Posted 4/23/10 12:44 pm EST by Jocelyn Vena in Photos
Gabourey Sidibe is getting her chuckle on as the host of "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. I have to say: it's a welcome change from her Oscar-nominated role in Lee Daniels' dark and depressing Oscar winner, "Precious." In a new photo provided to MTV News, Gabby is seen chilling with castmate Kenan Thompson on the legendary sketch comedy show's set. What were these two crazy kids up to? We won't know until we tune in on Saturday night. Read More...
Posted 3/8/10 4:00 pm EST by Adam Rosenberg in News
He wasn't up for an Oscar, but "Precious" actor and noted musician Lenny Kravitz was out last night to show his support. MTV's Josh Horowitz got a few minutes with him on the red carpet last night, time which he used to ask the rock star what led him to acting and if he hopes to keep it going now that "Precious" -- and his work in it -- has been so well-received.
"I've always wanted to [act]," Kravitz said. "And the plan was to do it -- I did theater when I was younger and that was part of my life -- but once I started making music I kind of put blinders on and that was it." Read More...
Posted 3/6/10 8:00 am EST by Adam Rosenberg in News
The 2010 Independent Spirit Awards ceremony unfolded last night in Los Angeles. With the Academy Awards closer to "hours" than "days" away, the stars came out while fans of film watched for any hint of what is to come on Sunday night during what is the biggest awards show of the season. After the MTV Movie Awards, of course.
For all of the back and forth opinions between "Avatar" and indie darling "The Hurt Locker" for the Oscars' top categories, last night's Indie Spirits were dominated by something completely different: Lee Daniels' Sundance hit, "Precious." Head over to MTV.com for Larry Carroll's by-the-numbers breakdown of the night or just hit the jump right here for the full list of winners. Read More...
Posted 3/4/10 11:00 am EST by Adam Rosenberg in News
With the Academy Awards coming this Sunday, the whole of the entertainment reporting world is crowding around the various nominees to get them talking about... well... everything. The voting may be closed, but these celebrities still have yet to be judged in the court of public opinion. And before they parade out in front of the cameras on Sunday evening, they've got to make all sorts of press rounds.
One of the key people to chat with this week is Lee Daniels, whose sophomore directing effort "Precious" is up for six awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. There have already been some rumblings about Daniels' next project, "Selma." He even told MTV a few weeks ago that he's got something brewing with Robert De Niro, which may or may not be the civil rights-era flick. Now we've got our first official casting confirmation for the "Precious" follow-up, and it's not the former Goodfella. Read More...
Posted 2/3/10 11:30 am EST by Eric Ditzian in News, Oscars
FROM MTV.COM: Lee Daniels' "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" has already received a slew of awards love, from film festivals and the Golden Globes to the Screen Actors Guild and the Independent Spirits. Its string of praise stretches back over a year, to when the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, winning both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award.
But none of that acclaim makes the morning of Oscar nominations any easier, as Daniels told MTV News just hours after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made its 2010 selections.
Continue reading Lee Daniels Calls 'Precious' Oscar Nominations 'Out-Of-Body Crazy'
FROM MTV.COM: Days after winning its seventh-straight weekend at the box office, "Avatar" nabbed nine nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, tying "The Hurt Locker" for most Oscar nods in 2010. "Inglourious Basterds" garnered eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, while "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" and "Up in the Air" collected six and "Up" secured five.
For the first time since 1943, when "Casablanca" triumphed, the Oscars have selected 10 nominees in the Best Picture category, rather than the usual five. Despite the increased number, there were few surprises. Joining Cameron's big blue-alien epic are "The Hurt Locker," "Inglourious Basterds," "Up in the Air," "Precious, "District 9," "An Education," "A Serious Man," "Up" and "The Blind Side."
Continue reading Oscar Nominations Led By 'Avatar,' 'Hurt Locker'
Posted 2/2/10 10:30 am EST by Adam Rosenberg in News, Oscars
FROM MTV.COM: The 2010 Oscar nominations are in! "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" are the two leaders, each with nine nominations, including the big ones for Best Picture and Best Director. "Up" and "District 9" are among some of the surprises in the newly expanded Best Picture category, which now features 10 nominees. Expect to see plenty of opining in the days and weeks leading up to the March 7 awards show. But for now, here's your list of nominees!
Best Picture
"Avatar"
"The Blind Side"
"District 9"
"An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"
"Up in the Air"
Continue reading Oscar Nominations 2010: The List Is In!
Posted 1/7/10 2:00 pm EST by Adam Rosenberg in News
Each year, the Director's Guild of America selects one of its own to receive an award for his or her Outstanding Directorial Achievement. Like the Golden Globes, the five nominated individuals often serve as a barometer for what to expect in the top categories at the Academy Awards. And while the expanded playing field in the Best Picture category -- up from five nominations to 10 -- means that we're bound to see a few wildcards, the latest round of nominations for the year still serves as a pretty good indicator of who might be in the running for the biggest Oscars of the year.
Well the DGA's nominations for this year's Outstanding Directorial Achievement category were announced today and there's not a surprise among them. James Cameron is in there of course, for "Avatar," as is Lee Daniels for "Precious." Also up for the award are Quentin Tarantino ("Inglourious Basterds"), Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker") and Jason Reitman ("Up in the Air"). Like I said, no surprises. Read More...
Posted 12/17/09 1:30 pm EST by Eric Ditzian in News
FROM MTV.COM: Thursday morning's nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards have confirmed what has become increasingly clear since the Golden Globe noms two days earlier: Films like "Up in the Air" and "Precious" are the indisputable favorites heading into the peak of awards season.
Both of those films, as well as Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," racked up three nods each, followed by the likes of "The Hurt Locker" and "Nine," each with two. With just five motion picture categories — including an Outstanding Performance by a Cast in place of the more traditional recognition for best film — no one movie dominated the results.
Continue reading SAG Awards Nominations Led By 'Up In The Air,' 'Precious'
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Predicting The Best Supporting Actress Winner At This Sunday's Academy Awards
Posted 3/2/10 3:30 pm EST by Adam Rosenberg in Commentary
On MTV.com today, Larry Carroll previews the nominees for Best Supporting Actress. They are: Penelope Cruz for "Nine," Vera Farmiga for "Up in the Air," Maggie Gyllenhaal for "Crazy Heart," Anna Kendrick for "Up in the Air" and Mo'Nique for "Precious." You already know who the winner will be, don't you? Like Waltz, this particular performance is so far ahead of the pack that there's no question it will receive top honors. Read More...
Tags Mo'Nique, Precious