Random News of the Week (February 23, 2009 - March 1, 2009)

The opinions expressed on Crank Left were actually not that far from the real winners in this year’s Academy Awards show. The show was the best I can remember in years with a guy with actual class up there hosting the whole thing. Jackman brought showmanship and a genuine love of movies and Hollywood to the show which was a stark contrast from the past few years with hosts who relentlessly made fun of and lampooned Hollywood including personally insulting everyone in the front few rows all night. What a breath of fresh air. It reminded me of the good old days in Hollywood when actors still had class. Here is the official list of winners:

BEST PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Sean Penn ("Milk")

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Kate Winslet ("The Reader")

DIRECTING
Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire)

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight")

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Departures

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Wall-E"

SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
"Slumdog Millionaire"

SCREENPLAY (Original)
"Milk"

ART DIRECTION
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Slumdog Millionaire"

COSTUME DESIGN
''The Duchess"

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
''Man on Wire"

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
''Smile Pinki"

FILM EDITING
"Slumdog Millionaire"

MAKEUP
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

MUSIC (SCORE)
"Slumdog Millionaire" A.R. Rahman

MUSIC (SONG)
"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire"

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
"La Maison en Petits Cubes"

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
''Spielzeugland (Toyland)"

SOUND EDITING
"The Dark Knight"

SOUND MIXING
"Slumdog Millionaire"

VISUAL EFFECTS
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Gore Verbinski will be helming a remake of the cult classic CLUE based on the board game of the same name. It will supposedly be a more straightforward murder mystery take on the classic Hasbro board game as opposed to the more comical original version.

Eddie Murphy is set to star as Richard Pryor in a biopic entitled RICHARD PRYOR: IS IT SOMETHING I SAID? Eddie has professed many times that Pryor was his inspiration for his stand-up career. They are shooting for a release in 2010.

Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth) will helm Warner Bros 3D CG-animated feature take on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon YOGI BEAR. The film will combine live action and CG somewhat like ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS did. Ash Brannon (Surf's Up) was attached to helm when it was a 2-D film.


A strange comment from Dan Ackroyd this week indicates that we may be closer to a GHOSTBUSTERS 3 than previously thought. “Script is commenced early summer. Hope to be in production by late fall 2009 What's it mean? Well, it doesn't mean a Ghostbusters 3 is a sure thing. It means that if all goes well, the script commissioned last year will hopefully get the green light by around June, and if that happens, then hopefully the movie will go into production in the Fall. So, excellent to hear Dan is still pushing forward with the film, but it's still not a done deal yet.” It’s too late to capture the brilliance of the original cast but it could be a good time to bring in new blood and see what happens.

Cate Blanchett has been cast as Marian opposite Rusell Crowe who plays the title character in Ridley Scott’s upcoming ROBIN HOOD.

Ryan Gosling turned down Warner Bros offer to play Hal Jordan (aka: THE GREEN LANTERN). They are now on the hunt for someone new.

The NEVERENDING STORY is getting the remake, high budget treatment. Leo DiCaprio’s production company is circling the property.