Is The Nation’s Favourite Film - Thanks, Spielberg

Ben Stiller stars in the highly-anticipated adaptation of James Thurber's 1939 short story The Secret of Life of Walter Mitty, with the first official trailer rolling out online on Tuesday.

Stiller stars as Mitty, the mild-mannered LIFE magazine employee who escapes the monotony of office life through his epic daydreams.

Stiller also directs the movie, which has been plagued by budget problems though is finally set for release this Christmas. From the trailer, this looks to be a genuinely ambitious piece of cinema and should be well worth a watch.

Continue reading: Ben Stiller's 'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty' Looks Crazy, Bizarre, Awesome [Trailer]

The first red-band trailer for Spike Lee's remake of Park Chan-wook's classic and disturbing movie Oldboy has rolled out online, featuring all the hammer-centric bloody revenge of the original. Josh Brolin plays a man abducted and held in captivity for 20 years before being mysteriously set free by his captor.

The Poster for the American remake of Oldboy, starring Josh Brolin

Though many fans of the original remain wary of Lee's remake, the movie - written by I Am Legend scribe Mark Protosevich - is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Park's cult film - which makes up part of the director's Vengeance Trilogy - features one particularly unsettling scene, though it's unclear whether Spike Lee has retained it. Bloggers who saw an early screening in April said the remake maintains the shocking key plot twist, according to The Guardian.

Continue reading: Hammer-Wielding Josh Brolin Wants Revenge In Spike Lee's 'Oldboy' [Trailer]

In a display of unrivalled patriotism, timeless icons Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond graced Washington DC's National Mall to help celebrate Independence Day, performing in front of thousands of fans and TV viewers.

Singer Barry Manilow Gives A Sideways Look.

The audience were also treated to acclaimed composer John Williams conducting scores from Steven Spielberg's Lincoln movie, with a special video introduction from the director himself and the National Symphony Orchestra lending their unique talents, according to Billboard.

Continue reading: Barry Manilow & Neil Diamond Win Hearts In A Glittering July Fourth DC Performance

Forbes have just released their 100 Most Influential Entertainers list and Oprah has made a comeback as No. 1. True, it might not be a real comeback, considering that she only dropped to No. 2 in the past two years, but this is Oprah Winfrey we’re talking about – the woman never does anything halfway, comebacks included. According to Forbes, Winfrey has had an $88 million drop in earnings between June of last year and June 2013. However, the chart makes it clear that other factors, besides earnings are also taken into consideration when creating the list.

This year Winfrey returnes to her rightful place. 

And while it is unknown exactly what those factors are – marketability, social media presence and entrepreneurial decisions are thought to be among them – Winfrey’s handling of the nosedive her OWN network took in the last two years, as well as her management of the rest of her media empire, including O Magazine, a network on Sirius XM and shows by protégés like Dr Phil means that she once again fits the bill. Winfrey made $77 million last year, down significantly from $165 million for the same period last year. That’s still a lot of money though, even for the entertainment industry, and the media empress is set to increase said profits in the coming year, as her newly rebuilt OWN network is predicted to begin turning a profit by the end of 2013. This year, OWN has undergone a complete overhaul, cutting out unprofitable project and replacing them with original programming, created by Winfrey herself with the help of Tyler Perry – another Forbes 100 staple.

Continue reading: Oprah Winfrey Rules Over A Female Dominated Forbes 100 Most Influential List

Mellody Hobson has married her long-time partner - Star Wars director George Lucas - at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. The ceremony went ahead on Saturday afternoon (June 29, 2013), with former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley giving away the bride and George's son Jett serving as the best man. The director and producer's daughters Amanda and Katie served as bridesmaids, according to the movie mogul's spokesperson.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison played live at the reception, with the soulful Janelle Monae also playing a set. Steven Spielberg was also in attendance and director Francis Ford Coppola read a poem by Maya Angelou. That's some guest-list. 

Lucas became engaged to DreamWorks Animation chair Hobson, 43, in January. She is also head of the Chicago-based investment management firm Ariel Investments and chairman of Ariel Mutual Funds. Oh, and she's a director at Estee Lauder, Groupon and Starbucks as well as a regular contributor at CBS - in other words, she's a big player. A huge player. It will be her first marriage, though the second for Lucas, 68.

Continue reading: Mellody Hobson Marries George Lucas, But Which Legend Played Live?

Netflix is to launch in the Netherlands in late 2013. The streaming giant is currently available in 40 countries worldwide and provides a range of film and television shows on demand. It is the biggest internet television channel with 36 million users, according to their website. 

Fees for subscription are relatively low especially in comparison with other commercial television channels such as Sky and Virgin. Dutch users, as in the 40 countries where it is currently available, will be able to stream videos from their computer, tablet, mobile, television or any device which has internet connection.

The company has expanded dramatically since it was established in 2009. In doing so Netflix has been able to finance a number of independent projects including their critically acclaimed (and hugely popular) dramas such as House of Cards and Arrested Development. 

Continue reading: Netflix To Launch In Netherlands: Its 41st Country!

Steven Spielberg talks about the difficulties of showing anything other than big budget, mainstream films in the cinema. He was addressing film students at the opening of the University of South California's School of Cinematic Arts building and warned that an 'implosion' within the film industry is due owing to difficulties with finance.

Spielberg warned USC students it is highly likely that a few big budget films would, within a short period, flop which would alter the industry forever. Spielberg's argument is that studios, fearful of loss, are only willing to make films which will ensure a large profit margin. He commented on how finance fixated the film industry has become claiming 'a studio would rather invest $250m in one film for a real shot at the brass ring than make a whole bunch of really interesting, deeply personal - and even maybe historical - projects'.

Spielberg also warns that the viewing public may have to foot the bill for big budget films. He uses Iron Man 3 and Lincoln as examples whereby cinema-goers would pay more than double ($25) than those seeing Lincoln ($7). This is in proportion with what they cost to make. Production costs for Lincoln were around $65 million whereas Iron Man's came in around $200 million. 

Continue reading: Steven Spielberg On The Future Of The Film Industry: An 'Implosion Is Due'

JOE FRANCIS, the founder of 'Girls Gone Wild' is threatening criminal and civil action if a sex-tape of himself and girlfriend Abbey Wilson appears online. The video was saved on an iPad belonging to his girlfriend that was stolen at LAX airport a few weeks ago. It is said to be professional quality, reports TMZ.com.

"I'm a connoisseur of pornography," Francis said. "I'm Steven Spielberg when it comes to this." On a serious note, the tycoon - recently convicted of assault and false imprisonment - says he is confident the police will arrest the thief and is adamant he will take the matter further. His lawyer David Houston said, "It is not only unfortunate, but it is a crime. As such, this office will take all necessary steps to determine who in fact has done this and who is attempting to distribute the video," adding that they've already contacted the authorities and issued a stern warning to the culprit, "When we catch you, we will see that you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of both the criminal and civil laws."

Francis and girlfriend Wilson are set to appear on a new VH1 reality show 'Couple's Therapy,' debuting on June 12. On speculation that the tape could be a stunt, Francis said "We will never sign a release. You will never see this tape. This is not a publicity stunt," Francis said. "I just want my property returned to me and for this criminal to be arrested and prosecuted."

Continue reading: 'Girls Gone Wild' Founder Joe Francis Has A Sex Tape. It's Out There.

Eva Longoria suffered a wardrobe malfunction at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday (May 18, 2013) though managed to have a pretty good laugh about the whole thing. The former Desperate Housewives actress stepped onto the red-carpet for the premiere of Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indians and accidentally flashed too much skin for waiting fans and photographers.

The 38-year-old had tugged up the bottom of her sea foam green Atelier Versace gown in order to avoid tripping while climbing the stairs of the theater. Unfortunately for Longoria, she was sans underwear and exposed her bottom half. The embarrassed actress quickly noticed mistake and pulled herself together to pose for photographs. She laughed off the incident the following night, "Here's my dress for tonight!" she wrote, alongside a photo of herself in a black gown. "No wardrobe malfunctions tonight!"

Everything Seemed To Be Going Swimmingly For Eva Longoria At Cannes, Until She Reached The Dreaded Stairs

Continue reading: Eva Longoria's Wardrobe Malfunction Draws Laughs At Cannes Film Festival

Joel and Ethan Coen, who go by the collective pseudonym of The Coen Brothers, seem to have struck gold with their latest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, which is emerging as a front-runner for the Palm D’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Described by The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw as "best so far at Cannes," the new Coen Brother’s flick caused quite a stir when it debuted at the prestigious film festival. “Cannes audiences just heard a clean, hard crack: the sound of the Coen brothers hitting one out of the park,” read Bradshaw's review. “Their new film is brilliantly written, terrifically acted, superbly designed and shot; it's a sweet, sad, funny picture about the lost world of folk music which effortlessly immerses us in the period.” The Atlantic go as far as to say Llewyn is “Fargo good,” adding in their review: “Their new movie ranks with their very best (Fargo, No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man) in its nearly pitch-perfect balance of biting satirical humour and deep reserves of feeling."

Continue reading: Coen Brother’s Inside Llewyn Davis - The ‘Best So Far At Cannes’?

The 2013 Cannes Film Festival will open on Wednesday (May 15, 2013) with Baz Luhrmann's 3-D version of The Great Gatsby, a throwback to the roaring twenties adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic book of the same name. The announcement caused unrest earlier in the year given that Gatsby would already have been released in the U.S by the time Cannes came round (it was released last week) though there's a couple of other things to worry about.

The Great Gatsby opened in the United States to fairly lacklustre reviews, dampening the buzz surrounding the start of the 12 day Cannes Film Festival. The critics have already seen it. The critics didn't like it very much. "This dreadful film even derogates the artistry of Fitzgerald, who wrote "The Great Gatsby" while living on Long Island and in Europe," said the Wall Street Journal. It holds a score of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Nevertheless, champagne bottles will be popped, deals will be made and Harvey Weinstein will be wandering around deciding which movie to snap up as his next Oscar winner at this year's festival. Stars expected to attend include Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Ryan Gosling, Emma Watson and the legendary Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachan. "This is the hardest 10 days of the year for me. There are always three or four movies that are exceptional and you have to find them so it is a detective job," said Tom Bernard, co-president and co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics.

Continue reading: 'The Great Gatsby' Opening Cannes Doesn't Seem Like Such A Good Idea Anymore

Aw, just when Jurassic Park 4 was shaping up to be something potentially interesting, it's been chopped down. As you'll know by now, the movie was left in the capable hands of Safety Not Guaranteed director Colin Trevorrow with a June 13, 2014 release date announced, however, that always seemed ambitious. There was no cast in place, lots of CGI to develop and no filming locations confirmed.

Now, according to Deadline.com, Trevorrow will have plenty more time to work on the movie given Universal have delayed the film's release "in coordination with the filmmakers." It's a little worrying that there's been no later release date announced but the speculation suggests the project definitely isn't dead. The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit tweeted that after receiving the first draft two days ago, Universal were presented with a film "way more epic and ambitious than they were prepared for."

Universal don't need us to tell them to stay way clear of summer 2015, given The Avengers 2, Star Wars Episode VII and the new Fantastic Four movie all pencilled in for those couple of months. Add a potential Justice League movie to that mix and Jurassic Park 4 finishes behind all four movies. It almost always spells disaster when movies are pushed back though with Trevorrow still at the helm, there could be something to stick with here.

Continue reading: Is Colin Trevorrow's 'Jurassic Park 4' Facing Extinction?

Steven Spielberg's new movie American Sniper - based on the autobiography of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle - will star Bradley Cooper in the lead role. Kyle, an expert marksman who wrote American Sniper: The Autobiography Of The Most Lethal Sniper In U.S. Military History, was recently gunned down by a discharged vet at a Texas shooting range. Cooper optioned the book himself and Spielberg clearly sees it as a strong enough project for which to get behind the camera.

The movie chronicles Kyle's journey from rodeo cowboy to SEAL chief with the highest number of sniper kills in U.S. military history. The book spent 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and 13 weeks at No.1. Cooper - whose production company 22nd & Indiana Pictures sealed the rights a year ago - appears to be onto a good thing. Obviously, with Spielberg at the helm the film immediately takes on added significance, though Cooper himself has risen to become one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood following his career best Oscar nominated role in Silver Linings Playbook. However, the most significant thing that American Sniper has in its favour in terms of awards potential is that it's very American and very military based. The Academy is a sucker for heavily patriotic stories - see Argo and The Hurt Locker - and should the team behind the movie get the remainder of the cast right, it could be a big player indeed.

The book has been adapted by Jason Hall (Paranoia) who will also serve as executive producer with Spielberg and Cooper.

Continue reading: Spielberg And Bradley Cooper's 'American Sniper' Has Oscars Written All Over It

Fresh from the success of Lincoln, Steven Spielberg has already decided whose life story he'll bring to the screen next; the former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle who gained recognition from his country for his exploits during the Second Iraqi War. Bradley Cooper has been chosen to star as Kyle in the film, which is based on an adaptation of Kyle's bestselling American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History.

Bradley Cooper will play the lethal Kyle.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news, also detailing that Cooper and Spielberg will be producing the film too, alongside Andrew Lazar (Get Smart) and Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon). Jason Hall (Spread) wrote the script. In a recent interview on NPR’s Fresh Air, Cooper said Kyle’s story “really needs to be told, and it’s also relevant on two fronts: gun control and the need to address the many soldiers who are coming back with PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder).”

Continue reading: Spielberg To Direct Bradley Cooper As 'The Most Lethal Sniper In History'

It's easy to ignore Steven Spielberg's movies when musing on the greatest film projects of all time. He makes great, family films, often amongst the best of their generation, though there's always something a little more hard-hitting, a little edgier than Spielberg. There is however one film in the director's oeuvre that is unarguably one of the greatest of all time - Schindler's List.

The movie - available this week on Blu-Ray - followed the true story of German businessman Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, who sees an opportunity to make money from the Nazis' rise to power. Mr Schindler starts a company to make cookware and utensils, using bribes to win military contacts. He staffs his factory with Jews though when all of Krakow's Jewsish men, women and children are assigned to the Plaszow Forced Labor Camp - headed by Commander Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) - Schindler comes to realise his factory is the only thing preventing his staff from being shipped to the death camps. He begins demanding more workers and bribing Nazi leaders to keep Jews on his employee list, losing his entire fortune and saving 1,100 people from likely death.

The film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won 7, including Best Picture and Best Director for Spielberg. The critics were emphatic in their praise, with the New Yorker saying, "Few American movies since the silent era have had anything approaching this picture's narrative boldness, visual audacity, and emotional directness."

Continue reading: Steven Spielberg's 'Schindler's List' Arrives On Blu-Ray: The Greatest Movie Ever?

Very rarely has it been so clear that Oscar nominations and wins are a delicately calculated game of accumulated points and numbers, as the Academy panel want to keep everyone on side. While it comes as something of a shock for Argo to beat Lincoln to the Best Film of the year, if we look at the numbers, it all adds up.

Good company: Jack Nicholson, George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Ben Affleck

Continue reading: The Oscars Shock Winners And Losers: How Argo Beat Lincoln To Best Picture

Is this a shock? It kind of is. Ang Lee has taken the Best Director Oscar for Life of Pi, ahead of Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, who was the hot favorite to win the award.

Not to worry, Speilberg, you’ll bag best film, everyone knows it. But this was Ang Lee’s day, and he delivered his speech with the eloquence and grace that he’s become known for. “Thank you so much. Thank you movie god,” he said, looking up to the sky and receiving a titter of laughter from a knowing crowd. “I really need to share this with everyone who worked with me on Life of Pi. I want to thank you for believing the story and sharing this incredible journey. I need to thanks Yann Martell for writing this incredible, inspiring book.” This award was perhaps distorted by the fact were both Ben Affleck and Quentin Tarantino both, inexplicably, missed out on nominations, effectively making the Academy voter’s decisions a whole lot easier.

Continue reading: Oscars 2013: Ang Lee Beats Steven Spielberg To Best Director

Anyone bothered to check The Oscars 2013 news today – the day before the ceremony – has seen both Argo and Lincoln. We have, and we loved them both. But there’s an air of controversy surrounding both stories, which are dramatizations of real life events.

As is the case with all ‘based on a true story’ films, there are scenes in which a certain amount of embellishment adds to the drama or tension. This is certainly true of the (SPOILER) last scenes in Argo, where the team escape Iran with police cars chasing the plane. This didn’t happen; they entered the airport at around 5am, when it was quiet, and enjoyed a peaceful passage onto the plane. That wouldn’t be a very exciting film, though, would it?

Continue reading: Argo And Lincoln – Two Oscars Favourites With Historical And Contextual Inaccuracies

Imagine for a minute an alternate Academy Awards. An Oscars ceremony that decided against rewarding biopics, inaccurate thrillers and lightweight sort-of-indie flicks mainly directed by David O'Russell. This Sunday (February 24, 2013), a rather predictable bunch of nominees will take their seats at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Daniel Day-Lewis will take home Best Actor, Spielberg will probably add to his collection of Best Director gongs, hell, maybe grumps himself Tommy Lee Jones will snatch a prize. It begs the question: is this really a collection of the very best performances and movies of the year? We present to you our alternate Academy Awards - who missed out on a nomination, though wouldn't have looked out of place with the golden statuette in their hand?

The Skyfall Cast At The Premiere In 2012

Continue reading: Alternate Oscars: Paul Thomas Anderson Wins! Leonardo Di Caprio Wins! Daniel Craig Wins!

Rachelle Lefevre will be joining the new CBS sci-fi drama Under the Dome, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Twilight star is pegged to play the role of Julia, an investigative reporter who has recently moved to Chetser’s Mill, from Chicago. Once there, she and the rest of Chester’s Mill’s inhabitants, finds herself dealing with the “post apocalyptic conditions” that arise when a “strange dome” encapsulates the entire town.

With the show based on Stephen King’s popular novel, Julia is the editor of the town’s local paper and her curiosity is sparked by the news that multiple deliveries of propane gas had been made to a local warehouse. The appearance of the dome has her confused, though the disappearance of her husband – the local doctor – has her even more concerned. The drama is due to be produced by CBS Television studios and was taken straight to series, in association with Steven Spielberg’s own Amblin Television. Working as executive producers on the show will be Neal Baer, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Stacey Snider and Brian K Vaughan. The premiere episode of the series will also feature Lost’s Jack Bender as executive producer.

The cast will also include Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), Mike Vogel (Pan Am) and Aisha Hinds (True Blood). Her casting in Under the Dome marks a return to CBS for Lefevre, who previously worked with them on A Gifted Man. The show is scheduled to premiere on June 24, 2013. 

Continue reading: Stephen King Adaptation 'Under The Dome' Will Star Twilight's Rachelle Lefevre

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd rips into Lincoln director Steven Spielberg and writer Tony Kushner in her latest article for what she deems a blatant historical fabrication in their epic drama, which is tipped to scoop Oscars at the Academy Awards on Sunday (February 24, 2013). The movie shows two Connecticut legislators voting against the Emancipation Proclamation when in fact they voted for it.

In her article - which has been swirling around industry sites for a couple of days - Dowd suggests, "I'm a princess-and-the-pea on this issue, but I think Spielberg should refilm the scene or dub in "Illinois" for "Connecticut" before he sends out his DVDs and leaves students everywhere thinking the Nutmeg State is nutty." It's difficult to understand why Spielberg changed the facts in the movie, though the answer may lie in the reality that it was two Democrats who opposed the freeing of the slaves (not, as the movie shows, one Republican and one Democrat). Did Spielberg and Kushner make the change to pander to the generally liberal leaning world of Hollywood? Perhaps not, though it seems a strange amendment anyway. 

It's likely that Lincoln will miss out on many of the major honors at the Academy Awards this weekend, though Spielberg could still walk away with Best Director. His leading man Daniel Day-Lewis should win Best Actor, though it appears Ben Affleck's Argo is now leading the race for Best Picture. The Iranian-embassy drama has also attracted criticism for its historical inaccuracies.

The historical accuracy of Lincoln – Steven Spielberg’s Oscar nominated political biopic – has been brought back to the fore by a fresh article in The New York Times.

"I’m a princess-and-the-pea on this issue, but I think Spielberg should refilm the scene or dub in 'Illinois' for 'Connecticut' before he sends out his DVDs and leaves students everywhere thinking the Nutmeg State is nutty," Maureen Dowd of the NYT wrote. She went on to talk about her pet peeve, which is “filmmakers who make up facts in stories about real people to add 'drama,' rather than just writing the real facts better. It makes viewers think that realism is just another style in art, so that no movie, no matter how realistic it looks, is believable."

Time is running out for Spielberg to adhere to Joe Courtney’s deadline. You see, Courtney, U.S. Representative for Connecticut's 2nd congressional district, was upset with what he perceived to be historical inaccuracies in Lincoln. “How could congressmen from Connecticut — a state that supported President Lincoln and lost thousands of her sons fighting against slavery on the Union side of the Civil War — have been on the wrong side of history?” he wrote. He then pleaded with Spielberg to address these problems before the Oscars, in which Lincoln is nominated for 12 awards, including best picture. He also requested that the scene be amended for DVD release.

Ahead of the BAFTA's in London on Sunday evening, there were quiet murmurings of a huge upset. Could Daniel Day-Lewis really be beaten in the category of Best Actor? In his home country? Rumours that Les Miserables was going to wipe the floor with the competition led to speculation that Hugh Jackman would usurp Day-Lewis and take the top acting gong. In the end, it was the Best Actress category that threw up the evening's biggest shock - Emmanuelle Riva winning for Amour, over Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain.

Late last year, Steven Spielberg's historical epic Lincoln was the MASSIVE favourite to win Best Picture at the Oscars on February 24, 2013. Daniel Day-Lewis was the frontrunner for Best Actor, Sally Field was the strong favourite for Best Actress and Tommy Lee Jones was way ahead of the competition for Best Supporting Actor. Only two of those favourites remain, with Field almost certain to lose out to Lawrence or Chastain and Lincoln itself now the outsider for Best Picture, behind the strongly fancied Argo.

It seems the Academy did Steven Spielberg a massive favour by snubbing Ben Affleck in the category of Best Director. The multi-Oscar winner is likely to scoop the award, though will a couple of gongs seem like a hollow victory should Argo win the major prize?

It seems early, but Rotton Tomatoes have announced their films of the year! Of course it's for 2012. But you knew that. Anyway, given that RT score films based on a wide average of reviews, it's the best place to go for the lowdown on all things cinema, apart from Contact Music, of course. Here are the Golden Tomatoes of 2012. 

Topping the list is Argo with 96% on their review meter - that's pretty darn high. The Ben Affleck-directed thriller, with a dark, comedic splice has recently overtaken Lincoln as favourite to win best picture at The Oscars. Second is Looper, which has managed to find itself amongst the top films this year despite being generally snubbed for the big awards. Third, and perhaps surprisingly is Marvel's The Avengers, which scored 92%. 

Joss Whedon's sci-fi comic book epic has been popular amongst the super-geeks and film snobs alike for it's all out entertainment value. Everyone's favourite spy James Bond scored a 4th place spot, and with people claiming Skyfall to be the best bond ever made, it's not hard to see why 007 finished that high. 

Continue reading: Rotten Tomatoes' Films Of The Year Announced: Oscar Favourite Argo Lands The Top Spot

Anyone keeping a close eye on the betting for the race for Best Picture at the Oscars will know it's been judged as wide-open for months. Last summer, the magical-drama Beasts of the Southern Wild was the bookies favourite following heavy praise at the film festivals and a buzz surrounding the performance of 9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis'. The young actress has since snagged a nomination for Best Actress, though the movie looks unlikely to win the ultimate prize on February 24, 2013.

Upon its release, Les Miserables was fancied for the Oscar, though it may have to settle for a sole acting prize for Anne Hathaway. Steven Spielberg's Lincoln has always been in the mix - a classic Oscars movie with a career best performance from Academy favourite Daniel Day-Lewis. Spielberg's epic strengthened in the market following the Oscars snubbing of Ben Affleck for Best Director. Why would they reward a movie without even acknowledging the efforts of its director? According to the Hollywood Reporter, only one film in the past 80 years has won the Best Picture Oscar without also receiving a best director nod.  It makes little sense, though Affleck's Iranian hostage drama has emerged as the odds-on favourite to win Best Picture in Los Angeles next month. On January 10, it beat Lincoln to Best Picture at the Critics' Choice Awards, winning Best Picture at the Golden Globe awards three days later. This past weekend, it won the PGA and SAG top prizes for Best Theatrical Motion Picture and Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In almost all cases, Lincoln was expected to win. 

Ben Affleck Was Snubbed For Best Director At The Oscars, Though Argo Remains A Hot Favorite

Continue reading: How Ben Affleck's 'Argo' Ambushed The Oscars Race For 'Best Picture'

With one of the world most sough-after actors in the lead role and one of Hollywood's all-time great directors at the helm, you'd doubt that Lincoln would need much more help in pushing for a larger audience. However a recently uploaded video featuring British politician Lord Mandelson promoting the film is aiming to do just that, and as you'd expect, the video is pretty damn strange.

The Oscar-nominated biopic about 19th-century Republican President, Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis), might have all the Oscar nominations it could possibly want, but that doesn't mean it has the audience pull that the studio behind the film desire and as such, Lord Mandelson's endorsement might be just what 20th Century Fox need to kick start the audience influx in Europe. In the video, the former Labour MP, nicknamed The Prince of Darkness, pays tribute to  Lincoln's "pragmatism," comparing one of America's greatest presidents to himself and his efforts towards making Labour electable in the mid-1990s. Something tells us this isn't going to work at all.

In the snippet, the former EU Commissioner says: "When I look back at Lincoln's presidency and what he had to struggle through, I see a man who had a great sense of conviction, of moral certitude, [a sense] that he was right  and [that] changes that needed to be made were absolutely necessary for the US at the time," adding, "But he was also somebody who was also prepared to use pragmatic means to arrive at his goal. And recruiting his rivals and adversaries to the cause he was pursuing - giving them a good reason to agree with him rather than to stand aside. This is the art and skill of politics."

Continue reading: Lincoln Finds Unexpected Ally In Lord Mandelson

Updates From Sundance Film Festival And The London Critics' Circle Awards Plus Trailers For, Stoker, Emperor And Red 2

As the Sundance Film Festival continues in Utah, buzz is emerging about the new Nicole Kidman movie Stoker, in which she plays the widowed mother of teen Mia Wasikowska as they deal with the arrival of the unexpectedly sexy Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode). From the director of Old Boy, a new trailer depicts the film as a stylish, warped and very black comedy. It comes to cinemas on March 1st.

Here in Britain, two leading awards contenders open this week. Steven Spielberg's Lincoln stars Daniel Day-Lewis, the front-runner in the Best Actor race. This would be his unprecedented third win in the category. And Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty stars Jessica Chastain, who is currently the favourite for Best Actress, although Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook is giving her some serious competition.

But no one should write off iconic French actress Emmanuelle Riva's astonishing turn in Amour. She won the London Critics' Circle Film Award for Best Actress on Sunday. The London critics also gave Amour their Film of the Year title, and it's up for Best Picture at the Oscars as well.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Sundance Buzz For Stoker Trailer, London Critics' Choose Amour, First Look At Tommy Lee Jones In Emperor

As February looms, there is only one thing on the mind of film lovers and industry types alike: The Oscars. When The Academy Awards are doled out  on the 24th, there's perhaps one truly safe bet, and it's Daniel Day Lewis to pick up Best Actor in a Leading Role for his turn as America's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

He'll be helped along by the emotive storyline; after all, Lincoln is considered an American hero. But, having been nominated for 11 awards, including Best Director, you can garuntee at least 5 awards for the Spielberg Epic. 

Lewis, however, believes the part should have gone to an American actor. He tells the Daily Mirror newspaper, "I was very aware of the responsibility involved as I didn't want to be the person who desecrated the memory of the most loved president America has ever known... It seemed like an outlandish idea to take someone who grew up in south east London and make him President of the United States... I'm not an American citizen so I don't have the right to be president."

Continue reading: Daniel Day Lewis As Lincoln: Has There Ever Been A Safer Bet For Best Actor?

Daniel Day-Lewis will make Oscar history on February 26, 2013, when - as expected - he takes the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Steven Spielberg's critically acclaimed Lincoln. Should Hugh Jackman, Bradley Cooper, Joaquin Phoenix or even Denzel Washington steal away the gong, it would almost certainly represent the biggest Best Actor shock since Robert Benigni somehow usurped Tom Hanks and Nick Nolte to the award in 1999. Though Jack Nicholson was considered the favourite, Day-Lewis could have had another award in 2003, (Gangs Of New York) had Adrien Brody not upset the apple-cart for his role in The Pianist.

As 'Lincoln' prepares to hit screens in the UK, critics have seized the opportunity to laud Day-Lewis' performance - "legend", "genius" and "one of the greats" are words and phrases found in almost every review. Ian Nathan of Empire Magazine said, "As unexpected as it is intelligent, thanks to virtuoso work from Spielberg and Kushner, Lincoln is landmark filmmaking, while Day-Lewis is so authentic he pulls off that stovepipe." Matthew Turner of ViewLondon said, "Impressively directed and superbly written, this is an absorbing and enjoyable political drama with an Oscar-worthy central performance from Daniel Day-Lewis." Shaun Munro of What Culture agreed, writing, "Daniel Day-Lewis gives yet another performance for the ages in Steven Spielberg's admirably literate, thoroughly charming biopic."

Continue reading: Lincoln's Daniel-Day Lewis To Outdo Brando, Penn, Hanks With Oscar Win

With the news that Jurassic Park will be exceeding its status as a trilogy, excitement reached fever-pitch with the prospect that dinosaur fever will be returning in the near future. And now, we have a date to look forward to: June 13th, 2014.

Each of the three previous films, with the last two receiving a much more mixed reception than the universally acclaimed first, proved to be massive box office achievements when they were released in 1993, '97 and 2001 respectively and the new one will look to carry on this trend of box office success. In light of the new film being released in the not-so-distant future, Universal have announced that the third film from the franchise will be released in 3D later in the year to get people ready for the long-awaited fourth instalment of the prehistoric adventure.

The first two films were directed by Steven Spielberg, who served as producer on all three films, but he gave up his post by the time of the third in favour of Joe Johnson. The web is now rife with questions as to whether Spielberg will resume his place behind the camera for the next film, which will be shot in 3D, or let someone else helm the film again. No other details have been announced alongside the release date.

Ok, so the headline's probably a little unfair. We're pretty sure Christopher Nolan has all but given up trying to squeeze any golden statuettes out of the Academy. We should probably accept that the Batman director isn't going to win Best Director and Best Picture anytime soon, though his movies will no doubt continue to thrill for many, many years.

Anyway, the progressive filmmaker's latest project is likely to be sci-fi drama Interstellar, written by his brother and long-time collaborator Jonathan Nolan. According to multiple sources who spoke with the Hollywood Reporter, Nolan has set his sights on the big-budget project which - surprise, surprise - involves time travel and alternate dimensions. The details are sketchy, though it's thought the movie will follow a group of explorers who travel through a wormhole. The script is actually based on the real-life scientific theories of Kip Throne, a theoretical physicist, gravitational physicist and astrophysicist. 

Interstellar has already found a home at Paramount, though would be made in collaboration with Warner Brothers, where Nolan made his three Batman movies, as well as Insomnia and Inception. Steven Spielberg was originally attached to the project, though it's unclear whether he will remain involved in some capacity. On Wednesday, the Lincoln director's forthcoming project Robopocalypse was delayed indefinitely. On Thursday, Nolan's Dark Knight Rises was snubbed entirely in the Oscar nominations.

Skyfall has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Picture as the likes of Lincoln, Argo and Les Miserables all as expected were included in the shortlist. The news will come as a bitter blow to Samuel Mendes, Daniel Craig and the rest of the James Bond team, who were hoping that a critical and commercial smash Stateside, a first ever nomination at the Producer's Guild Of America awards and a special tribute actually being held at the Oscars themselves to pay tribute to its 50th anniversary, would be enough for it to make the cut. 

Evidently though the tribute appears to be all but a sop thrown to the James Bond franchise, with neither the film, director Samuel Mendes nor star Daniel Craig to be seen in any of the categories. The Dark Knight Rises was another to miss the cut - and indeed any other category - though there were plenty of names included who were strongly tipped up in the build-up this year. 

Of those, the strongest choics look like being Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and the Tom Hooper-directed Les Miserables; it's a line-up glistening with quality though: Bradley Cooper was a surprise nomination in the Best Leading Actor category, which is perhaps a sign that Silver Linings PIaybook is favored strongly among the panel. Benh Zeitlin meanwhile continued his fairytale story as he saw Beasts Of The Southern Wild make the cut in addition to his own name being put up for Best Director, and the controversial Django Unchained also made the list, despite criticism over its handling of slavery issues. Elsewhere, Michael Hanneke's Amour found itself up for inclusion, despite its name being relatively unheralded when it came to predicting the final reckoning in the build-up; Argo was another to be included in the list, though you might argue that its chances look weak given that Ben Affleck didn't make it into the shortlist for Best Director, despite being the bookies favourite beforehand. 

Continue reading: Skyfall Oscars Snub In Best Picture Nominations

As awards season kicks off, today with the BAFTA nominations and tomorrow with the Golden Globe award ceremony, actors, actresses, directors and producers everywhere will be biting their nails and praying for a win from at least one of the big three coming up, the aforementioned two, of the Oscars, nominations for which will also be released tomorrow. 

There are very few surprises in the BAFTA nominations as this year has some clear stand-out offerings to the trade, and as announced by Alice Eve and Jeremy Irvine, here's the low down on the biggest prizes. 

Nominations for best film are the big five: Argo, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty. Despite BAFTA being a British institution, there's not a British film in sight (except Les Mis, but the majority of leads aren't from the fair isle). Luckily, however, there's a whole separate award for Brits. In that list, the contenders are Anna Karenina, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (that was 2012? it seems so long ago), Les Miserables, Seven Psychopaths and a much deserved Skyfall. 

Continue reading: British Awards Season Begins With The Unsurprising Nominations At The Baftas

Wrong Direction: It's been a rough week for Harry Styles and Taylor Swift, the pair going their separate ways after a brief relationship. Of course, it's great news for ambitious fans of both stars who reckon they're in with a chance! 

Star-Studded Wedding: It's congratulations to Star Wars creator George Lucas and his long-time girlfriend Mellody Hobson, who have announced they are to marry. No date or location has been set, though it could be a pretty big few years for the veteran filmmaker, what with the revival of a certain movie franchise.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Styles Splits, George Puts A Ring On It And Kim And Kanye Buy Big

The University of Chicago has a mystery on its hands, a mystery involving INDIANA JONES of all people, after a surprise package was delivered to the University addressed to the fictional archeologist/adventurer.

According to the university’s admissions department Tumblr page, a package arrived at the university this Wednesday (Dec 12) addressed to one Henry Walton Jones Jr - the 'real' name of the character portrayed by Harrison Ford in the hugely successful film franchise. Unsure of what to do with the mystery package, the student office worker, whose job it was to deal with the it, set it aside until today when someone realized it wasn’t intended for any actual student or faculty member, but a fictional character who once enrolled at the University of Chicago: Indiana Jones.

When the seal was finally cracked and the contents were laid bare, the mystery refused to go away still. The Tumblr page goes on to describe the contents, with pictures, and states that inside was an apparently handmade re-creation of Abner Ravenwood’s diary, Abner Ravenwood being Jones' professor at the university in the 1920's, for those unfamiliar with the Indiana Jones films. It was while working with Ravenwood that Indi first gained knowledge of the Ark of the Covenant, which in turn set in motion the story of Raiders of the Lost Ark, George Lucas/Steven Spielberg’s landmark 1981 film and first in the series.

Continue reading: Indiana Jones Mystery Package Sent To University Of Chicago

Several British stars scored Golden Globe nominations on Friday morning (December 14, 2012), with Tom Hooper's Les Miserables looking the UK's best hope of scoring a statuette. The musical is in the running for Best Picture (Comedy of Musical), as well as a string of acting awards.

Though the Globes is considered a solid barometer for the Oscars, it has been criticised for shaping its nominations to attract as many big name stars as possible. In 2011, Johnny Depp was nominated for his role in the critically panned The Tourist, leading host Ricky Gervais to joke, "It seems like everything this year was three-dimensional.except the characters in The Tourist." Nevertheless, several lesser known movies from the past year received nominations, including Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt's Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. Judi Dench received a nod for Best Exotic Marigold Hotel while Helen Mirren and Rachel Weisz will compete for the Best Actress (Drama) award for their roles in Hitchcock and The Deep Blue Sea respectively. "It's the first major red carpet occasion of awards season," said Nick James, editor of the film magazine Sight & Sound, "so the HFPA need the maximum number of dresses on that carpet, and the widest range of hot talent on their list. They probably have a small eye on that, but I don't think it's too bent in that direction."

Though British stars were listed in today's nominations, it is likely to be Ben Affleck, Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Daniel Day Lewis, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathway who contest the major prizes. 

Continue reading: The Brits Are Coming! Ewan McGregor And Emily Blunt Score Golden Globe Nominations

Les Miserables has become the favourite to win Best Picture at the Oscars after being nominated for four prizes at the Golden Globes - a key barometer for the Academy Awards. Lead stars Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway received acting nods, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil are shortlisted for their song 'Suddenly', while the movie itself is shortlisted for Best Motion Picture (Comedy and Musical).

Largely shot at Pinewood studios, Tom Hooper's Les Miserables cost around £38 million and featured the actors singing every song live on set. Speaking to the BBC after the Golden Globe nominations were announced, The Kings Speech director said, "I'm just pleased for the whole team who made Les Miserables. Making a musical is an intensively collaborative type of film-making, because it requires such an army of people. An army who aren't there on a conventional movie. The singing teachers who helped the cast, through to the onset pianists who played in the live duets with the singers." Though musicals and comedies are often ignored by the Academy, Les Miserables has been installed as the 9/4 favourite to snatch the Best Picture Oscar away from the hands of Ben Affleck and Steven Spielberg in February. Hugh Jackman is now the third favourite to win Best Actor, though it would a huge shock should Daniel Day-Lewis not win the award for his turn as Abraham Lincoln. Anne Hathaway is favoured for an Oscar nomination, though the bookmakers still firmly believe Jennifer Lawrence will win Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook.

Les Miserables hits theaters in the U.S on Christmas Day, with a UK release following on January 11, 2013. 

If there are any fans out there, who particular enjoy the alchemy of film and iconic political figures, then the summer of 2012 will likely go down as your best yet. We've had Steven Spielberg's Lincoln: a political biopic of Abraham Lincoln's struggle to abolish slavery, and now we've got Hyde Park on Hudson: the story of the love affair between FDR and his distant cousin Margaret Suckley.

Suckley, who also goes by the name of Daisy, is portrayed by Laura Linney in the film, which stars Bill Murray as FDR himself. Linney has opened up to KOSU News about playing one of history's lesser known players. "Unless you live or grew up around Rhinebeck, N.Y., I guarantee you most people don't know who Daisy Suckley is. And I'm very interested, and always have been, in the Roosevelts, and I had never heard of Daisy," she explained. "The more I learned about Daisy, the more I sort of deeply admired her. She was very quiet, she was -- she needed no attention, which in this day and age is so rare, and culturally so in direct opposition to the time we're living in, where everything seems to be -- every emotion, action, thought -- seems to be advertised. She was someone who was very self-contained."

Hyde Park, unfortunately, hasn't hit the heights of it political-film rival Lincoln in terms of critical reception. It does, however, boast a terrific performance (as ever) from Bill Murray, who, despite the film's failings, is being talked about as a possible Oscar contender.

The Golden Globes have just announced their nominees for their forthcoming awards shows. Alongside the recently announced Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Awards, the Globes are generally believed to be a good indicator as to whose going to fare well at the all-important Oscar Awards next year.

In keeping with those other recent nominations, Lincoln is once again leading the way with seven nomination, including a best actor nod for its star Daniel Day-Lewis. Surely the Oscar is already his. A lot of other usual suspects also feature heavily, including Django Unchained, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty and Les Miserables. Rust And Bone will be disappointed to miss out on the best picture category, whilst Richard Gere makes a perhaps surprise appearance in the best actor category. 

We'll just get down to it and give you the full list, as reported by Yahoo.

Continue reading: Golden Globe Awards Nominees Announced! - The Full List Here

In the run-up to the Oscars, the movie industry pays special attention to the smaller awards nominations, for indicators as to what to expect at the big event. So far, it’s looking good for Lincoln, the new Steven Spielberg biopic about President Abraham Lincoln. With the title role played by Daniel Day Lewis and a supporting cast featuring Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon Levitt and James Spader, there has been an ‘Oscars-buzz’ around this movie for some time now. And that buzz just got a little more deafening with the release of the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards nominations.

Unsurprisingly, Daniel Day Lewis is up for best actor, reports Los Angeles Times, with Sally Field getting the nod for best supporting actress and best supporting actor for Tommy Lee Jones. Lincoln is joined by Silver Linings Playbook (starring Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence) and Les Miserables, which gets a tips for best ensemble, with Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman leading the cast, there.

Dame Maggie Smith is the real star of this year’s announcement, though, landing more nominations than any other actor. She’s been acknowledged not only for her cinematic appearance in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but also for her small screen work on Downton Abbey, the British series that has really made waves in the USA. 

Continue reading: That Oscars Buzz Just Got Louder – Lincoln Leads Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations

George Lucas says his involvement in Star Wars: Episode VII will be limited and that he intends to leave it up to Disney's chosen director and producers to carry on his iconic sci-fi story. Speaking at the Governor's Awards on Saturday evening (December 1, 2012), Lucas explained what his duties as a "consultant" on the seventh movie will entail, reports Access Hollywood.

"[If the filmmakers ask],'Who's this guy?' I can tell them. I mean, they have a hundred encyclopedias and things, but I actually know a lot. I can say, 'This is this and this is that" So, basically he'll be sitting with his feet up then? He added, "Basically I'm not [involved] - I don't really have much to do." Disney are still on the hunt for a director to helm the first movie, though Lucas' good friend Steven Spielberg has gone on the record as saying it's not his "genre." George laughed off the idea on Saturday, calling Spielberg "probably the most brilliant director working in the business today," though adding, "I'm pretty sure he'd never want to do that! I don't think he'd want to."

Star Wars: Episode VII is set to hit theaters in 2015, with Matthew Vaughn looking the likely director. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels star Jason Flemyng appeared to let the cat out of the bag at the premiere of Seven Psychopaths this weekend, saying, "Me and Matt have done nine films together, so I'm sure I'll get the call for Star Wars." When one journalist asked "Would he [Matthew] be interested?" Flemyng looked surprised, "What? Star Wars? I think that's.." before looking a little sheepish. 

Continue reading: George Lucas On Star Wars: Episode VII: "I Don't Really Have Much To Do"

The final instalment of the 'Twilight Saga', 'Breaking Dawn Part 2', starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson has topped the US box office for the second weekend in a row during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The teen vampire flick brought in a massive $64 million from November 21st to 25th adding to the $163 million already grossed by the popular movie in the States. It certainly helped the box office break their Thanksgiving takings record with an estimated $290 million beating their previous record from 2009 of $273 million over the course of the American holiday. 

Coming in second place at the box office was the most successful James Bond movie so far, 'Skyfall', which brought in $51 million over the weekend totalling $221.7 million altogether for the US. The immense success of the film has made 007 star Daniel Craig the highest earning British actor after signing a £31 million contract to appear in two further Bond films.

Continue reading: 'Breaking Dawn Part 2' Tops US Box Office For A Second Week

Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg have closed deals to write instalments of the new Star Wars trilogy, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The pair will pen either Episode VIII or Episode IX though the exact division of their responsibilities is yet to be determined.

As was previously reported, Oscar winner Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3) is writing the script for Episode VII, the first movie in the new trilogy. Kasdan is a Lucasfilm and Star Wars veteran having co-wrote 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and the 1983 movie Return of the Jedi. He recently co-wrote the screenplay for Raiders of the Lost Ark, considered the finest movie from Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones movies. However, his latest feature film writing credit is the poorly received Stephen King adaptation Dreamcatcher, starring Morgan Freeman. Kinberg on the other hand has more contemporary material on his CV, co-writing the new X-Men movie Days of the Future Past and producing X-Men: First Class. He is also on the team for the forthcoming Cinderella film for Disney.

With the writers now locked down for the new movies, we should hear something about directors pretty soon. Matthew Vaughn is rumored to be in talks for the first movie in the new triology.

Continue reading: 'Empire Strikes Back' Scribe Signs On To Write New Star Wars Movies

Ang Lee makes his latest assault on awards' season this week, when Life Of Pi hits theaters in the U.S. The magical 3-D tale is tipped for nominations at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars, though getting the public on-side and recording a large box-office opening would ultimately help its cause.

The movie - based on Yann Martel's thrilling novel of the same name - follows a young boy named Pi who sails from India to Canada with a cargo of zoo animals. When the ship sinks, he finds himself alone on a life-raft with only a Bengal tiger for company. Comparisons are already being made with Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, the multi-Academy Award winning 2008 movie that explored similar themes. Both films have young Indian lead characters who undergo intense inner journeys, as well as the literal adventures playing out on-screen. Both actors - Dev Patel in Slumdog and Suraj Sharma in Pi - were making their feature film debuts, though the former had some experience of television, whereas Sharma had next to no acting on his CV. Both films are visually stunning, with Danny Boyle's classic knocking the Academy for six with its rich colours and depiction of the hustle and bustle of Mumbai life. Ang Lee ultimately went down the 3-D route and anyone who has witnessed the preview trailer screening this year were utterly convinced he had made the correct decision. The vast seascape lends itself well to the new format and Lee has plenty of experience in making movies with aesthetics in mind. In terms of narratives, both movies are told through flashbacks with the tales eventually having religious connotations or messages.

Slumdog Millionaire was a true sleeper hit; a movie that appeared to come from nowhere before generating rapid pace as it hurtled towards awards' season. The Artist did something similar this year, as did The Hurt Locker in 2008. However, if Life of Pi is to challenge for Best Picture in February it will not be on the back of word of mouth - moviegoers will know how they feel about the movie pretty soon, with three months still to go before the Oscars. It sits at around fifth favorite with the bookmakers to win the biggest movie prize of them all, but Ben Affleck's Argo (the sleeper) and Steven Spielberg's Lincoln (the blockbuster) appear to have the bases covered.

Continue reading: Is Ang Lee's 'Life Of Pi' The New 'Slumdog Millionaire'?

It's the time of the year when every major film release is subject to more rumour space than normal, as Argo and Lincoln are mooted to dominate at the Academy Awards come 2013, but is Ang Lee's Life of Pi a viable contender?

One look at the reviews would certainly suggest that odds of up to 12/1 could be a decent wager, considering Ben Affleck's Argo and Steven Spielberg's Lincoln are as short as 7/4 and 9/4 respectively. With a positive score of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, it seems as though Life of Pi is worthy of any Oscars talk that comes it way. "Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" is a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery," say The Chicago Sun Times in a 4/4 review, while The Los Angeles Times give it 5/5, saying, "There are always moral crosscurrents in Lee's most provocative work, but so magical and mystical is this parable, it's as if the filmmaker has found the philosopher's stone." Entertainment weekly say, simply, "Everything looks beautiful in Life of Pi."

Perhaps a more impressive outsider is Paul Thomas Anderson's, The Master, which started off in pole position to win Best Film, but it's since slipped into a position of obscurity in terms of Oscar standings. We wouldn't be surprised to see Lincoln clean up, though, as politically emotive films usually do, and considering the recent re-election of Obama, it's on-topic and on-pace to dominate come February. Please note, odds are correct at time of writing and may fluctate. In fact, they will fluctuate. 

A big weekend for the U.S Box Office saw the much anticipated premiere of Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 - the final instalment of the franchise - win the weekend at a canter.

Coming at over three times its nearest rival, Skyfall, which managed $41,500,000 in its second week, Twilight amassed a staggering $141,300,000 on its opening weekend. Having already enjoyed a limited release previously, Steven Spielberg's political epic Lincoln managed $21,000,000 in first full weekend, while Disney's Wreck it Ralph claimed the #4 spot with $18,312,000 - an impressive feat for its third week. Flight, starring Denzel Washington as a pilot with alcohol problems and also in its third week rounds off the top 5 $8,615,000. Fighting for Oscars honours with both Lincoln and possibly Flight will be Ben Affleck's Argo, which can't muster the same kind of commercial clout as it's biggest rivals. In on its 6th week, Argo holds 6th place. Astonishingly maintaining a presence in the top 10 is Taken 2. The Liam Neeson thriller, despite being critically panned has been a fair success, with $2,100,000 this weekend, and a cumulative net of  $134.6M.

The rest of the top 10 looks like this: Pitch Perfect takes 8th in its 8th week, the disappointing Here Comes The Boom takes 9th spot with $1,200,000, and finally, Cloud Atlas clings on at #10 with a puny $900,000 in its 4th week. 

The limited release seemed to go down a storm with fans, and with the full release of Lincoln in the US this week, it’s time for a recap of the final reviews that have come in for what looks like is going to be a huge contender for many of the Oscars on offer next Spring.

You’ll be well aware that Lincoln focuses on the 16^th American President Abraham Lincoln during the period when he abolished slavery. Daniel Day-Lewis is the man playing the bearded leader, Sally Field is wife Mary Todd. The pairing has been a smash success in the eyes of the critics – as has just about everything else about the film.

"Lincoln is the work of a different director, one truly fascinated by why his subjects do what they do, one who invests each moment with the artistry he has often reserved for setpieces” chirruped The Village Voice earlier this week. “Daniel Day-Lewis plays Lincoln as a true mid-westerner, a wry, twinkle-eyed statesman that understood how conviction and likeability could affect the hearts of men. This man has no equal as an actor” said MovieWeb, whilst Orlando Weekly commented “[A] handsome and discriminating historical drama.”

Continue reading: Final Reviews In: Lincoln Set To Be A Smash Success

There was always going to be some sect of America that would shriek with horror when the news that Steven Spielberg had chosen British actor Daniel Day-Lewis to play beloved US President Abraham Lincoln, and with the new film about the final days of the former President's life about to hit US cinemas those cries have been reignited once more.

Never mind the fact that one of Hollywood's most competent directors was working with one of the most celebrated and successful actors of all time, that still hasn't silenced opposition towards the two time Oscar winner and his depiction of Honest Abe. However, since the film was given it's first screenings, the one thing that US audiences have found to complain about more than Day-Lewis' nationality is his voice - with both audiences and critics commenting that the tone adopted by the actor comes nothing close to what they had in mind for one of their country's most revered orators.

A review in Time magazine, which overall gave a glowing reception to the film and Day-Lewis' performance, commented that his voice in the film is “thin" and "reedy," while one report from CBS News said his tone was “scratchy and not what audiences had come to expect."

Continue reading: Daniel Day-Lewis And Steven Spielberg Come Under-fire For Abraham Lincoln Portrayal