‘Mank’ leads Oscar nominations with 10 nods
Zhao, the first woman of color nominated for best director, is the most nominated woman in a single year in Oscar history. She was also tipped for the film’s adapted screenplay, editing and as a producer in the best picture category. “I just quietly gave thanks and felt some gratitude.”Davis, who won for her performance in 2016’s “Fences,” landed her fourth Oscar nomination, making her the most nominated Black actress ever. The Academy Awards would typically have happened by now but this year will be telecast April 25. “Collective,” the Romanian documentary about investigative journalism and government corruption, became just the second film nominated for both best documentary and best international film.
‘Minari’ actor is nonchalant about new fame outside S. Korea
(Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)SEOUL – When Youn Yuh-jung was asked how she felt about being called the “Meryl Streep of South Korea" in a recent interview, she said she’s flattered by the comparison. “I am just a Korean actress in Korea,” 73-year-old actor said. So I like to be myself.”Youn needs no introduction in South Korea, with a film career spanning over five decades. Youn lived in the U.S. for nearly a decade, not performing, before returning to South Korea, where she split from Cho and returned to acting. AdShe said the U.S. was considered a “dream land” by Asian American immigrants in the 1970s and '80s, when “Minari” is set.
Chloé Zhao, Emerald Fennell make history in DGA nominations
This image released by Focus Features shows Carey Mulligan, left, Emerald Fennell and Laverne Cox on the set of "Promising Young Woman." (Focus Features via AP)NEW YORK – Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell have been nominated for outstanding directorial achievement by the Directors Guild of America, marking the first time two women have ever competed for the guild's top honor. The 73rd Annual DGA Awards, considered a strong indicator of directing honors at the Academy Awards, announced nominees Tuesday. The Directors Guild Awards will be held virtually April 10. ___This story corrects the date of the Directors Guild Awards to April 10.
'Nomadland,' 'Rocks' lead more diverse BAFTA nominations
This image released by Altitude shows, from left, Kosar Ali, Ruby Stokes and Bukky Bakray in a scene from "Rocks." Much like previous Academy Awards controversies, last year's nominations by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts were denounced for their all-male directing nominees and all-white acting nominees, a backlash that spawned a #BaftasSoWhite hashtag. The British academy responded with a seven-month review. Also nominated are Lee Isaac Chung for the family drama “Minari” and Thomas Vinterberg for the Danish dark comedy “Another Round.”More films were nominated, too. ___AP's Hilary Fox contributed to this report from London___Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
New York cinemas reopen, brightening outlook for theaters
Kathyn Dennet, center, and Brian Haver leave the IFC Center after viewing a screening on "Mank", Friday, March 5, 2021, in New York. Theaters in many other areas reopened last summer around the release of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” but that attempted comeback fizzled. “It’s a symbolic moment,” said Michael Barker, co-president of the New York-based Sony Pictures Classics, which on Friday released the Oscar contenders “The Father” and “The Truffle Hunters” in Manhattan theaters. Some of the city’s prominent theaters, including the Film Forum, the Alamo Drafthouse, the Metrograph and Regal Cinemas were targeting openings in the coming weeks. “We in the movie theater business live off of movies that play all around the country and all around the world.
Even more chaotic than usual, Globes still had their moments
(NBC via AP)In the opening moments of a Golden Globes night even more chaotic and confounding than usual, co-host Tina Fey raised a theoretical question: “Could this whole night have been an email?” Only the next three hours would tell. Or Chloé Zhao, making history as the first woman of Asian descent to win best director (and the first woman since 1984.) AdOf course, there were the usual confounding results and baffling snubs, compounded here by some epic Zoom fails. ZHAO MAKES HISTORYWhen Zhao won best director for her haunting and elegant “Nomadland,” she was the first woman of Asian descent to win that award. It was updated on March 3, 2021, to correct the nationality of director of “Nomadland.” Chloe Zhao is Chinese, not Asian American.
The glam was back at the Golden Globes, albeit at a distance
And they were ready, style wise, as the Globes split hosts, with Amy Poehler at the Beverly Hilton and Tina Fey at the Rainbow Room in New York. Backstage after the show, Sudeikis told reporters he owns a multitude of hoodies but chose the one emblazoned with “Forward” on the front and “Listen + Lead” on the back as fitting for the unusual night. “I wanted to feel festive and go for it,” she told NBC. Sarah Paulson held her little black pooch on screen and Emma Corrin's fluffy white cat grabbed a moment for itself. AdLydia Marks, a New York set decorator, told The Associated Press the evening's technical challenges were many.
'Nomadland,' 'Borat' win at a socially distant Golden Globes
She’s only the second woman in the history of the Globes to win, and the first since Barbra Streisand won for “Yentl” in 1984. Its star, guerilla comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, also won best actor in a comedy. “The Queen's Gambit” won best limited series, and best actress in the category for Anya Taylor-Joy. “Schitt's Creek,” the Pop TV series that found a wider audience on Netflix, won best comedy series for its final season. Catherine O'Hara also took best actress in a comedy series.
New this week: Billie Eilish, Billie Holiday and Superman
This combination photo shows promotional art for Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, a documentary debuting Friday on Apple TV+, from left, The United States vs. Billie Holiday," premiering Friday on Hulu and Superman & Lois," a new series premiering Tuesday on The CW. (AppleTV+/Hulu/The CW via AP)Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. Ad— Based on Johann Hari’s 2015 book, “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs,” Lee Daniels' “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” chronicles the legendary jazz singer's addiction and activism. Andra Day, who's nominated for a Golden Globe, plays Holiday in the biopic, which premieres Friday on Hulu. ET at the Amazon Music Twitch channel and will feature music from the group’s new album, “Life Rolls On,” released on Feb. 12.
In 'Minari,' harvesting an American dream
In Chung’s film, the watery basin throbs with significance — a physical symbol of putting roots down, of Korean American harmony, of resiliency. The minari in “Minari” was sowed by Chung’s father — an almost impossibly poignant bit of set dressing in a film that blooms in the gap between generations. AdThe Golden Globes spawned a controversy by limiting “Minari” (a deeply American film, with dirt in its fingers, and largely Korean dialogue) to its foreign-language film category. And perhaps most importantly, its honest and authentic rendering of an Asian American family, in an entertainment world so often reliant on stereotype, has resonated meaningfully for many. For me, what’s incredible, taking a step back, we’re almost like their American dream come true,” says Oh.
"Minari" star Steve Yeun on portraying the American Dream
Steven Yeun has zombies to thank for his runaway career. Steven Yeun stars in "Minari," as a Korean immigrant who brings his family to a farm in Arkansas. Yeun saw his family's own American Dream in the movie, too: "My dad, he was an architect in Korea. Actor Steven Yeun, star of "Minari." But to Steven Yeun, married father of two, the film itself is a gift.
cbsnews.com'Ma Rainey,' 'Minari' and Boseman lead SAG nominations
The Screen Actors Guild has nominated the cast for a SAG Award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture. But the SAG Awards, presented by SAG-AFTRA, are considered a far better barometer for the Academy Awards, where actors account for the largest percentage of the academy. Usually, the eventual Oscar best picture winner is first nominated for best ensemble by the SAG Awards, though “Green Book” and “The Shape of Water" were two recent exceptions. In 2019, he memorably a ccepted the SAG ensemble award for “Black Panther." Aside from Boseman and Oldman, the nominees for best male actor in a lead role were Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”) and Steven Yeun (“Minari”).
'Never Rarely' tops Spirit Awards, 'Da 5 Bloods' leads NBRs
The film was nominated for seven Independent Film Spirit Awards including one for best feature. The 36th annual Spirit Awards, like most awards shows during the pandemic, are adjusting to the difficult circumstances. Eliza Hittman's “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” a Pennsylvania's teen's odyssey in getting an abortion, racked up nominations for best feature film, best director and best female lead for Sidney Flanigan. Chloe Zhoe's “Nomadland,” starring Frances McDormand, scored five nods, including best feature, best director and best female lead for McDormand. None of the nominees for best feature film were directed by a white male.
'First Cow,' 'Nomadland' top AP's best films of 2020
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Frances McDormand in a scene from the film "Nomadland" by Chloe Zhao. Here are our picks for the best movies of 2020:JAKE COYLE1. “David Byrne’s American Utopia”: Spike Lee’s fiction films make more noise but he’s quietly one of the best documentary filmmakers we have. He may have made the best film of the year in his short film “New York, New York,” a tribute to an undefeatable pandemic-stricken city. It's also, with a glorious rendering of Harlem, one of the best New York movies in years.
With red carpets rolled up, the Oscar race goes virtual
Hollywoods awards season has gone virtual. For Awards Daily founder Sasha Stone, who has been covering the Oscars since 2000, it’s like nothing she’s ever seen — an awards season without glamour, without red carpets, without anything that feels real. And awards season, such as it is, has gone virtual. The Oscar race will Zoomed. Not everyone is sorry that awards season — an increasingly bloated, overlong, high-priced slog from September to February — has been turned upside down.