First-time nominee The Weeknd will take the stage to perform the hit song “The Hills” on the 2015 American Music Awards. The fan-voted music awards show will take place on November 22, 2015 and will air live on ABC at 8pm ET (tape delayed on the West Coast). Jennifer Lopez has been tapped to host this year’s show which has Taylor Swift sitting at the top of the nominees list with six nominations. The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran each picked up five, followed by Sam Hunt, Nicki Minaj, Sam Smith, Meghan Trainor and WALK THE MOON with three nominations.
The Weeknd joins a list of confirmed performers that includes host Jennifer Lopez, 5 Seconds of Summer, Coldplay, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, One Direction, Gwen Stefani, Carrie Underwood, WALK THE MOON, Meghan Trainor & Charlie Puth, and Luke Bryan with Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild. Pentatonix and a full symphony orchestra will perform the Star Wars score.
The Weeknd picked up nominations in the 2015 Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Favorite Male Artist – Soul/R&B, and Favorite Album – Soul/R&B categories.
Details on The Weeknd, Courtesy of the American Music Awards:
The Weeknd’s path to Beauty Behind The Madness has defied all conventions. He avoided revealing his face until over a year after he released his very first song online. The story itself is now legendary. In 2011, he released an untouchable series of three critically revered free mixtapes — House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence — and the internet exploded with praise and a whole lot of theories about him as he personally remained silent. Soon though, his reach and appeal exponentially expanded. He teamed up with Ariana Grande for the platinum-selling hit “Love Me Harder.” He then had the mainstream completely in his grip with the release of “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” in early 2015. The first release from the chart-dominating, platinum Fifty Shades of Grey Original Motion Picture soundtrack became a triple-platinum smash that enjoyed 27 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100. “Can’t Feel My Face” formally ushered in Beauty Behind The Madness. The song quickly shot to #1 on iTunes worldwide and within weeks, it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Beauty Behind The Madness went gold just two weeks after being released. In addition, “The Hills” has officially been certified 5x platinum as recognized by the RIAA.
The Weeknd has also become a touring force. The 2014 King Of The Fall Tour sold out all dates and since then, The Weeknd’s festival appearances, including Coachella, Lollapalooza and HARD Summer, have drawn massive crowds.
“I believe we will make it out of here because I choose to believe it! All 33 of us,” yells Mario Sepulveda (Antonio Banderas) to Don Lucho (Lou Diamond Phillips), cutting off Lucho’s short speech on how all 33 miners will die underground in the dramatic film The 33.
Back in 2010, 33 Chilean miners found themselves trapped underground with only enough food and water to last three days after the San Jose mine they were working in collapsed. When word of the disaster reached the miners’ families, they held vigil at the gates refusing to go home, effectively putting pressure on the owners to try to save the men. Laurence Golborne (Rodrigo Santoro), Chile’s Minister of Mining working for the President of Chile (played by Bob Gunton), travels to the site to evaluate the situation and tries to light a fire under the manager to do everything possible to save the men. When he first arrives he’s greeted by hostile and impatient wives and other family members of the miners, and gets an earful from Maria Segovia (Juliette Binoche) whose brother is one of the miners buried underground. Knowing this could be a terrible disaster for the families as well as the country, and genuinely moved into wanting to help save the men, Golborne quickly begins to go above and beyond what most bureaucrats do in this type of situation.
The President of Chile, not wanting to seem uncaring and trying to avoid a political nightmare, sends Andre Sougarret (Gabriel Byrne) – the best man for trying to find the buried miners – to the site to work with Golborne. The plan is to to send multiple drills down to try to find out if the miners are still alive. At first the two men seem to butt heads and disagree on how to go about the rescue operation, but soon Sougarret and Golborne become strong partners in working together trying to save the miners.
Meanwhile, the miners are hunkered down in the refuge inside the mine. They start to raid the food supply and Mario stops them, telling them they have to conserve carefully what little food and drink they have in order to give the rescue team time to find them and dig them out. The men quickly elect Mario as the man in charge of distributing the food and water because of his personality and strength of character.
Back above ground, the search is sluggishly moving forward, hindered from making progress because of hard rocks that the drills can’t cut through and that are diverting the drilling the wrong way. Finally Golborne realizes they need to look at all the wrong drills and learn from that so they can re-position the drill to end up where the miners are – or should be. The crazy plan works and the drill breaks through not far from where Mario is trying to sleep. The miners yell, bang things, and tie some clothes to the drill to let the rescue team know they’re there and alive. Elated that they have found all the miners alive, Sougarret tells Golborne now we have to find a way to get them out, something that’s never been done before.
Based on the amazing true story, The 33 is an intense, gripping, and at times emotional film with solid performances from its strong cast. Antonio Banderas delivers a powerful performance as the dynamic Mario Sepulveda, a natural leader who refuses to give up and fights to keep himself and all his brother miners alive. It’s one of Banderas’ finest performances of his career. He is the heart and soul of the film.
Rodrigo Santoro is extremely effective as Golborne, the bureaucrat who finds himself truly caring about the miners and their families and who becomes instrumental in getting the resources needed to help not only find them but also find a way to get them out. In many ways his character is the one the audience will most likely identify with. Gabriel Byrne is great as Sougarret, the experienced driller who initially is all about making it clear to Golborne the odds and statistics are against them but after a short while finds himself getting caught up in trying to find and save the miners.
Juliette Binoche delivers a strong although at times a little over-the-top performance as Maria, the scene-stealing big sister of one of the miners who always speaks her mind and is almost always in someone’s face. The quiet scenes between her and her brother via video, and those with Golborne, are emotional without becoming forced.
The production design and look of the mine is impressive, and the choice to shoot on location helps to make the film feel authentic. The 33 features one of the best, most realistic disaster scenes put on film, a riveting scene that will have the audience gripping their armrests. Perhaps the only problem with The 33 is the pacing which at times seems a little sluggish. There’s an unnecessary and silly dream sequence featuring the miners being served their favorite meals by their families down in the cave that slows down the film and feels intrusive.
Inspirational and engrossing, The 33 is an emotional, stirring, and crowd-pleasing film that should not be missed.
GRADE: B-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for a disaster sequence and some language
Brooklyn star Saoirse Ronan will receive the International Star Award at the 2016 Palm Springs International Film Festival. According to PSIFF, the International Star Award is given to an actor who has “achieved both critical and commercial recognition across the globe throughout their body of work.” Ronan will be honored during the festival’s awards gala on January 2, 2016 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
“From her unforgettable roles in Atonement, The Lovely Bones, Hanna and The Grand Budapest Hotel, we have seen Saoirse Ronan grow from a young girl to the accomplished actress she is today,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “In John Crowley’s new film Brooklyn, Ronan gives a mesmerizing performance as a young woman from Ireland who is offered the chance of a new life in New York. In this role, Ronan embodies the grace and depth of a classic Hollywood screen star. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present the 2016 International Star Award to Saoirse Ronan.”
Ronan’s credits also include The Way Back, Byzantium, Stockholm, Pennsylvania, The Host, and How I Live Now.
Details on Brooklyn:
Brooklyn tells the profoundly moving story of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of America, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her mother’s home for the shores of New York City. The initial shackles of homesickness quickly diminish as a fresh romance sweeps Eilis into the intoxicating charm of love. But soon, her new vivacity is disrupted by her past, and she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within. The film is directed by John Crowley from a screenplay by Nick Hornby based on the novel by Colm Tóibín and stars Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson and Emory Cohen, with Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters.
A new trailer for the most anticipated film of 2015 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens – aired on Thursday night on ABC and then arrived online for repeated viewing. Previous trailers have featured a voice-over with the line “I’ve seen your eyes” and a shot of Rey (Daisy Ridley) followed by a shot of Han (Harrison Ford) which added fuel to the fire for those who believe Rey is Han Solo and Princess Leia’s daughter. The new TV spot has Han handing what was first thought to be a lightsaber but it turns out is a blaster and actively teaching and fighting alongside the new generation of rebels.
Just a little over a month out from the film’s December 18, 2015 release date and co-writer/director J.J. Abrams still hasn’t provided any real clues as to why Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has yet to be seen in a trailer or clip. We also don’t know the official synopsis, the connection between characters, or why John Boyega’s character Finn appears to have defected from the Stormtroopers to join the rebellion.
The cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens includes Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Abrams, Bryan Burk, and Kathleen Kennedy produced the new Star Wars with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin executive producing.
The adorable Shaun the Sheep Movie will be released on November 24, 2015 on Blu-ray and DVD. The stop-motion sheep-filled film comes from the Aardman team, the people behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, and is one of the best animated movies of 2015. The animated comedy earned a PG rating for “rude humor,” but it actually plays well to the entire family, appealing to all age groups as it weaves an entertaining tale of a flock of sheep that learn the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.
Shaun the Sheep Movie follows Shaun (a sheep, obviously) who lives a pretty boring life on a little farm. He’s grown bored of the same old routine and decides to play a trick on the farmer which, of course, backfires and Shaun and his fellow flock members – plus the farm’s dog – have to head into the big city where they get into all sorts of trouble. It’s one slapstick moment after another as the farm animals are like fish out of water in the big city, quickly realizing they’re better off living their humdrum lives back at Mossy Bottom Farm.
Gorgeously animated, Shaun the Sheep Movie plays out without any dialogue. It’s all about the visuals in this old-school stop-motion film that’s fast-paced and charming. As an added bonus, Shaun the Sheep Movie touches on the importance of adopting shelter animals and explores father and son relationships.
The Shaun the Sheep Movie Bonus Features:
– Making the Shaun Movie Featurette: This 12-minute featurette explores the sets, the animation process, the use of music in the film, and the biggest challenges faced by the creative team led by directors Mark Burton and Richard Starzak.
– Meet the Characters Featurette: A four-minute video that focuses on a few of the main characters including Shaun, Slip, Timmy, and Trumper.
– Join Shaun Behind the Scenes Featurette: A look at the stop-motion animation process.
– Meet the Crew Featurette: The producers and directors discuss their work on the Shaun film.
Two new trailers have arrived for the R-rated comedy movie Moonwalkers starring Rupert Grint and Ron Perlman and directed by Antoine Bardou-Jacquet. One’s okay for general audiences while the other is restricted, so choose carefully if you’re at work. In addition to Grint and Perlman, the Moonwalkers cast includes Robert Sheehan, Stephen Campbell Moore, Jeanne Abraham, and Kerry Shale.
Moonwalkers will open in theaters on January 15, 2016.
Moonwalkers Plot:
After failing to locate the legendary Stanley Kubrick, an unstable CIA agent (Ron Perlman) must instead team up with a seedy rock band manager (Rupert Grint) to develop the biggest con of all time—staging the moon landing.
The first official poster for The Big Short listed the names of the four lead actors but this second one actually shows their faces. Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt star in the dramatic film inspired by a true story and directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman). McKay and Charles Randolph adapted Michael Lewis’ book for the screen, and based on the storyline and the acting ensemble, this looks like it could be a possible awards contender for Paramount.
In addition to the poster, the studio just released a behind-the-scenes video with the cast and McKay talking about working on the film. Paramount Pictures is set to open The Big Short in theaters on December 11, 2015.
The Big Short Plot:
When four outsiders saw what the big banks, media and government refused to, the global collapse of the economy, they had an idea: The Big Short. Their bold investment leads them into the dark underbelly of modern banking where they must question everyone and everything. Based on the true story and best-selling book by Michael Lewis (The Blind Side, Moneyball), and directed by Adam Mckay (Anchorman, Step Brothers) The Big Short stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt.
Filming will start this month in Atlanta on Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life starring Griffin Gluck. CBS Films and Participant Media just announced Lauren Graham and Rob Riggle will star alongside Gluck, and Thomas Barbusca, Andrew Daly, Adam Pally, Efren Ramirez, Isabela Moner, and Alexa Nisenson have also joined the cast. Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, and Kara Holden wrote the screenplay and Steve Carr is attached to direct.
The comedy is based on James Patterson’s Middle School six-book series and Patterson’s James Patterson Entertainment is co-financing the film adaptation. Patterson’s also involved as an executive producer.
“Over the years, I have had the privilege to meet countless Middle School fans, and I know that today they are just as excited as I am by this incredible cast,” said Patterson. “Speaking for everyone involved in this project, we are going to give those fans the movie that they deserve.”
Middle School opens in theaters on October 7, 2016.
The Middle School Plot:
The first entry in the series, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, chronicles the trials and triumphs of Rafe Khatchadorian (Griffin Gluck) as he uses all of his wits to battle bullies, hormones and the tyrannical, test-obsessed Principal Dwight (Daly). Graham co-stars as Rafe’s mother Jules, along with Riggle as her boyfriend Bear, Nisenson as Rafe’s sister Georgia, Barbusca as Rafe’s best friend Leo, Moner as Rafe’s first crush Jeanne, Ramirez as Gus and Pally as his favorite teacher, Mr. Teller.
The new poster for The Choice has arrived with the film’s stars Teresa Palmer and Benjamin Walker prominently featured. The Choice is based on the Nicholas Sparks book of the same name, with Ross Katz directing and Maggie Grace, Alexandra Daddario, Tom Welling, Brett Rice, and Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles. Lionsgate is planning on releasing The Choice in theaters on February 5, 2016.
The Choice Plot:
When feisty medical student Gabby Holland (Palmer) moves in next door to perennial ladies’ man Travis Shaw (Walker), it sends them both on a romantic journey neither ever dreamed possible. Travis has always believed a serious relationship with a woman would cramp his easygoing lifestyle, while Gabby is all set to settle down her long-term boyfriend-until an irresistible attraction between the unlikely couple upends both of their well-planned lives. After a whirlwind courtship, Gabby and Travis wed and build a family together, making every decision hand-in-hand until one of them is forced to make the most important choice of their life alone. A poignant and life-affirming celebration of love, marriage and family that explores the most heart-wrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?
The action thriller Hunter Killer now has Relativity Studios, Millennium Films and Original Film on board to produce and distribute. Gerard Butler is attached to star and will produce along with Alan Siegel, Neal Moritz, and Toby Jaffe. Filming’s expected to get underway by next summer.
Relativity Studios and Millennium are co-financing with Relativity handling domestic distribution and Millennium handling the foreign distribution.
“I’m very happy that we have resolved the misunderstanding between the parties,” said Moritz. “I especially want to thank Ryan Kavanaugh for finding a solution that brings Hunter Killer back to life. I’m looking forward to working with him and everyone at Relativity Studios to make a great film, and I am sorry we had a miscommunication.”
“Hunter Killer is going to be a terrific movie, and I’m pleased that we were able to reach an agreement to bring the film to audiences,” said Relativity Chairman and CEO Ryan Kavanaugh. “Gerry is a close friend and this is yet another step forward for Relativity in its new iteration.”
“We’re thrilled to be joining forces for the first time with Ryan, Neal, Toby and their teams at Relativity Studios and Original on a script that we love,” said Mark Gill, President of Millennium Films. “And we’re thrilled to be back in business with our longtime friends Gerry Butler and Alan Siegel, with whom we have had tremendous success over the years.”
