Borat, Apatow Make Benefit Glorious Academy
They’d like to thank the Academy for letting them in. We’d like to thank the Academy for making Oscar voting a little more interesting.
The decreasingly staid Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has extended invitations to 105 stars, among them Sacha Baron Cohen, Judd Apatow, Marion Cotillard, Jet Li and Diablo Cody, to join the gilded class of 2008 as full-fledged voting members.
The invitees were selected for their “distinguished contributions to theatrical motion pictures,” and while most have either won or been nominated for Oscars, possession of a little golden man is not a prerequisite for an invite.
Being able to craft a timeless getting-laid joke, however, seems to be.
“These individuals are all incredibly talented and a credit to the world of filmmaking,” quotable AMPAS prez Sid Ganis said. “They exemplify the high standards of the Academy, and I welcome each and every one of them to our ranks.”
In addition to Borat & Co., second-generation thesp Josh Brolin, industry vet Ruby Dee, Allison Janney and Ray Winstone were among the actors passing Academy muster.
Directors Doug Liman, Kimberly Peirce, Walter Salles and Gore Verbinski rounded out the helming heavyweights, while screenwriters David Benioff, responsible for such disparate films as The Kite Runner and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Lars and the Real Girl’s Nancy Oliver and The Savages’ Tamara Jenkins joined the big-name pen-wielders on the list.
All who accept the honor and choose to become new Academy members will be welcomed at a reception in Beverly Hills come September.
Rumor: Josh Brolin to Play Snake Plissken in Escape From New York Remake
The curse of One-Eyed Willie…
UPDATE: The reader consensus seems to be 1) no, it’s not cool, this remake is utterly pointless and a disgrace, 2) where the hell will Snake “land the glider,” 3) Brolin is too old (not really understanding this one), 4) FTW, John Carpenter and Kurt Russell should team up to make Escape From Boston or Escape From Earth (good to see our readers’ idealism staying strong!).
This rumor is a wild red hair that sprouted from the pale leg of Spielberg News, but we’ll entertain it for now because it’s late at night, this remake is happening, and the casting would be pritty, pritty good. In a role that would nicely connect the eye-patched dots to his salad days on The Goonies, actor Josh Brolin is rumored to be the top contender to play dystopian, one-eyed rogue, Snake Plissken, in the planned remake of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York. Throughout the end of last year, Gerard Butler (300, The Game) was attached to Plissken, as were directors Brett Ratner (we coined it Escape From Brett Ratner) and Len Wisemen (Live Free or Die Censored), both of whom are no longer in the equation (thanks). This is how the site’s scoop translates from French to English…
“It is our scoop of the week. A source close to the production (if so) has assured us that it is now Josh Brolin to be in the running to take over the role of Snake Plissken in the remake currently in draft New York 1997.”
There are a lot of top actors taking on genre fare these days, but we’ve always been keen on Brolin for hypothetical franchise roles like Metal Gear Solid’s Solid Snake. Whereas the success of Butler’s casting as Plissken would be fully realized only by a really cool director, Brolin’s involvement, if it pans out, would give the remake unforseen cache. Though New Line is dismantled, the remake is purportedly going ahead, so we’ll update accordingly. Brolin will next be seen on screen this Fall as Dubbya (he botched a lay-up) in Oliver Stone’s W.
Jesse Bradford As Dubya’s Frat Buddy?
Jesse Bradford (anyone remember him?!) has been cast as Thatcher in Oliver Stone’s Bush bio-disaster pic W.… Thatcher was Bush’s fraternity president in college.
I really don’t understand… why do people continue to sign up for this project? Is it for the controversy? Their belief in the man? Or the money? (My bet’s on the latter!) How many people does Oliver think are going to see this movie? No major production company would even touch the movie; it’s being produced by Lions Gate Films, who have brought us such amazing yarns as Bratz, The Condemned and Happily N’Ever After. I guess that actually sounds like some great company for W..
*sigh* Whatever.
Production is apparently well underway in Shreveport, Louisiana. Bradford is joined by Josh Brolin (W himself!), Elizabeth Banks (Mrs. W), and Ioan Gruffudd (Tony Blair). Pic is currently set for release in October.
Gotham Awards Draws Hollywood’s Best
Gotham Awards Draws Hollywood’s Best
Last night in New York City, the Independent Feature Project held the 17th annual Gotham Awards. The year’s best indie flicks were recognized, and plenty of stars showed up to see who won.
Hollywood hotties Maggie Gyllenhaal, Uma Thurman, and Keri Russell all showed up looking fine. And the men were no slouches, either. Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin represented the male gender with pride.
Who were the winners, you ask? Well, Sean Penn’s Film “Into The Wild” won the Best Feature Award, while Michael Moore’s “Sicko” took the honors for Best Documentary.
Don Cheadle’s “Talk to Me” tied with Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” for Best Ensemble Cast.