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Gold Derby's top news stories for Feb. 24, 2025

American Music Awards announce comeback date

The 2025 American Music Awards will air live from Las Vegas on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, at 8:00 p.m. Et/5:00 p.m. Pt on CBS and Paramount+. This comes after a lengthy hiatus: the awards haven't aired since 2022, not counting the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special that aired in 2024.

Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions USC Scripter Awards pick Conclave, Say Nothing

Over the weekend, the USC Scripter Awards honored the best film and TV programs adapted from other material. Conclave won as the best adapted film screenplay over A Complete Unknown, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, and The Wild Robot. The limited series Say Nothing was the best adapted TV program, overtaking Baby Reindeer, Ripley, Shōgun, and Slow Horses.

Conclave screenwriter Peter Straughan said in his acceptance speech, "Adaptation is a really strange process,...

“Maria” cinematographer Edward Lachman won the Feature Film prize at the 39th annual ASC Awards, February 23 at The Beverly Hilton. His surprise win beat out Academy Award favorites “Dune: Part Two” (Greig Fraser) and “The Brutalist” (Lol Crawley), as well as “Nosferatu” (Jarin Blaschke), “Conclave” (Stéphane Fontaine), “A Complete Unknown” (Phedon Papamichael), and “Wicked” (Alice Brooks). The expanded list was due to how close the percentage of voting was.

This marks Lachman’s first win after five nominations at the ASC Awards. He was previously nominated for his work with Todd Haynes on “Mildred Pierce,” “Far From Heaven,” and “Carol,” as well as his previous effort with Pablo Larraín, “El Conde.” His second project with the Chilean filmmaker, “Maria,” follows the last days of opera singer Maria Callas as she reflects on her life and the struggle of maintaining her own voice. It serves as a culmination of Larraín’s “Important Women” Trilogy,...

Edward Lachman has taken top honors at the 39th annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards for his work on “Maria.”

In a competitive year, the ASC nominated seven cinematographers in the feature film category. The last time the field expanded beyond five was in 2014. The other nominees are Lol Crawley for “The Brutalist,” Phedon Papamichael for “A Complete Unknown,” Stéphane Fontaine for “Conclave,” Greig Fraser for “Dune: Part 2,” Jarin Blaschke for “Nosferatu,” and Alice Brooks for “Wicked.”

In its 38-year history, only 18 have gone on to win the Oscar. Last year, Hoyte Van Hoytema won the ASC for “Oppenheimer” and went on to win the Oscar.

In TV, winners included Robert Elswit for “Ripley.” Elswit won the Creative Art Emmy last year. Speaking with Variety for Inside the Frame, Elswit spoke about shooting the black and white limited series. He said, “Lighting was important. It needed to reflect who...

“Maria” cinematographer Ed Lachman has won the top feature-film award at the American Society of Cinematographers’ ASC Awards, which took place on Sunday evening in Los Angeles.

The film, which charts the final week of opera diva Maria Callas’ life, is one of the five nominees in the Oscars Best Cinematography category and won over fellow Oscar nominees “The Brutalist,” “Conclave,” “Nosferatu” and “Wicked,” as well as “Dune: Part Two” and “A Complete Unknown.”

In the 38 years that the ASC has been giving out an award for feature-film cinematography, its winner has gone on to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography a little less than half the time, with the two voting bodies agreeing 18 times and disagreeing 20 times. Recently, though, the ASC and Oscars have gone to the same film more often, with four matches in the last five years.

Jomo Fray won the Spotlight Award, which goes to smaller and often more adventurous films,...

Maria cinematographer Edward Lachman took the marquee Theatrical Feature Film prize at the 39th annual ASC Awards, which were handed out Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton. It’s the first major award for the Netflix pic starring Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas. See the full winners list below.

The ASC’s Theatrical Feature Film prize winner has gone on to claim the Best Cinematography Oscar nearly half of the time — 18 times in its 38 years — including Hoyte van Hoytema for Oppenheimer last year. Maria also is up for the Best Cinematography Oscar, which is its only nomination. Lachman will vie for the prize against Lol Crawley (The Brutalist), Greig Fraser (Dune: Part Two) Paul Guilhaume (Emilia Pérez) and Jarin Blaschke (Nosferatu). All five also were up for the ASC Award tonight.

Ed Helms hosted the American Society of Cinematographers’ ceremony, where Jomo Fray won the Spotlight Award for his work...

Andrew Scott likely had a more enjoyable time at the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards than he did at the show five years ago.

The 48-year-old actor attended the show as a nominee on Sunday (February 23) at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Andrew was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for his work in Ripley, but lost to The Penguin‘s Colin Farrell.

While at the event, Andrew opened up to Variety about the medical emergency he suffered at the 2020 SAG Awards, when he was nominated for Fleabag.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I passed a kidney stone during the SAG Awards. I was beside Phoebe [Waller-Bridge] and Laura Dern had just won best supporting actress and we were standing up,” he said. “I don’t know if anyone has ever experienced having a kidney stone before, but it sends you,...

“Dune: Part Two,” “Saturday Night,” “Wicked,” “The Wild Robot,” “Emilia Pérez” and “The Blue Angels” won the feature-film awards at the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ Mpse Golden Reel Awards, which were presented on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.

“Dune: Part Two” won in the Feature Effects/Foley category, the Golden Reel category that corresponds most closely to the Academy Award for Best Sound. “Saturday Night” won in the Feature Dialogue/Adr category, “Wicked” for music editing, “The Wild Robot” for animated feature, “The Blue Angels” for documentary feature and “Emilia Pérez” for international feature.

“Dune,” “Wicked,” “The Wild Robot” and “Emilia Pérez” are all nominated for the Best Sound Oscar, which covers both sound editing and sound mixing. The final Oscar nominee is “A Complete Unknown,” which was nominated in the Golden Reel dialogue and music categories but lost to “Saturday Night” and “Wicked,” respectively.

On Saturday night, “A Complete Unknown...

“Dune: Part Two,” “Emilia Perez,” “Wicked,” “The Wild Robot” and “Saturday Night” won one award apiece at the 72nd annual Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards, Sunday at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

In the feature competition of the annual awards, “Dune: Part 2” topped the category for effects and foley: “Saturday Night” collected the trophy for dialogue and Adr; “Wicked,” for music editing; “Emila Perez,” for sound editing in an international feature; and “The Wild Robot,” for sound editing in an animated feature.

The results set up a competitive Oscar race in sound. “Dune: Part Two,” “Emilia Perez,” “Wicked” and “The Wild Robot,” along with “A Complete Unknown” are nominated for the Oscar in sound, which combines sound editing and mixing. On Saturday, the Cinema Audio Society, which represents sound mixing, weighed in, giving its top awards to “A Complete Unknown,” for a live-action feature; and “The Wild Robot,...

“Dune: Part Two” (feature effects/foley), “Wicked” (feature music editing), and “Saturday Night” (feature dialogue/Adr) were the big winners at the 72nd annual Mpse Golden Reel Awards, February 23 at The Ebell of Los Angeles.

The feature international award went to “Emilia Pérez,” the feature animation award belonged to “The Wild Robot” (which has been sweeping the guild and honorary awards), and “The Blue Angels” took the feature documentary prize.

For TV, the Motion Picture Sound Editors honored “Shōgun” (long form dialogue/Adr), “Ripley” (long form effects/foley), “The Penguin” (long form music editing), “Earthsounds” (short form sound editing), and “Only Murders in the Building” (short form music editing).

As previously announced, the Mpse honored Kevin Costner (“Horizon”) with the Filmmaker Award and supervising sound editor Greg Hedgepath (“Twister”) with the Career Achievement Award.

As we head into the Oscar homestretch, “Dune: Part Two” and “Wicked” find themselves in a...

On Sunday, the Motion Picture Sound Editors announced the winners of the Mpse Golden Reel Awards, and four of the five Oscar nominees for Best Sound came away victorious: Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Wicked, and The Wild Robot. The fifth Oscar nominee, A Complete Unknown, had two Golden Reel nominations, but didn't win.

Dune claimed top honors for effects/foley. Wicked was awarded for music editing. The Wild Robot had the best sound editing for animation. And Emilia Pérez won the award for international features. Surprisingly, the dialogue/Adr prize went to Saturday Night, which ranked fifth in Gold Derby's odds, with only one user predicting that result.

A Complete Unknown may have been the odd movie out at the Golden Reels, but it did win the Cas Award for its sound mixing, while Dune claimed the BAFTA Award for its sound. Every single Best Sound nominee at the...

Colin Farrell just took home his first SAG Award. On Sunday night, the actor won best actor in a limited series for his role in Max’s “The Penguin.”

Jamie Lee Curtis presented the award, and when she opened the envelope, she read, “And the Actor goes to… the man who gave me covid at the Golden Globes: Colin Farrell.” Once up on stage, Farrell responded with, “Guilty as charged. But Brendan Gleeson fucking gave it to me! So I was just spreading the love.”

He then complimented the room fill of so many people he admired. “It is weird. So many of you, I grew up watching on television and in film and so many I’ve worked with over the years and shared in the spirit of collaborative curiosity and all the stuff that we fail at doing and we succeed at doing, and none of it is ever quantifiable,...

Andrew Scott is feeling good at tonight’s SAG Awards. But the same can’t be said for the first time the “Ripley” actor was at the ceremony back in 2020 when he passed a kidney stone on the same night he was nominated for his role in “Fleabag.”

“I was beside Phoebe [Waller-Bridge] and Laura Dern had just won best supporting actress and we were standing up,” Scott told Variety‘s Marc Malkin at the SAG Awards red carpet in Los Angeles. “I don’t know if anyone has ever experienced having a kidney stone before, but it sends you, the pain is so immediate.”

Scott recalled how by the time Dern finished accepting her award for “Marriage Story,” he was already ripping off his tux. “I was in the back [of the room]…writhing around in agony.”

He knew what was going on since he had passed a kidney stone before. Waller-Bridge was...

The 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards are underway Sunday night, one week before the Oscars crown its winners.

Universal’s Broadway adaptation “Wicked” and FX/Hulu’s Japanese drama “Shogun” led the film and TV categories with five nominations each at the SAG Awards. Tying for the most film nominations in SAG history, “Wicked” earned nods for its cast, best actress for Cynthia Erivo, supporting actress for Ariana Grande, supporting actor for Jonathan Bailey and for its stunts. “Shogun” is up for performance by an ensemble in a drama series, plus nods for Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Anna Sawai and the stunt group.

“Nobody Wants This” star Kristen Bell, who’s up for female actor in a comedy series, hosts the SAG Awards for the second time. They’re also streaming on Netflix from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall beginning at 8 p.m. Et / 5 p.m. Pt.

Outstanding Action Performance by...

At the 2025 USC Libraries Scripter Awards, Edward Berger’s “Conclave” won outstanding film adaptation for Peter Straughan’s screenplay while “Say Nothing” won in the episodic series category, with Joshua Zetumer honored for adapting Patrick Radden Keefe’s nonfiction book “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland.”

Zetumer accepted his award for the episode “The People in the Dirt” and took the moment to also shoutout his fellow nominees. “It’s a limited series without big American stars and like so many of the shows that are here tonight, like ‘Shōgun,’ ‘Baby Reindeer,’ ‘Ripley’ and ‘Slow Horses,’ we did everything that you’re told not to do.”

Zetumer recalled how when he first read Keefe’s book, he thought it was “exhilarating and insightful and dense and complicated and so complicated that I thought there was no way in hell this was ever going to get made.

The writers behind the feature film Conclave and TV series Say Nothing took home top honors at the USC Scripter Awards, which were handed out Saturday night.

The Scripter Awards honor the best adapted projects of the year. Both the original authors and the screenwriters share the award.

Conclave was adapted by Peter Straughan from the novel by Robert Harris.

Say Nothing was honored for the episode “The People in the Dirt,” written by Joshua Zetumer. The show is based on the nonfiction book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe.

The finalists and winners were determined by a jury chaired by USC professor and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences vp Howard Rodman. The awards were presented at the 37th annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards ceremony, a black-tie affair held at the Town & Gown ballroom on the campus of USC.

The 40th annual Independent Spirit Awards took place in Santa Monica on Feb. 22, with Aidy Bryant as host for the second year in a row.

“Anora” was the biggest winner of the day, being named best feature while Sean Baker and Mikey Madison took home individual trophies for best director and lead performance. “Baby Reindeer” also won big, with Richard Gadd, Nava Mau and Jessica Gunning clinching the awards for lead, supporting and breakthrough performance, though “Shogun” won best new scripted series. And Sean Wang’s “Dìdi” clinched both awards in the debut film category: best first feature as well as best first first screenplay.

See the full list of winners below.

Best Feature

“Anora” (Winner)

“I Saw the TV Glow”

“Nickel Boys”

“Sing Sing”

“The Substance”

Best First Feature

“Dìdi” (Winner)

“In the Summers”

“Janet Planet”

“The Piano Lesson”

“Problemista”

John Cassavetes Award – Given to the best feature made...

Aside from the peculiar appearance of a certain flightless waterfowl, Saturday night’s WGA Awards were a familiar affair.

“Hacks” won its second trophy in four years for Best Comedy Series, as well as its second trophy in the same span for Best Episodic Comedy, continuing a victory parade that began at the 2024 Emmys when it upset “The Bear” for the top prize. That hot streak has continued into 2025 with wins at the Casting Society of America, Costume Designers Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards, Producers Guild Awards, and AFI Awards, among others. With Season 4 having wrapped production in January, creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky’s Max original should enter the 2025 Emmy season as the presumptive favorite.

The season’s dominant drama, “Shōgun,” won’t be back in time to compete in 2025 — the writers’ room is still plugging away at Season 2 — but its Season 1 winning streak also...

Awards-watchers are accustomed to waiting for the end of every awards show to see the big film categories handed out, but Saturday’s Writers Guild Awards threw everybody for a loop by making the film awards the first two categories of the night in simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

“Nickel Boys” won the first award of the night, for Best Adapted Screenplay, and “Anora” won the second, for Best Original Screenplay. The awards led off the shows because the BAFTA Awards are taking place in London on Sunday, with the categories’ early placement giving “Nickel Boys” writers RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes and “Anora” writer Sean Baker more time to get to London.

In the television categories that ended the show, “Shōgun” and “Hacks” continued the roll they’ve been on since last September’s Emmy Awards, with the former show winning three awards and the latter show winning two.

Update: Producers of the Off Broadway staging of Andrew Scott’s Vanya at the Lucille Lortel Theatre have extended the show’s run. Vanya will begin performances on Monday, March 10, a day earlier than previously announced – and run through May 11, a week later than previously announced.

Previous: Andrew Scott will reprise his acclaimed West End performance in Vanya, described as a radical new adaptation of Chekhov’s masterwork Uncle Vanya, for a spring 2025 Off Broadway engagement at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, producers announced today.

Co-created by Scott and Simon Stephens, the play is directed by Sam Yates.

“I love this masterpiece of a play,” Scott said in a statement. “I love these heartbreaking, hilarious, sexy, characters. I love my colleagues with whom I made this show. I love New York. So, I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring Vanya to the audiences at the Lortel Theatre.”

Vanya, which features Scott in multiple roles,...

Andrew Scott’s Off-Broadway production of Vanya is adding more dates to the run due to demand.

The one-man show, starring and co-created by Scott, will now begin performances one day early, on March 10, and extend an additional week through May 11, 2025. The play is scheduled to open March 18 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

This marks the American premiere of the production, which sees Scott taking on every character in an adaptation of the classic Chekhov drama, Uncle Vanya. The play comes to New York after a West End run in 2023 and a filmed live capture of the show.

Scott devised the show with adaptor Simon Stephens, designer Rosanna Vize and director Sam Yates. Rehearsals began in London this week.

The play, which has eight characters, sees an older professor and his younger wife visit their rural estate, which is run by their family members Vanya and Sonya. After various flirtations,...

What a weekend. Just like “Anora,” which has fully jumped back into the Best Picture race, the television show “Hacks” also had an incredibly auspicious weekend, adding a PGA Award and DGA Award to join its Critics Choice Awards 2025 statue for Best Comedy Series.

Though other current reigning Emmy winners like “Shōgun,” “Baby Reindeer,” and “Ripley” were big winners as well, those shows have either ended or are far off from a new season, so their PGA and/or DGA Award wins have little effect on the upcoming Emmys race. But “Hacks” is expected to premiere its fourth season in the spring, most likely making it eligible for a possible back-to-back Outstanding Comedy Series win.

At the DGA Awards 2025, “Hacks” director and co-showrunner Lucia Aniello got emotional thanking the room full of peers for awarding her work directing the Season 3 finale “Bulletproof.” “I’m very proud to be a member of this union,...

This weekend, the winners of the 77th Annual DGA Awards were announced at a wonderful celebration in Los Angeles. The 2024 awards season starting to wrap up with DGA and PGA winners this weekend, and ending with the Academy Awards airing in early March soon enough. This year it's Anora director Sean Baker conquering the awards season - taking home the top DGA prize for his celebrated film, along with acclaimed Nickel Boys director RaMell Ross winning for Best First Feature. These are two of my favorite films of 2024 - very happy with both winning. In addition, the Ukraine doc film Porcelain War (directed by Slava Leontyev & Brendan Bellomo) won the prize for Best Documentary; Steven Zaillian also won for directing the Netflix series Ripley; and prizes went to Frederick E. O. Toye for an episode of "Shogun", and Lucia Aniello for an episode of "Hacks", in the other Best TV categories.

Anora helmer Sean Baker won the marquee Theatrical Feature Film prize at the 77th annual DGA Awards, which were handed out tonight at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Check out the winners list below.

Baker solidified his position as the front-runner for Best Director at the Academy Awards on March 2, besting fellow nominees Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez), Edward Berger (Conclave), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown). Baker also is coming off last night’s Critics Choice Award best picture win for Anora.

RaMell Ross took the Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film prize for Nickel Boys.

The DGA is a strong predictor of Oscar success historically, missing the eventual Best Director winner only eight times in its 76 years. Last year, the group handed its top trophy to Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer, and he went on to snag the Academy Award a month later. The film also won Best Picture.

The Producers Guild of America Awards brought some clarity for the upcoming Oscars race as “Anora” took the evening’s top prize after it also won the top DGA prize for director Sean Baker just a few moments earlier as well as the Critics Choice award on Friday.

DreamWorks’ “The Wild Robot” gained momentum by earning the PGA animated film prize, while “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” which missed out on the Academy Awards shortlist, took home the PGA prize for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture.

On the television side, “Hacks” followed up its strong showing from Friday’s Critics Choice Awards, landing the Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Comedy. Meanwhile, Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” landed the David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television. Other TV winners include “Saturday Night Live” in the Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk...

Sean Baker won the top film prize for “Anora” at the Directors Guild Awards on Saturday, putting himself in the driver’s seat for the Best Director Oscar. Last year’s winner, “Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan presented Baker with the DGA Award.

Baker and “Anora” are on a huge high following the film’s surprise Best Picture win at the Critics Choice Awards on Friday. And about an hour after winning the DGA Award on Saturday, Baker collected the Producers Guild Awards’ top feature film prize in a stunning turn of events. The DGA, PGA and Critics Choice accolades are the first major honors the film has won this awards season, catapulting it into the front of the Oscar conversation.

“Oh my god, incredibly unexpected,” Baker said as he accepted the DGA honor alongside his directorial team. After acknowledging Nolan and “maestro” Ang Lee, he admitted his “imposter syndrome is skyrocketing right now.

“Anora” director Sean Baker has won the DGA Award for Theatrical Feature, gaining significant Oscar momentum ahead of final voting.

With its surprising best picture win at the Critics Choice Awards — its only prize of the night — the $6 million dramedy, which claimed the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has solidified itself as a major contender in an unpredictable awards season.

“I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be able to do thing I knew I wanted to do since I was 5 years old,” Baker told the crowd Saturday at the conclusion of the 77th annual DGA Awards, held at the Beverly Hilton.

A wide-open year has unfolded with plenty of twists and turns, including campaign controversies and surprising Oscar snubs like DGA nominee Edward Berger and recent Critics Choice shocking victor Jon M. Chu for “Wicked.”

Legendary filmmaker Ang Lee, a two-time Oscar-winning director...

What does it take to coax Ben Affleck to the deteriorating heart of Hollywood Blvd. at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday to deliver the two-minute elevator pitch for his latest movie to a room full of journalists? Just Netflix, apparently.

The ruling streamer held its 2025 programming preview, Next on Netflix, with an Egyptian Theatre event that could only be described as a living sizzle reel. In addition to Affleck, Tina Fey, John Mulaney, The Duffer Brothers, WWE wrestlers and a pre-taped Guillermo del Toro all showed up alongside chief content officer Bela Bajaria as she ran through a dizzying slate of upcoming series and films.

There were updates about the final seasons of Stranger Things (coming soon!) and Squid Game (coming sooner!) and first looks of both, as well as trailer debuts for Del Toro’s Frankenstein and Affleck crime thriller Rip, between Bajaria’s compelling pitch. Though, at times,...

Patricia Highsmith wrote 22 novels (plus many short stories) and is best known for her psychological thrillers – including the five-book series that followed the character Tom Ripley, who has been brought to the screen several times over the decades, most recently in a Netflix series called Ripley. Now, Variety has revealed that Highsmith and her Ripley stories are at the center of a thriller called Switzerland, which stars Helen Mirren (1923) as the author and is now filming in Rome, Italy.

Mirren is joined in the cast by Alden Ehrenreich (Oppenheimer) and Olivia Cooke (House of the Dragon).

Based on a play by Joanna Murray-Smith, who has also written the screenplay, Switzerland tells a fictional story that sees Mirren playing Highsmith at a time when the aging queen of thrillers is fading away in Switzerland. A young literary agent named Edward (Ehrenreich), tries to coax her out of retirement to pen one...

Shooting is underway in Rome on Anton Corbijn’s thriller “Switzerland,” starring Helen Mirren as American crime novelist Patricia Highsmith, with Alden Ehrenreich (“Oppenheimer”) and Olivia Cooke (“House of the Dragon”) confirmed to have joined the cast.

The hotly anticipated film – which takes its cue from Highsmith’s Tom Ripley novels – marks the first feature in more than nine years from the Dutch photographer-turned-director. Corbijn is known for helming music videos for U2, Coldplay and Nirvana as well as films including “Control,” the biopic about Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, as well as “A Most Wanted Man” and “The American.”

The fictional “Switzerland” story sees Mirren playing the aging queen of thrillers fading away in Switzerland, where a young literary agent named Edward (Ehrenreich), tries to coax her out of retirement to pen one last installment of her popular “Ripley” series. It soon becomes clear that the charming agent is on a more sinister mission.

Banijay Entertainment is starting 2025 off with a new approach to its scripted division.

The French production and distribution company announced on Monday that it has promoted Steve Matthews to be head of scripted, creative, and Johannes Jensen to be head of scripted, business. Both execs will report to chief business officer Frédéric Balmary.

“Our scripted offering continues to go from strength-to-strength with a combined slate of new hits and successful returners scooping high-profile awards and widespread critical acclaim,” Balmary said in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of our producers’ achievements in this space and as we continue to grow, the refreshed roles for Steve and Johannes will strengthen our creative and business acumen, ensuring we continue to innovate and lead on the global stage.”

Matthews joined Banijay in 2023 and is credited with “fueling the storytelling pipeline” at the company by introducing the Banijay Bootcamp, where emerging writers get to work with existing executives.

France-headquartered content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment unveiled a new combined leadership structure for its central scripted division on Monday appointing Steve Matthews as head of scripted, creative and Johannes Jensen as head of scripted, business. Reporting to chief business officer Frédéric Balmary, the duo will work in unison “to effectively support and partner with the group’s thriving portfolio of over 60 dedicated labels,” the firm said.

Matthews has served as content partnerships executive so far and Jensen as Banijay Nordic head of scripted. The latter has also led two production labels Jarowskij and Yellow Bird, now merged as Jarowskij/Yellow Bird, with Banijay noting that “he has played an integral role in significantly uplifting scripted slates, with expertise in co-production, navigating complex industry changes, and driving long-term strategic expansion.” Matthews, since joining in 2023, “has played a pivotal role in supporting the scripted community, fueling the storytelling pipeline, and spearheading initiatives to encourage collaboration across labels worldwide,...

European TV giant Banijay Entertainment — whose more-than 60 labels have produced recent shows such as “Rogue Heroes,” “Ripley” and “The Rig” — has expanded the roles of two execs as it rejigs its global scripted division.

As part of a new combined leadership structure, Steve Matthews has been named head of scripted, creative and Johannes Jensen head of scripted, business. The two will work in unison and report to chief business officer, Frédéric Balmary, who will continue to lead overall strategic direction.

HBO alumni Matthews joined Banijay as contents partnership executive in early 2023, reporting to Christian Wikander who served as global head of scripted until his departure in Feb. 2024. Since joining he has introduced various initiatives to encourage collaboration across the company’s labels worldwide, alongside setting up the he Banijay Bootcamp to connecting in-house development executives with emerging writers.

Jensen new role extends his current remit as head of scripted for Banijay Nordic,...

Steve Matthews and Johannes Jensen have been handed new roles in Banijay Entertainment’s central scripted division.

Matthews has been named Head of Scripted, Creative, and Jensen Head of Scripted, Business. Together, they will work to support and partner with Banijay’s group of more than 60 scripted labels.

Frédéric Balmary will continue to oversee the overall direction of Banijay’s scripted effort as Chief Business Officer. “As we continue to grow, the refreshed roles for Steve and Johannes will strengthen our creative and business acumen, ensuring we continue to innovate and lead on the global stage,” he said.

Former HBO Europe exec Matthews has been with Banijay since 2023, working as a pivot for the France-based giant’s scripted producers and overseeing global initiatives. He has taken on an even more prominent role since the exit of Christian Wikander this time last year.

Jensen has to this point been Head of Scripted for Banijay Nordic.

The screenplays of A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing and The Wild Robot, as well as the source material from which they were drawn, are nominated for the USC Scripter Award for best film adaptation, and the teleplays for episodes of Baby Reindeer, Ripley, Say Nothing, Shōgun and Slow Horses, as well as the source material from which they were drawn, are nominated for the USC Scripter Award for best TV adaptation, the USC Libraries revealed on Wednesday.

The winners — which will be determined by a jury chaired by USC professor and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences vice president Howard Rodman, as were the nominations — will be announced at the 37th annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards ceremony, a black-tie affair in the Town & Gown ballroom on the campus of USC, on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Here is a full list of the film adaptation finalists:

James Mangold and...

The screenplays for “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Nickel Boys,” “Sing Sing” and “The Wild Robot,” and the original works on which they were based, have been chosen as finalists for the USC Libraries Scripter Awards, the USC Libraries announced on Wednesday.

The Scripters have been given out since 1988 and are awarded to the writers of adapted screenplays and the authors of the works that were adapted. The unusual decision to reward original authors means that “A Complete Unknown” writers James Mangold and Jay Cocks share their nomination with Elijah Wald, who wrote the book “Dylan Goes Electric!”; “Conclave” screenwriter Peter Straughan is joined as a nominee by novelist Robert Harris; “Nickel Boys” writers RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes are nominated alongside author Colson Whitehead; “Sing Sing” writers Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John “Divine G” Whitfield are nominated with Esquire magazine journalist John H. Richardson; and “The Wild Robot...

The 2025 finalists for the USC Libraries Scripter Awards have been announced by the USC Libraries. The annual event is held in honor of the writers of the year’s most accomplished film and episodic series adaptations, as well as the authors of the works on which they are based.

For example, on the film side, recent Golden Globes Best Screenplay winner Peter Straughan is nominated alongside Robert Harris, the author of “Conclave.” The finalist can also be the same person on both ends, with “Baby Reindeer” creator/star Richard Gadd being nominated for adapting his play of the same name into the Emmy-winning hit Netflix series.

The award has become a trusty predictor for what film will win the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, with “American Fiction” filmmaker Cord Jefferson being the most recent example. Other past winners include “Women Talking,” “Call Me by Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” and “The Imitation Game,...

Ayo Edebiri discovers that John Malkovich’s life as a pop music sensation is not all it seems in the trailer for the A24 horror movie Opus.

Writer-director Mark Anthony Green’s feature hits theaters March 14 following its forthcoming premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 27. Rounding out the cast are Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder, Stephanie Suganami, Young Mazino and Tatanka Means.

Opus centers on Ariel, a young writer sent to visit pop star Alfred Moretti (Malkovich), who has resurfaced after disappearing for 30 years. When she arrives, Ariel realizes that Moretti is a figure of obsession for those around him, which aids his nefarious plans.

“What is it that you guys do?” Edebiri asks Malkovich in the trailer. This leads him to respond, “Would you like to see?”

Later, a distressed Edebiri asks someone, “Is this not alarming to you?”

Green marks his feature directorial debut with this film,...

After being postponed as a result of the Southern California wildfires that have leveled parts of Los Angeles this past week, the nominations for the Producers Guild Awards were announced today, with the ceremony still scheduled to take place Saturday, February 8 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Facing off this year in the category of Theatrical Motion Picture are the producers for “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown, “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Emilia Pérez,” “A Real Pain,” “September 5,” “The Substance,” and “Wicked.”

Named for one of the original producers and studio executives, a man responsible for films such as “The Jazz Singer” and “The Grapes of Wrath,” the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures has long been considered an accurate predictor of Best Picture Oscar winners, with 14 of the past 20 recipients going on to claim the top prize at the Academy Awards, including “Oppenheimer,...

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) unveiled its 2025 Awards nominees on Thursday, honoring an eclectic slate of films poised to dominate this year’s Oscar race.

Among the 10 nominees for the coveted Darryl F. Zanuck Award for outstanding producer of theatrical motion pictures are Sean Baker’s poignant dramedy “Anora,” Brady Corbet’s meticulously crafted historical epic “The Brutalist,” Edward Berger’s religious thriller “Conclave,” Jacques Audiard’s genre-bending musical “Emilia Pérez” and Jon M. Chu’s glittering adaptation of “Wicked.”

Perhaps the most unexpected entry in this year’s list is Tim Fehlbaum’s indie thriller “September 5.” The high-stakes dystopian drama, acquired by Paramount Pictures after generating buzz at Venice and Telluride, edged out high-profile contenders like RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” and Greg Kwedar’s prison drama “Sing Sing.” The nod for “September 5” marks a significant moment for the underdog film, which now finds itself in the best picture conversation.

The photographic excellence of The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Maria, Dune: Part Two, Nosferatu, and Wicked were cited in the marquee Theatrical Feature Film category as the American Society of Cinematographers announced nominees Thursday morning for the 39th Annual ASC Awards. The ASC Awards span features, documentaries, television, and music videos among its seven categories, with these nominations delayed a week due to the Los Angeles wildfire crisis.

This feature lineup is packed with awards season favorites, including cinematographers Lol Crawley for The Brutalist, Greig Fraser for Dune: Part Two, and Jarin Blaschke for Nosferatu. Last year’s ASC feature winner, Hoyte van Hoytema for Oppenheimer, went on to win the Academy Award. The ASC winner has claimed that year’s Oscar 18 times in 38 years, or a smidgen less than half the time.

The number of nominees in the feature category — seven this time — can vary between five and...

The American Society of Cinematographers today focused in on the delayed nominations for its 39th annual ASC Awards, which celebrate the year’s best in cinematography in seven categories spanning feature films, TV, documentaries and music videos. See the list below.

Vying for the marquee Theatrical Feature Film prize are the DPs behind Nosferatu, Wicked, The Brutalist, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Maria and A Complete Unknown. The number of nominees in the category can vary from five to 10, depending on vote percentage. The last time there were seven was in 2014.

Winners will be feted February 23 during 39th annual ASC Awards at the Beverly Hilton. The ceremony will be livestreamed at theasc.com.

Related: 2025 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More

Producer and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy is set for the ASC’s 2025 Board of Governors Award, and longtime Sidney Lumet collaborator Andrzej Bartkowiak will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The cinematographers of “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Maria,” “Nosferatu” and “Wicked” have been nominated for the top feature-film award by the American Society of Cinematographers, which announced its nominations on Thursday after a week-long delay because of the Los Angeles wildfires.

The nominated cinematographers were Jarin Blaschke for “Nosferatu,” Alice Brooks for “Wicked,” Lol Crawley for “The Brutalist,” Stéphane Fontaine for “Conclave,” Greig Fraser for “Dune: Part Two,” Edward Lachman for “Maria” and Phedon Papamichael for “A Complete Unknown.”

The nominations were the fourth for Fraser, Lachman and Papamichael. Brooks became only the fourth woman ever nominated in the feature-film category by the ASC, following Rachel Morrison for “Mudbound,” Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog” and Mandy Walker for “Elvis.” Walker is the only woman to win.

The category was expanded to seven nominees rather than the usual five, but it still did...

After a delay due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) announced the nominees for its 2025 Outstanding Achievement Awards, spanning feature films, documentaries, television, and music videos. “Dune: Part 2” continues to be a craft favorite with a nomination for Greig Fraser, but winter films made their mark, with nominations for “Nosferatu” and “A Complete Unknown,” among others. The ASC’s spotlight award, which highlights outstanding features with a more limited release or festival run, also nominated Jomo Fray’s work on “Nickel Boys,” keeping it in the conversation.

On the television side, both “House of the Dragon” and “Shōgun” earned multiple nominations for sweeping and sometimes fantastical work in the One-Hour Regular Series category; “Hacks” and “The Franchise” earned nominations for the sharp, funny backstage view of the entertainment industry that Adam Bricker’s and Carl Herse’s cameras each take. The ASC...

After a couple of postponements in consideration of the ongoing wildfires in California, the Writers Guild of America announced on Wednesday the nominations for the 2025 WGA Awards honoring film, TV, and several other mediums.

As always, the guild’s film nominations come with the caveat that any script not written by a guild member or under a WGA collective bargaining agreement was deemed ineligible, so major screenplay Oscar contenders like “The Brutalist” and “The Substance” were left out. What was nominated in their stead is the real indicator of some titles that are still not out of the awards race just yet.

The primary example on the Original Screenplay side is “Challengers,” which was just shut out of the BAFTAs the same day the WGA Awards nominations arrived. While the film’s best shot at an Oscar nomination is still for Best Original Score, “Challengers” screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes has been...

Anora, A Complete Unknown, Challengers, Hit Man, and Wicked are among the 2025 Writers Guild of America Awards nominees.

In Best Original Screenplay, Anora and Challengers are up against A Real Pain, Civil War, and My Old Ass. The Best Adapted Screenplay lineup features A Complete Unknown, Dune: Part Two, Hit Man, Nickel Boys, and Wicked.

The nominations were announced Wednesday, a week after the guild postponed its scheduled Jan. 9 announcement due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

As previously reported, dozens of scripts — including several top Oscar hopefuls — were ineligible for consideration this year. A screenplay is ineligible if it’s produced outside of the WGA’s collective bargaining agreement or written by a non-union member.

The ineligible adapted scripts were Golden Globe champ Conclave (by Peter Straughan), Emilia Pérez (by Jacques Audiard), I’m Still Here (by Walter Salles), Inside Out 2 (by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein with a...

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has unveiled its nominees for the 2025 WGA Awards, highlighting a mix of familiar Oscar frontrunners, unexpected entries, and the creative reshuffling prompted by ineligible contenders.

Sean Baker’s critically acclaimed “Anora” is leading the original screenplay list, which many consider the Oscar frontrunner in this category. Another strong contender is Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain,” a personal, semi-autobiographical drama that has been a critical favorite this season.

The inclusion of Justin Kuritzkes’ “Challengers” — a romantic sports drama starring Zendaya — is significant. After its high-profile shutout at the BAFTA Awards, this nomination could rejuvenate its awards season momentum. Adding variety to the category is Alex Garland’s bold post-apocalyptic thriller, “Civil War,” and Megan Park’s sweet yet irreverent comedy, “My Old Ass.” Park, who won praise for her directorial debut “The Fallout,” is also a DGA nominee for first-time director.

The adapted screenplay...

“Kneecap” — the Irish-language music biopic that became one of the buzziest indie films of 2024 and is now tipped for both Oscar and BAFTA recognition — has, perhaps unsurprisingly, emerged far ahead of the pack of nominees for the 2025 Irish Film & TV Academy (IFTA) awards.

Rich Peppiatt’s raucous comedy, about (and starring) the Belfast rap trio of the same name, has landed an astonishing 17 nominations for the awards, including best film, director, three of the six slots for lead actor, three of the six for supporting actress and one for Michael Fassbender in the supporting actor category.

“Small Things Like These,” the considerably quieter Irish drama fronted (and produced) by Cillian Murphy has nine nominations, including lead actor for Murphy, who won the award last year for “Oppenheimer.”

Having been co-produced by Irish company Tailored Films, Ali Abbasi’s Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” is also in the mix, with four nominations.

“The Substance,” “Conclave” and “Wicked” are among the films nominated by the Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) for its 28th Excellence in Production Design Awards in motion pictures, television, commercial and music video categories.

The Adg divides live-action features into three categories: period feature film, fantasy feature film and contemporary feature film. “A Complete Unknown,” “The Brutalist,” “Gladiator II,” “Nosferatu” and “Saturday Night” were nominated in the period feature film category. In the fantasy film category, “Alien: Romulus, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, “Dune: Part Two,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “Wicked” all landed nods. “Civil War,” Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez” and “The Substance” and “Twisters” earned contemporary film nominations.

While it’s difficult to use the Adg winners as a precursor to the Academy Awards, last year’s winner “Poor Things” (Shona Heath and James Price) went on to win the Oscar. Previously, 2023 winners “Dune” (Patrice Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos) also won the Oscar for production design.

Celebs like Kate Beckinsale and Anya Taylor-Joy all stepped out for a star-studded party following the 2025 Golden Globes over the weekend.

The ladies were both in attendance for Jas Mathur and Michael Braun’s Golden Globe Afterparty on Sunday night (January 5) in Los Angeles.

Kate was seen greeting Cara Delevingne inside the party and she had a lot of fun with actor Harry Goodwins. Make sure to check out the cute photos of them leaving together!

Anya and FKA twigs shared a big embrace.

A Complete Unknown co-stars Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning were there with Elle‘s older sister Dakota Fanning, who was nominated for a Globe for her work in Ripley.

More stars in attendance included Ariana DeBose, Paris Jackson, Cooper Koch with twin brother Payton and boyfriend Stuart McClave, Evan Ross, Jodie Turner-Smith, Vas J Morgan, and Abbott Elementary co-stars Quinta Brunson and Janelle James.

Check out...

Updated with film nominees, 10:48 Am: Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez), Sean Baker (Anora), Edward Berger (Conclave), Golden Globe winner Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown) are the nominees for the DGA Awards’ marquee Theatrical Film Award announced Wednesday by the Directors Guild of America.

Among the awards-season hopefuls who didn’t make the cut are Wicked helmer Jon M. Chu, Dune: Part Two’s Denis Villeneuve and The Substance‘s Coralie Fargeat.

The rookie directors up for the DGA’s First-Time Theatrical Feature Film prize are Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine as Light), Megan Park (My Old Ass), RaMell Ross (Nickel Boys), Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel (Armand) and Sean Wang (Dìdi).

Winners will be announced at the 77th annual DGA Awards on February 8 at The Beverly Hilton.

Previously, January 7: The Directors Guild of America today revealed the nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and...