134 New Names Invited to Join the Academy

Here is the 2009 announcement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as it extended 134 invitations to several artists and executives “who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures” read the press release.

Actors

• Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Gone Baby Gone
• Emily Blunt – Sunshine Cleaning, The Devil Wears Prada
• Michael Cera – Juno, Superbad
• Viola Davis – Doubt, State of Play
• James Franco – Milk, Spider-Man
• Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges, Mission: Impossible II
• Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married, The Princess Diaries
• Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hustle & Flow
• Emile Hirsch – Into the Wild, Lords of Dogtown
• Hugh Jackman – X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Prestige
• Melissa Leo – Frozen River, 21 Grams
• Jane Lynch – Role Models, The 40 Year-Old Virgin
• Eddie Marsan – Happy-Go-Lucky, The Illusionist
• James McAvoy – Atonement, The Last King of Scotland
• Seth Rogen – Monsters vs. Aliens, Knocked Up
• Paul Rudd – I Love You, Man, Knocked Up
• Amy Ryan – Changeling, Gone Baby Gone
• Michael Shannon – Revolutionary Road, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
• Michelle Williams – Wendy and Lucy, Brokeback Mountain
• Jeffrey Wright – Quantum of Solace, W.

Animators

• J.J. Blumenkranz – Monster House, The Polar Express
• Konstantin Bronzit – Lavatory-Lovestory, The Cat and the Fox
• Kendal Cronkhite – Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Antz
• Rodolphe Guenoden – Kung Fu Panda, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
• Byron Howard – Bolt, Lilo & Stitch
• Kunio Kato – La Maison en Petits Cubes
• Doug Sweetland – Presto, The Incredibles
• Chris Williams – Bolt, Chicken Little

Art Directors

• Andrew Ackland-Snow – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Notting Hill

At-Large

• Matthew D. Loeb
• Redmond Morris

Casting Directors

• John Papsidera – The Dark Knight, Agent Cody Banks
• Bernie Telsey – Sex and the City, Across the Universe

Cinematographers

• Russ T. Alsobrook – Paul Blart Mall Cop, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
• Anthony Dod Mantle – Slumdog Millionaire, The Last King of Scotland
• Henner Hofmann – Ave Maria, La Leyenda de una Mascara (The Legend of the Mask)
• Claudio Miranda – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Failure to Launch
• Rodney Taylor – Save Me, Wired to Win: Surviving the Tour de France
• Mandy Walker – Australia, Shattered Glass

Costume Designers

• Deborah Hopper – Changeling, Million Dollar Baby
• Louise Mingenbach – The Hangover, Superman Returns
• Michael O’Connor – The Duchess, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
• Michael Wilkinson – Watchmen, Babel

Directors

• Rachid Bouchareb – Days of Glory, Dust of Life
• Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire, Sunshine
• David Frankel – Marley & Me, The Devil Wears Prada
• Rod Lurie – Nothing but the Truth, The Contender
• Thomas McCarthy – The Visitor, The Station Agent
• Tyler Perry – Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, Madea’s Family Reunion
• Henry Selick – Coraline, Monkeybone

Documentary

• William Gazecki – Crop Circles: Quest for Truth, Waco: The Rules of Engagement
• Rachel Grady – Jesus Camp, The Boys of Baraka
• Rory Kennedy – Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, A Boy’s Life
• Scott Hamilton Kennedy – The Garden, OT: Our Town
• James Marsh – Man on Wire, Wisconsin Death Trip
• Megan Mylan – Smile Pinki, Lost Boys of Sudan
• Doug Pray – Surfwise, Scratch

Executives

• Daniel D.A. Battsek
• Steve Beeks
• Graham W. Burke
• Joe Drake
• Erik Feig
• Paul Hanneman
• Donald P. Harris
• Claudia Lewis

Film Editors

• Roger Barton – Speed Racer, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
• Hank Corwin – What Just Happened, The New World
• Chris Dickens – Slumdog Millionaire, Shaun of the Dead
• Elliot Graham – Milk, Superman Returns
• Kathryn Himoff – Appaloosa, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
• Leo Trombetta – Little Children, Northfork
• Brent White – Step Brothers, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
• Pam Wise – Then She Found Me, Transamerica

Live Action Short Films

• Reto Caffi – Auf der Strecke (On the Line), Leos Freunde
• Jochen Alexander Freydank – Spielzeugland (Toyland), Dienst (Duty)
• F. Carter Pilcher – The Dreaming, Bitter

Makeup and Hairstylists

• Howard Berger – Seven Pounds, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Mike Elizalde – Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer
• Louis Lazzara – Race to Witch Mountain, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
• Gerald Quist – Tropic Thunder, The Santa Claus 3: The Escape Clause

Music

• Jeff Danna – Lakeview Terrace, Fracture
• Andrew Dorfman – Baby Mama, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
• Peter Gabriel – WALL-E, Philadelphia
• Clint Mansell – The Wrestler, The Fountain
• A.R. Rahman – Slumdog Millionaire, Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Producers

• Mark Ciardi – The Game Plan, The Rookie
• Christian Colson – Slumdog Millionaire, The Descent
• Gordon Gray – Invincible, Miracle
• Broderick Johnson – One Missed Call; P.S. I Love You
• Cathy Konrad – 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line
• Andrew Kosove – Racing Stripes, Dude, Where’s My Car?
• James Lassiter – Hancock, Lakeview Terrace
• Russell Smith – Juno, The Libertine
• Paula Wagner – Death Race, Elizabethtown

Production Designers

• Donald Graham Burt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Zodiac
• Michael Carlin – The Duchess, In Bruges
• Jane Ann Stewart – The Savages, Sideways
• Kevin Thompson – Duplicity, Michael Clayton

Public Relations

• Michael D. Camp
• Marc Cohen
• Megan Colligan
• James C. Gallagher
• David Kaminow
• Sal Ladestro
• Maria Pekurovskaya
• Elizabeth Petit

Set Decorators

• Rebecca Alleway – The Duchess, The Last King of Scotland
• Peter Lando – The Dark Knight, The Invisible
• Barbara Munch-Cameron – Bottle Shock, Rent

Scenic Artists

• Robert Topol – Doubt, The Departed

Sound

• Michael Barry – The Reader, Mamma Mia!
• Derek Casari – The Soloist, Beowulf
• Aaron Glascock – Deception; Good Night, and Good Luck.
• Ren Klyce – Zodiac, The Fight Club
• Peter F. Kurland – No Country for Old Men, Walk the Line
• Karen Baker Landers – 27 Dresses, The Bourne Ultimatum
• Hamilton Sterling – Fool’s Gold, Scary Movie 4
• Deborah Wallach – Frost/Nixon, The Da Vinci Code
• Kim Waugh – Shade, Monster’s Ball

Visual Effects

• Christopher Bond – Idlewild, Superman Returns
• Matthew Butler – The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Letters from Iwo Jima
• Chris Corbould – The Dark Knight, Casino Royale
• Rob Engle – Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, Beowulf
• Scott Gordon – Nim’s Island, Spider-Man 3
• Hal Hickel – Iron Man, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
• Van Ling – Milk, Vanilla Sky
• Shane Mahan – Iron Man, War of the Worlds
• Steve Preeg – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• Tim Webber – The Dark Knight, Children of Men
• Edson Williams – Star Trek (2009), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Writers

• John August – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie’s Angels
• Dustin Lance Black – Milk
• Courtney Hunt – Frozen River
• Howard A. Rodman – Savage Grace, Joe Gould’s Secret

Amazon Specials!

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Natalie Portman joins the cast of `Thor’

AP – “Star Wars” co-star Natalie Portman is storming back into action films with a role in the comic-book adaptation “Thor.”

The 28-year-old Portman has been cast as Jane Foster, who was a nurse and first love of the title character in the Marvel Comics. According to Marvel Studios, the character is being updated for the movie version of “Thor,” in which the Norse warrior is cast down to Earth to live among humans.

Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor in the movie, which begins shooting early next year. It is due in theaters May 20, 2011. Kenneth Branagh (BRAN’-nah) is directing “Thor.”

The movie is part of an ambitious schedule for Marvel Studios, including “Iron Man 2,” “The First Avenger: Captain America” and “The Avengers.”

Bo Welch (Men in Black, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns) is the Production Designer

Diana Giorgiutti (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions) is the visual effects producer
Wesley Sewell (Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Iron Man) is the visual effects supervisor 

Amazon Specials!

New horror-film remake “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”

Brian Warmoth – MTV

Like Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller before them, Guillermo del Toro and Troy Nixey will be working closely together on their new horror-film remake “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” which will star “Memento” actor Guy Pearce. Del Toro co-wrote and will produce the remake, with Nixey, a former comic book artist with credits on “Batman: Gotham Knights” and Matt Wagner’s “Grendel: Black, White & Red.”

News of Pearce’s recent casting in the movie showed up earlier today over on MTV Movies Blog, along with confirmation that the reworked ’70s ABC telefilm about a demon-possessed house would also feature Katie Holmes and young “Bridge to Terabithia” actress Bailee Madison.

In addition to being del Toro’s protégé, Nixey shares a common collaborator with the “Hobbit” director in “Hellboy” creator Mike Mignola. Nixey contributed artwork to Mignola’s “Jenny Finn” comics.

Thus far, Nixey’s only directorial credit is on his 2007 short film “Latchkey’s Lament,” so “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” should prove to be a big event in his career as his feature debut. Much as Miller had a bona fide star director looking over his shoulder with “Sin City,” Nixey should be getting the best guidance possible for his new venture with del Toro. It should be fun to see what comics’ latest shared human resource with the movie industry produces.

The story centers around a young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.

GoreMaster Mike Elizalde is the creature design consultant. Mike has extensive credits including Land of the Lost, The Day the Earth Stood Still, X-Men: The Last Stand, Hellboy and so many more. Read more about Mike Elizalde HERE

Amazon Specials!

Zombie thriller to star Matthew O’Leary, Ron Perlman and Judge Reinhold

From BloodyDisgusting.com

Circle of Confusion’s producing Gatekeeper, a zombie thriller featuring the insane cast of Matthew O’Leary (Solstice, Sorority Row), Lea Thompson (Marty’s hot mom in Back to the Future), Judge Reinhold (Axel Foley’s sidekick in the Beverly Hills Cop films), Ron Perlman (Hellboy, The Last Winter) and Jana Kramer (Prom Night, Rotld: Necropolis).

Isaac Meisenheimer is signed to make his feature directing debut on the film. Meisenheimer also penned the script, in which a simple mistake leaves three friends to defend their town from a zombie outbreak.

Circle of Confusion exec Stephen Emery will produce, with production starting in September. “We intend to make a film in the vein of ‘Shaun of the Dead’ for American audiences,” Emery said

Amazon Specials

 

 

 

 

Ridley Scott remaking Robin Hood with Russell Crowe

Scource: Hollywood Reporter, IMDB

Ridley Scott’s still-not-officially-titled Robin Hood has added another name to its already-impressive cast list, with the news that Danny Huston has signed on to play Richard the Lionheart.

Last seen getting his bad guy on as General Stryker in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Huston will this time be playing a character who’s (traditionally anyway) a good guy in the Robin Hood universe. Richard the Lionheart was the King whose departure for the crusades, and subsequent capture and imprisonment, left the power vacuum filled by the cowardly lion Prince John and the big fat grey wolf the Sheriff of Nottingham. This being a reworking of the franchise, it’s always possible that the Lionheart’s a rather more complex character – as indeed he was in real life.

Russell Crowe is co-writer and will star as Robin Hood. Cate Blanchett has been tabbed to play Maid Marian

 Paul Engelen (Gladiator, Quantum of Solace, Troy) is the makeup designer