114 Films Compete for 5 "Original Score" 87th Oscar Nominations

114 ORIGINAL SCORES IN 2014 OSCAR RACE

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 114 scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2014 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 87th Oscars.

The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title:

"American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs," Vivek Maddala, composer
"Anita," Lili Haydn, composer
"Annabelle," Joseph Bishara, composer
"At Middleton," Arturo Sandoval, composer
"Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?," Elia Cmiral, composer
"Bears," George Fenton, composer
"Belle," Rachel Portman, composer
"Big Eyes," Danny Elfman, composer
"Big Hero 6," Henry Jackman, composer
"The Book of Life," Gustavo Santaolalla and Tim Davies, composers
"The Boxtrolls," Dario Marianelli, composer
"Brick Mansions," Trevor Morris, composer
"Cake," Christophe Beck, composer
"Calvary," Patrick Cassidy, composer
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Henry Jackman, composer
"The Case against 8," Blake Neely, composer
"Cheatin'," Nicole Renaud, composer
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," Michael Giacchino, composer
"The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them," Son Lux, composer
"Divergent," Tom Holkenborg, composer
"Dolphin Tale 2," Rachel Portman, composer
"Dracula Untold," Ramin Djawadi, composer
"Draft Day," John Debney, composer
"The Drop," Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers
"Earth to Echo," Joseph Trapanese, composer
"Edge of Tomorrow," Christophe Beck, composer
"Endless Love," Christophe Beck and Jake Monaco, composers
"The Equalizer," Harry Gregson-Williams, composer
"Exodus: Gods and Kings," Alberto Iglesias, composer
"The Fault in Our Stars," Mike Mogis, composer
"Finding Vivian Maier," J. Ralph, composer
"Fury," Steven Price, composer
"Garnet's Gold," J. Ralph, composer
"Girl on a Bicycle," Craig Richey, composer
"The Giver," Marco Beltrami, composer
"Godzilla," Alexandre Desplat, composer
"Gone Girl," Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composers
"The Good Lie," Martin Léon, composer
"The Grand Budapest Hotel," Alexandre Desplat, composer
"The Great Flood," Bill Frisell, composer
"Hercules," Fernando Velázquez, composer
"The Hero of Color City," Zoë Poledouris-Roché and Angel Roché, Jr., composers
"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," Howard Shore, composer
"The Homesman," Marco Beltrami, composer
"Horrible Bosses 2," Christopher Lennertz, composer
"How to Train Your Dragon 2," John Powell, composer
"The Hundred-Foot Journey," A.R. Rahman, composer
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1," James Newton Howard, composer
"I Origins," Will Bates and Phil Mossman, composers
"The Imitation Game," Alexandre Desplat, composer
"Inherent Vice," Jonny Greenwood, composer
"Interstellar," Hans Zimmer, composer
"The Interview," Henry Jackman, composer
"Into the Storm," Brian Tyler, composer
"Jal," Sonu Nigam and Bickram Ghosh, composers
"The Judge," Thomas Newman, composer
"Kill the Messenger," Nathan Johnson, composer
"Kochadaiiyaan," A.R. Rahman, composer
"Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return," Toby Chu, composer
"The Lego Movie," Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
"The Liberator," Gustavo Dudamel, composer
"Life Itself," Joshua Abrams, composer
"Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed," Pat Metheny, composer
"Lucy," Eric Serra, composer
"Maleficent," James Newton Howard, composer
"The Maze Runner," John Paesano, composer
"Merchants of Doubt," Mark Adler, composer
"Million Dollar Arm," A.R. Rahman, composer
"A Million Ways to Die in the West," Joel McNeely, composer
"Mr. Peabody & Sherman," Danny Elfman, composer
"Mr. Turner," Gary Yershon, composer
"The Monuments Men," Alexandre Desplat, composer
"A Most Violent Year," Alex Ebert, composer
"My Old Lady," Mark Orton, composer
"Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb," Alan Silvestri, composer
"Nightcrawler," James Newton Howard, composer
"No God, No Master," Nuno Malo, composer
"Noah," Clint Mansell, composer
"Non-Stop," John Ottman, composer
"The One I Love," Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, composers
"Ouija," Anton Sanko, composer
"Paddington," Nick Urata, composer
"Penguins of Madagascar," Lorne Balfe, composer
"Pompeii," Clinton Shorter, composer
"The Purge: Anarchy," Nathan Whitehead, composer
"The Railway Man," David Hirschfelder, composer
"Red Army," Christophe Beck and Leo Birenberg, composers
"Ride Along," Christopher Lennertz, composer
"Rocks in My Pockets," Kristian Sensini, composer
"Rosewater," Howard Shore, composer
"St. Vincent," Theodore Shapiro, composer
"The Salt of the Earth," Laurent Petitgand, composer
"Selma," Jason Moran, composer
"The Signal," Nima Fakhrara, composer
"Snowpiercer," Marco Beltrami, composer
"Song of the Sea," Bruno Coulais, composer
"Still Alice," Ilan Eshkeri, composer
"The Tale of the Princess Kaguya," Joe Hisaishi, composer
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Brian Tyler, composer
"That Awkward Moment," David Torn, composer
"The Theory of Everything," Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer
"This Is Where I Leave You," Michael Giacchino, composer
"300: Rise of an Empire," Tom Holkenborg, composer
"Tracks," Garth Stevenson, composer
"Transformers: Age of Extinction," Steve Jablonsky, composer
"22 Jump Street," Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
"Unbroken," Alexandre Desplat, composer
"Under the Skin," Mica Levi, composer
"Virunga," Patrick Jonsson, composer
"Visitors," Philip Glass, composer
"A Walk among the Tombstones," Carlos Rafael Rivera, composer
"Walking with the Enemy," Timothy Williams, composer
"Wild Tales," Gustavo Santaolalla, composer
"X-Men: Days of Future Past," John Ottman, composer

A Reminder List of works submitted in the Original Score category will be made available with a nominations ballot to all members of the Music Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements.  The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.

To be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer.  Scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible.

The 87th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

The Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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2014 Washington DC Film Critics Award Nominations - Complete List

The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) recently announced the 2014 winners and nominees of their annual film awards.  I'll post the nominations first.

The 2014 WAFCA AWARD Nominees:

Best Film:
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
Gone Girl
Selma
Whiplash

Best Director:
Damien Chazelle (Whiplash)
Ava DuVernay (Selma)
David Fincher (Gone Girl)
Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)

Best Actor:
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year)
Michael Keaton (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
David Oyelowo (Selma)
Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)

Best Actress:
Scarlett Johansson (Under the Skin)
Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)
Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
Reese Witherspoon (Wild)

Best Supporting Actor:
Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)
Edward Norton (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year)
Laura Dern (Wild)
Emma Stone (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
Tilda Swinton (Snowpiercer)

Best Acting Ensemble:
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Into the Woods
Selma

Best Youth Performance:
Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood)
Mackenzie Foy (Interstellar)
Jaeden Lieberher (St. Vincent)
Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Noah Wiseman (The Babadook)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl)
Graham Moore (The Imitation Game)
Paul Thomas Anderson (Inherent Vice)
Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything)
Nick Hornby (Wild)

Best Original Screenplay:
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (The LEGO Movie)
Damien Chazelle (Whiplash)

Best Animated Feature:
Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The LEGO Movie

Best Documentary:
Citizenfour
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Last Days in Vietnam
Life Itself
The Overnighters

Best Foreign Language Film:
Force Majeure
Ida
Mommy
Two Days, One Night
Wild Tales

Best Art Direction:
Production Designer: Kevin Thompson, Set Decorator: George DeTitta Jr., SDSA (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decorator: Anna Pinnock (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Production Designer: Nathan Crowley, Set Decorator: Gary Fettis (Interstellar)
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner, Set Decorator: Anna Pinnock (Into the Woods)
Production Designer: Ondrej Nekvasil, Set Decorator: Beatrice Brentnerova (Snowpiercer)

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
Robert Yeoman, ASC (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Hoyte Van Hoytema, FSF, NSC (Interstellar)
Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC (Unbroken)
Daniel Landin, BSC (Under the Skin)

Best Editing:
Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione, ACE (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
Sandra Adair, ACE (Boyhood)
Kirk Baxter, ACE (Gone Girl)
Lee Smith, ACE (Interstellar)
Tom Cross (Whiplash)

Best Original Score:
Antonio Sanchez (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Gone Girl)
Hans Zimmer (Interstellar)
Jóhann Jóhannsson (The Theory of Everything)
Mica Levi (Under the Skin)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
Anita
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Kill the Messenger
Selma
X-Men: Days of Future Past

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2014 Online Film Critics Society Award Nominations - Complete List

Founded in 1997, the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) describes itself as “the largest, most respected organization for critics whose work appears primarily on the Internet.”  The OFCS says that it has been the key force in establishing and raising the standards for Internet-based film journalism.  Its membership consists of film reviewers, journalists and scholars based in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific Rim region.

The nominations for the 18th Annual Online Film Critics Society Awards were announced on Monday, December 8, 2014.

2014 OFSC Awards nominations (18th Annual):

Best Picture
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
The Lego Movie
Mommy
Nightcrawler
Selma
Two Days, One Night
Under the Skin
Whiplash

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Best Film Not in the English Language
Ida
The Missing Picture
Mommy
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Two Days, One Night

Best Documentary
Citizenfour
Life Itself
The Missing Picture
National Gallery
The Overnighters

Best Director
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne – Two Days, One Night
Ava DuVernay – Selma
Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin
Richard Linklater – Boyhood

Best Actor
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Brendan Gleeson – Calvary
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Timothy Spall – Mr. Turner

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
Essie Davis – The Babadook
Anne Dorval – Mommy
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin – Inherent Vice
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Suzanne Clément – Mommy
Agata Kulesza – Ida
Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer

Best Original Screenplay
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Selma
Two Days, One Night
Whiplash

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gone Girl
Inherent Vice
Snowpiercer
Under the Skin
We Are the Best!

Best Editing
Birdman
Boyhood
Gone Girl
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Whiplash

Best Cinematography
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Under the Skin

Best Non-U.S. Release (non-competitive category)
’71
10,000 km
Entre Nós
Han Gong-ju
Hard to Be a God
The Look of Silence
The Salt of the Earth
What We Do in the Shadows
Timbuktu
The Tribe

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Bee Gees, George Harrison Among Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees

The Bee Gees, Pierre Boulez, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Flaco Jimenez, Louvin Brothers and Wayne Shorter Honored with The Recording Academy® Lifetime Achievement Award

Richard Perry, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil and George Wein Honored with Trustees Award

Ray Kurzweil to Receive Technical GRAMMY® Award

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Recording Academy® announced its Special Merit Awards recipients, and this year's honorees are: the Bee Gees, Pierre Boulez, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Flaco Jiménez, Louvin Brothers, and Wayne Shorter as Lifetime Achievement Award recipients; Richard Perry, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, and George Wein as Trustees Award honorees; and Ray Kurzweil as the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipient. A special invitation-only ceremony will be held during GRAMMY Week on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, and a formal acknowledgment will be made during the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards® telecast, which will be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015 and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. For GRAMMY® coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.

"This year we pay tribute to exceptional creators who have made prolific contributions to our culture and history," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "It is an honor and a privilege to recognize such a diverse group of talented trailblazers, whose incomparable bodies of work and timeless legacies will continue to be celebrated for generations to come."

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes such contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing® Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, as well as The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

About the Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees:
The Bee Gees, comprising of brothers Barry, Maurice* and Robin Gibb*, were one of the most successful groups in pop history with hits such as "Stayin' Alive," "How Can You Heal A Broken Heart" and "How Deep Is Your Love." The trio's contributions to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack made it one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, selling more than 15 million copies in the United States and garnering the group four GRAMMYs, including Album Of The Year and Producer Of The Year.

French composer Pierre Boulez is internationally renowned having conducted the Südwestfunk Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra. He served as musical director of the New York Philharmonic from 1971-1977. The 26-time GRAMMY winner continues to be one of the most influential music creators within the classical genre.

Six-time GRAMMY winner Buddy Guy is one of the most celebrated blues guitarists of all time. Throughout his more than 50-year career, Guy has influenced generations of guitar players with his unique sound and style. Guy released his most recent album, Rhythm & Blues in 2013, and continues to tour.

Multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter George Harrison* achieved international fame as a member of the Beatles, one of the most influential groups of all time. The 12-time GRAMMY winner's embrace of Indian music is often credited with helping introduce world music to the West. As a solo artist, Harrison achieved success with projects such as his GRAMMY Hall Of Fame® inducted album All Things Must Pass and The Concert For Bangladesh, the latter of which garnered an Album Of The Year GRAMMY.

Five-time GRAMMY winner Flaco Jiménez has enjoyed a career that has spanned more than six decades, throughout which, he has collaborated with artists such as Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Doug Sahm, and Carlos Santana among others. Jiménez has maintained a huge influence on the Tex-Mex genre by continuing to record and tour, as he upholds his status as the definitive Tex-Mex accordionist.

Ira and Charlie Loudermilk, better known as the Louvin Brothers*, rank among the top duos in country music history. Originally beginning their careers in gospel music, and eventually incorporating secular pop songs, they landed a record deal with Capitol Records and quickly became household names in the 1950's. Eventually the brothers launched solo careers, continuing to set a blueprint for future generations of country and rock musicians.

Saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter began his jazz career at the tender age of 16. With a successful solo career, his tenure with Weather Report and his milestone collaborations with Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Shorter has distinguished himself as a leading figure in jazz. As a composer, the 10-time GRAMMY winner is best known for jazz standards such as "Footprints" and "JuJu," among others.

About the Trustees Award Honorees:
Richard Perry is one of the most successful producers in pop music history with a career spanning more than four decades. He has produced classic recordings for such legendary artists as Ray Charles, Neil Diamond, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, and Barbra Streisand among others. In 1978 Perry launched Planet Records, an independent label that produced many successful hits for artists including the multi-GRAMMY-winning group the Pointer Sisters. Perry continues to work as an independent producer.

The two-time GRAMMY-winning songwriting duo of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil has created such an impressive body of work within the past four decades that their compositions have been described as "a soundtrack of our lives." This husband-and-wife team has written hit songs such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (with Phil Spector), "On Broadway" (with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), "Here You Come Again," "Never Gonna Let You Go," "Just Once," and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" among others. Mann and Weil have also composed scores for several film and theatre projects and they continue to explore new creative avenues.

American jazz promoter and producer George Wein is recognized as the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in August 2014. Wein's pioneering spirit includes incorporating sponsor association along with partnering the original concept of an outdoor music event that would later serve as the impetus for festivals: Monterey Jazz Festival, Woodstock, Lollapalooza, Coachella, and Bonnaroo. Through his production company Festival Productions, he would go on to produce the Newport Folk Festival, which he created with folk icon Pete Seeger in 1959, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which he founded in 1970. Wein celebrated his 90th birthday in October 2014 and continues to creatively influence and advance the concept of live music.

About the Technical GRAMMY Award Recipients:
Ray Kurzweil is an American author, computer scientist, inventor, and is the current director of engineering at Google. He is credited as the principal innovator of omni-front optical character recognition, text-to-speech synthesis, and speech recognition technology.

Kurzweil founded Kurzweil Music Systems and in 1984 introduced the Kurzweil K250, the first computer-based instrument that could realistically recreate the musical response of a grand piano and other orchestra instruments. PBS selected Kurzweil as one of its "They Made America" series.

*Denotes posthumous.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Google+, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube.

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"The Last: Naruto the Movie" to Make U.S. Theatrical Run

VIZ MEDIA AND ELEVEN ARTS PRESENT A VERY SPECIAL THEATRICAL PREMIERE OF THE LAST: NARUTO THE MOVIE IN MAJOR U.S. CITIES BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY

Don’t Miss The Climactic Cinematic Adventure As The World’s Most Popular Ninja Stars In His Latest Action-Packed Feature Film

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces that it will team up with Los Angeles-based film distribution company ELEVEN ARTS to present U.S. anime fans and filmgoers nationwide with a very special opportunity to catch THE LAST: NARUTO THE MOVIE in a limited theatrical engagement happening in select U.S. cities beginning on February 20, 2015.

THE LAST: NARUTO THE MOVIE will initially screen in 20 major U.S. cities including New York, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and more!

Tickets go on sale starting in mid-January 2015. Additional ticket information and a complete list of theatre locations and screening dates will be available on ELEVEN ARTS’s website at that time. The film will be presented with original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles. Attendees also will receive a special commemorative NARUTO film poster (while supplies last). Additional cities and screenings may be added; check the ELEVEN ARTS’s webpage for future updates.

THE LAST: NARUTO THE MOVIE is based on the internationally bestselling NARUTO manga (graphic novel) series created by Masashi Kishimoto. In the film, the moon is approaching dangerously close to Earth! Unless something is done, the moon will disintegrate, showering the earth with gigantic meteorites. As the clock ticks towards the end of the world, can Naruto save the earth from this crisis?

“Earth’s days are numbered and Naruto will have to tap every bit of his ninjutsu skills and knowledge to save the planet and defeat his enemies in this amazing and highly anticipated addition to the NARUTO saga,” says Charlene Ingram, VIZ Media Senior Marketing Manager, Animation. “Don’t miss the epic big screen action in the exciting theatrical premieres happening across the U.S. in February!”

In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?

Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.

For more information on manga titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About ELEVEN ARTS:
ELEVEN ARTS is the Los Angeles based film distribution company that has brought many acclaimed Japanese films, live-action and animated features, to North American audiences. ELEVEN ARTS’s major live-action titles include Japan Academy Awards winner Memories of Tomorrow (starring Ken Watanabe) and Oscar nominated director (with The Twilight Samurai in 2004) Yoji Yamada’s samurai film Love and Honor. ELEVEN ARTS is also a respected distributor of popular animation titles such as the Evangelion franchise, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 1: Beginnings/ Part 2: Eternal/ Part 3: Rebellion, TIGER & BUNNY THE MOVIE: The Rising, and Short Peace. For additional information, go to www.elevenarts.net.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for December 14th to 20th, 2014 - Updated #9

NEWS:

From Variety:  "The Interview," Seth Rogen and James Franco's comedy about a silly assassination plot against Kim Jong-un (North Korean dictator), will not get a theatrical release.  It may not get any kind of release.

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From Variety:  Steve Carell's North Korea-set thriller dropped by New Regency.

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From Vulture:  Frank Rich interviewed Chris Rock.

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From YahooMovies:  It was 75 year ago today that the Gone with the Wind premiere was held in Atlanta.  Oops, none of the black actors could attend, even eventual Oscar-winner, Hattie McDaniel.

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From Variety:  FOX's Exodus: Gods and Kings was the #1 film at the box office for the weekend of Fri., Dec. 12th to 14th, 2014 with an estimated take of $24.5 million.

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From Arstechnica:  Marvel reveals plot details about "Ant-Man."

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From LATimes:  Sony emails about Obama.  Actually, they aren't terrible.


COMICS:

From Screengonzo:  News of a possible "meeting of the minds" between Marvel and Sony about Spider-Man.

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From IGN:  Joss Whedon talks about a big surprise in Avengers: Age of Ultron.


STAR WARS:

From EntertainmentWeekly:  Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director, Jason Reitman stages a live reading of The Empire Strikes Back, with surprise performances by Mark Hamill and Rainn Wilson.

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From EntertainmentWeekly:  10 things Andy Serkis can say about Episode 7.



MISC:

From YahooSports:  Kobe Bryant passes Michael Jordan for third place on the National Basketball Association (NBA) scoring list.

Women Dominate IMDb "Top Stars of 2014" Lists

IMDb Announces the Top 10 Stars of 2014; Women Sweep the Top 10 for the First Time Ever; Shailene Woodley Dethrones Jennifer Lawrence

IMDb Premieres New Web Show (The IMDb Countdown) and New Top 10 List (Movers & Shakers); Margot Robbie Is The #1 Breakout Star of 2014

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content, today unveiled the Top 10 Stars of 2014, the Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014, and a new list, the Top 10 Movers & Shakers of 2014. Rather than base its annual rankings on small statistical samplings, reviews of professional critics or box office performance, these definitive top 10 lists are determined by the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly unique visitors to IMDb.

    “Although theatrical blockbusters deeply influenced this year’s list, the perennial popularity of TV title Game of Thrones ensured that Emilia Clarke, known to fans as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, earned her seat on the Top 10 Stars list at #4”
IMDb’s just-launched Best of 2014 section (www.imdb.com/bestof2014) features a variety of additional top 10 lists, the IMDb Top 100 Stars of 2014 list, and other compelling year-end editorial coverage. In-depth IMDb STARmeter rankings are available exclusively on IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com), the subscription version of IMDb designed for entertainment industry professionals.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of IMDb’s annual end-of-year top 10 lists, IMDb will premiere a new IMDb original web series, The IMDb Countdown. Hosted by Brooke Anderson of Entertainment Tonight, The IMDb Countdown brings IMDb’s top 10 lists to life, featuring expert commentary from IMDb’s editors and celebrity acceptance speeches. The first episode, focused on the Top 10 Stars of 2014, premieres today (December 9) in IMDb’s Best of 2014 section (www.imdb.com/bestof2014) which is accessible via IMDb’s homepage and mobile apps. The second episode, which explores IMDb’s Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014, will premiere on December 11. The third episode, which will reveal the Top 10 Movies of 2014 as determined by IMDb user ratings, will premiere on December 13. The fourth episode, which announces the Top 10 TV Series of the year as determined by page views on IMDb, will premiere on December 15.

And the 2014 winners are:

The IMDb Top 10 Stars of 2014 List*
1. Shailene Woodley

2. Jennifer Lawrence

3. Margot Robbie

4. Emilia Clarke

5. Scarlett Johansson

6. Nicola Peltz

7. Chloë Grace Moretz

8. Rosamund Pike

9. Emma Stone

10. Eva Green

*The 10 stars who consistently ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly STARmeter chart throughout 2014. IMDb STARmeter rankings are based on the actual page views of IMDb’s more than 200 million unique monthly visitors.

The IMDb Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014 List*
1. Margot Robbie

2. Nicola Peltz

3. Rosamund Pike

4. Chris Pratt

5. Naomi Grossman

6. Theo James

7. Jared Leto

8. Taryn Manning

9. Taylor Schilling

10. Jamie Dornan

*Among the select group of stars who charted on IMDb’s annual Top 100 list for the first time in their careers in 2014, these 10 stars consistently ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly STARmeter chart throughout the year. IMDb STARmeter rankings are based on the actual page views of IMDb’s more than 200 million unique monthly visitors.

“This is the 10th anniversary of calculating IMDb’s Top 10 Stars and this is the first time women have swept every spot on the list, reflecting the fact that strong roles for women and breakthrough performances by women permeated 2014, ” said Keith Simanton, IMDb’s Managing Editor. “Leonardo DiCaprio, who ranked #3 in 2013 and #4 in 2010, was the highest performing actor in 2014 (ranking #11 for the year). 2014 was quite a year for Shailene Woodley, who dethroned last year’s #1 star (Jennifer Lawrence) by consistently being of interest to IMDb’s users throughout the year with her lead performances in early spring hit Divergent and summer’s hit The Fault In Our Stars. Margot Robbie catapulted to the top of our Breakout Stars list this year, fueled by intense fan interest in her role in The Wolf of Wall Street.”

“Although theatrical blockbusters deeply influenced this year’s list, the perennial popularity of TV title Game of Thrones ensured that Emilia Clarke, known to fans as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, earned her seat on the Top 10 Stars list at #4,” said Melanie McFarland, IMDb’s TV editor. “Joining her is Eva Green (#10), who not only co-starred in the action flicks 300: Rise of an Empire and Sin City: A Dame of Kill For during 2014, but thrilled fans as the mysterious Vanessa Ives in Showtime’s rising hit Penny Dreadful -- which, like Green, is fast becoming a fan favorite.”

“Among IMDb’s 2014 Breakout stars are a few prominent TV/film crossovers. Yes, Chris Pratt (#4) may be known as Star-Lord nowadays, but long before winning the lead in Guardians of the Galaxy, he was the lovably dopey Andy Dwyer on NBC’s Parks and Recreation,” continued Melanie McFarland. “Similarly, the man the world will soon know as Christian Grey might be more familiar to TV viewers as Paul Spector on BBC’s The Fall. But among the three TV stars on the list, while it’s interesting to see Orange is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling (#9) and Taryn Manning (#8) on our year end Break-Out Stars list, the quick rise of American Horror Story star Naomi Grossman at #5 is a terrific story. Grossman’s transformation into Pepper on American Horror Story’s Asylum and Freak Show seasons is simply astounding, and her portrayal has piqued a lot of curiosity about her among our users.”

IMDb also revealed a new end-of-year top 10 list, Movers & Shakers. Among the rising stars who ranked on IMDb’s annual Top 200 STARmeter List in 2014, the stars on IMDb’s new Movers & Shakers list experienced the largest increase in their best weekly STARmeter ranking in 2014 as compared to 2013. The list follows:

The IMDb Top 10 Movers & Shakers of 2014 List*
1. Camren Bicondova

2. Emily Ratajkowski

3. Lupita Nyong’o

4. Dave Bautista

5. Danielle Panabaker

6. Ansel Elgort

7. Michelle Monaghan

8. Imogen Poots

9. Uzo Aduba

10. Dane DeHaan

*The rising stars on this list experienced the largest increase in their best weekly STARmeter ranking in 2014 as compared to 2013.


About IMDb
IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. The IMDb consumer site (www.imdb.com) is the #1 movie website in the world with a combined web and mobile audience of more than 200 million unique monthly visitors. IMDb offers a searchable database of more than 180 million data items including more than 3 million movies, TV and entertainment programs and more than 6 million cast and crew members. Consumers rely on the information IMDb provides -- including local movie showtimes, ticketing, trailers, critic and user reviews, personalized recommendations, photo galleries, entertainment news, quotes, trivia, box-office data, editorial feature sections and a universal Watchlist – when deciding what to watch and where to watch it. IMDb’s portfolio of leading entertainment apps (http://www.imdb.com/apps/) includes its popular “Movies & TV” app for iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android phones, Android tablets and its mobile-optimized website. To date, there have been more than 115 million downloads of IMDb’s mobile apps worldwide. IMDb's X-Ray for Movies & TV (www.imdb.com/x-ray) is a feature that revolutionizes the viewing experience by bringing the power of IMDb directly to Kindle Fire HD and Wii U devices. IMDb’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/imdb) and official Twitter account (https://twitter.com/imdb) are followed by more than 7 million passionate entertainment fans. IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com) is a subscription version of IMDb designed exclusively for professionals who work in the entertainment industry. IMDbPro provides a casting service, contact information, in production listings for film and television projects, exclusive STARmeter rankings that are determined by user searches on IMDb, and a mobile optimized website. IMDb’s original web series, What to Watch (http://www.imdb.com/whattowatch), helps fans discover and dive deeply into movies and TV shows they’ll love. Additionally, IMDb owns and operates Withoutabox (http://www.withoutabox.com), a marketplace for film festivals and filmmakers, and Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com), the leading online box-office reporting service. IMDb.com is operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) (http://www.amazon.com). To learn more, go to: http://www.imdb.com/press.

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