This Friday morning, we’ve got a few small things to discuss, and a whole lot of Golden Globe nominations. Those in a bit. Up first are a couple news bites that are intriguing, and a couple which are groan-worthy (not necessarily in that order.)
Apparently the new fad genre is going to be spoof-westerns. It was announced a few weeks ago that Adam Sandler is making The Ridiculous 6 for a 2014 release, but now comes the news that Seth MacFarlane is beating him to the punch with A Million Ways to Die in the West, which is planned for release in summer 2013.
Kevin Costner and Amber Heard will co-star in Three Days to Kill. Costner will play a Secret Service agent who is dying; Heard plays a woman who offers him a second chance at life through a wonder drug if he goes on a mission for her. Complication: the drug is hallucinogenic. The movie will be directed by McG (This Means War). It sounds pretty interesting, but I’d be a little more interested if storywriter Luc Besson (The Professional, The Fifth Element) directed it instead.
Some concept art of Frozen, Disney’s animated feature for next year, has been revealed; see below. The film, which at one point was canceled and then revived, is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Kristen Bell and Idina Menzell are lending their voices to the project.
At what point can we say a franchise has reached the saturation point? Angry Birds is getting a movie, to be released in 2016. Rovio Entertainment, the producers of the game, will be developing the film themselves, with Finnish animation studio Kombo. The producer is John Cohen, who produced Despicable Me; the director, voice talent, writers, and just how they’re going to stretch that game’s barely-there concept into a 90 minute film have not been announced.
Last and certainly not least, the Golden Globe nominations are out. Click through for the full list of nominees.
Best Picture: Drama
- Argo
- Django Unchained
- Life of Pi
- Lincoln
- Zero Dark Thirty
Best Picture: Comedy or Musical
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
- Les Miserables
- Moonrise Kingdom
- Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
- Silver Linings Playbook
Best Animated Film
- Brave
- Frankenweenie
- Hotel Transylvania
- Rise of the Guardians
- Wreck-It Ralph
Best Foreign Language Film
- Amour
- The Intouchables
- Kon-Tiki
- A Royal Affair
- Rust & Bone
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Drama
- Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
- Richard Gere, Arbitrage
- John Hawkes, The Sessions
- Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
- Denzel Washington, Flight
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture: Drama
- Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
- Marion Cotillard, Rust & Bone
- Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
- Naomi Watts, The Impossible
- Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Comedy Or Musical
- Jack Black, Bernie
- Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
- Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
- Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson
- Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Musical
- Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
- Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
- Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
- Maggie Smith, Quartet
- Meryl Streep, Hope Springs
Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
- Amy Adams, The Master
- Sally Field, Lincoln
- Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
- Helen Hunt, The Sessions
- Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
- Alan Arkin, Argo
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
- Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
- Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Best Director: Motion Picture
- Ben Affleck, Argo
- Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
- Ang Lee, Life of Pi
- Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
- Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Best Screenplay: Motion Picture
- Argo, Chris Terrio
- Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino
- Lincoln, Tony Kushner
- Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell
- Zero Dark Thirty, Mark Boal
Best Original Score: Motion Picture
- Anna Karenina, Dario Marianelli
- Argo, Alexandre Desplat
- Cloud Atlas, Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimet & Reinhold Heil
- Life of Pi, Michael Danna
- Lincoln, John Williams
Best Original Song: Motion Picture
- “For You”, by Keith Urban, Act of Valor
- “Not Running Anymore”, by Jon Bon Jovi, Stand Up Guys
- “Safe & Sound”, by Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams and T-Bone Burnett, The Hunger Games
- “Skyfall”, by Adele and Paul Epworth, Skyfall
- “Suddenly”, by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, Les Miserables
Best Television Series: Drama
- Boardwalk Empire
- Breaking Bad
- Downton Abbey
- Homeland
- The Newsroom
Best Television Series: Comedy Or Musical
- The Big Bang Theory
- Episodes
- Girls
- Modern Family
- Smash
Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television
- Game Change
- The Girl
- Hatfield & McCoys
- The Hour
- Political Animals
Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series: Drama
- Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
- Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
- Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
- Jon Hamm, Mad Men
- Damian Lewis, Homeland
Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series: Drama
- Connie Britton, Nashville
- Glenn Close, Damages
- Claire Danes, Homeland
- Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
- Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series: Comedy Or Musical
- Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
- Lena Dunham, Girls
- Tina Fey, 30 Rock
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
- Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation
Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series: Comedy Or Musical
- Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
- Don Cheadle, House of Lies
- Louis C.K., Louis
- Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
- Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
- Kevin Costner, Hatfields and McCoys
- Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
- Woody Harrelson, Game Change
- Toby Jones, The Girl
- Clive Owen, Hemingway and Gellhorn
Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
- Nicole Kidman, Hemingway and Gellhorn
- Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
- Sienna Miller, The Girl
- Julianne Moore, Game Change
- Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
- Max Greenfield, New Girl
- Ed Harris, Game Change
- Danny Huston, Magic City
- Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
- Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
- Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
- Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
- Sarah Paulson, Game Change
- Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
- Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Cecil B. DeMille Award
Jodie Foster
Morgan on Media 
Still don’t understand people’s obsession with Angry Birds…have played the game, but wasn’t that crazy about it really.
I know. I’ve played it, it’s fun. But it’s not anything I can’t put down, and it’s not even original; the basic gameplay had been present in other Flash games (such as Crush the Castle) for years before it was made. Just a combination of simple addictive gameplay with cute graphics, I guess.
I think the appeal to Angry Birds is similar to Tetris on the old Gameboy. It’s kinda the launch title of a new console. Tetris wasn’t quite original, there were several versions on the market when the Gameboy launched, but it was the packed in game on a new console, and people played the snot out of it because it had great gameplay that *they* hadn’t seen before. Add in the marketably cute birds and pigs, and you’ve got a runaway train that just doesn’t make sense to anyone that’s been playing games for 20+ years.
I think you’re right. Cute designs, fun gameplay, and perfect timing combine to make a marketing juggernaut. A movie still doesn’t make sense, though. 😀
I agree on the hand that says there’s no story in this game, so how do you make a movie? But on the other hand… there’s definite potential to give each of these birds a personality of their own. I do feel that there is potential for something there. I don’t think they’d ever realize that potential though. It’s way easier to just slap together something, throw some burp/fart jokes in it, and call it a day.
I wouldn’t go see it myself, unless it’s still a huge enough hit in 3 or 4 years and Charlotte specifically asked. Which of course it won’t be, because the brand will burn out faster than Activision killed Guitar Hero.
I’m honestly amazed the franchise hasn’t burned out already. I mean, I can see the games continuing on for a few years yet, but it boggles the mind to think that people are still so enamored with it that they’re buying plush toys and t-shirts.
Ahh awards season. Golden Globes, you do amuse. But ultimately disappoint. Every time. It’s such a farce!
I’m usually a little interested in the movie results… but I have to say only a little.
I still don’t get why Arkin keeps getting nominated for Argo. If they really wanted to nominate someone from this movie they should have done so with Bryan Cranston.
I haven’t seen Argo yet, so I don’t know. Maybe Arkin caught their eye more due to the size of the role or something?
Nice news. Three Days to Kill sounds interesting and Frozen could be fairly good. I can’t believe they’re basing a film on Angry Birds. UGH.
Yeah, I can’t fathom that one either. I agree about Three Days to Kill and Frozen; both sound like they have a lot of potential.
hmm, Angry Birds…I’ll pass. thanks.
Not too thrilled overall with the Golden Globe Awards. Never really am every year. It’s why I do my own awards. (I’ll be in touch with you about that real soon, actually)
I’ll be on the lookout for it.
I have mixed feelings on the Golden Globes… on the one hand, they’re definitely less prestigious than the Oscars, and certainly feel like they have a higher number of iffy nominations as a rule. On the other hand, until the Oscars expanded their list of nominations, it felt like things which weren’t deeply serious dramas (usually with a tragic tone) seldom stood a chance of being given any attention. The GG’s split of drama and comedy/musical means that there’s less of a sense that something has to involve somebody dying of cancer in order to be “good”.
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