Oscar® Winner Jennifer Hudson To Perform At 87th Oscars®
Oscar and Grammy-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson will be performing on the 87th Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.
"We're creating several musical sequences for the Oscars and we couldn't be happier that our friend, Jennifer Hudson, will be performing in one of them," says Zadan and Meron.
Hudson won the Oscar for Actress in a Supporting Role for the 2006 film “Dreamgirls.” Her other acting credits include “Sex and the City” (2008), “The Secret Life of Bees” (2008), “Winnie Mandela” (2013) and “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete” (2013). Hudson’s self-titled debut album won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and was certified Gold, as was her second album, “I Remember Me.” This year she was nominated for Best R&B Performance for the song “It’s Your World,” from her 2014 album, “JHUD.”
The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Amazon Studio's "Bosch" Now Available on Prime Instant Video
Amazon’s First Original Hour-Long Drama Series Bosch is Now Available Exclusively to Prime Members in the US, UK and Germany
Based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling books with nearly 50 million copies sold, all ten episodes are now available
Bosch stars Titus Welliver (Lost, The Good Wife), Jamie Hector (The Wire), Amy Aquino (Being Human), Lance Reddick (Fringe, The Wire) and Annie Wersching (24, Extant), with Sarah Clarke (24) and Jason Gedrick (Luck), and is Executive Produced by Connelly, Eric Overmyer (The Wire, Treme), and Henrik Bastin of Fabrik Entertainment (The Killing, Burn Notice), a Red Arrow Entertainment Group company
Series guest stars include Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead), Troy Evans (ER), Veronica Cartwright (Resurrection), Abraham Benrubi (The Bridge), Mark Derwin (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Mimi Rogers (Austin Powers), and Alan Rosenberg (The Guardian)
February 13, 2015 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced all ten episodes of its first hour-long drama series Bosch are now available exclusively on Prime Instant Video in the US, UK and Germany. Based on Michael Connelly’s internationally best-selling Harry Bosch book series with nearly 50 million copies sold, Bosch stars Titus Welliver (Lost, The Good Wife) as Harry Bosch, Jamie Hector (The Wire) as Jerry Edgar, Amy Aquino (Being Human) as Lt. Grace Billets, Lance Reddick (Fringe, The Wire) as Deputy Chief Irvin Irving, and Annie Wersching (24, Extant) as Julia Brasher, with Sarah Clarke (24) as Eleanor Wish and Jason Gedrick (Luck) as Raynard Waits.
The series follows the relentless LAPD homicide detective as he pursues the killer of a 13-year-old boy while standing trial in federal court on accusations that he murdered a suspected killer in cold blood. Guest stars on Bosch include Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead) as Dr. Guyot and Troy Evans (ER) as Detective Johnson, and was developed for television by Eric Overmyer (Treme, The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Streets) and Executive Produced by Overmyer, Connelly, and Henrik Bastin (The Killing, Burn Notice).
“It’s finally time to see Harry Bosch on screen”
Prime members can now watch all ten episodes of Bosch as often as they would like from the Amazon Instant Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/boschtv, at no additional cost to their membership. Customers who are not already a Prime member can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime.
Primarily based on elements from Connelly’s books City of Bones (2002), The Concrete Blonde (1994) and Echo Park (2006), Harry Bosch’s investigation takes on a life and death urgency when a killer who has confessed to a boy’s murder escapes custody and begins a murderous rampage across Los Angeles. Bosch and the killer are locked in a cat and mouse game, with the killer taunting Bosch as the investigation turns deeply personal. The case unearths Bosch’s buried past as well as entangling his ex-wife and 14-year-old daughter. The season takes the viewer through back streets and neighborhoods of Los Angeles rarely seen on-screen. There have been 19 Harry Bosch novels published since 1992, including 2014’s number-one bestseller The Burning Room.
“We’re delighted to debut the first television adaptation of Michael Connelly’s classic works,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “We hope customers enjoy this extraordinary glimpse around Los Angeles with legendary LAPD detective Harry Bosch.”
“It’s finally time to see Harry Bosch on screen,” said Michael Connelly. “I am very excited because I think we’ve got something here in Titus Welliver and this production that will be just what cop show fans and Harry Bosch fans are looking for; a smart and convincing story about a detective who may be haunted but is also undaunted. I have waited about 20 years for this and it was worth the wait to see my books taken to the screen in this no holds barred way."
“The response to Bosch has already been incredible,“ added Henrik Pabst, Managing Director at Red Arrow International. “With its LA-noir look and exceptional performances and cinematography, Bosch is shaping up to be the event crime series of the year."
Other guest stars in Bosch include Veronica Cartwright (Resurrection) as Irene Saxon, Abraham Benrubi (The Bridge) as Rodney Belk, Mark Derwin (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) as Captain Harvey Pounds, Mimi Rogers (Austin Powers) as Honey Chandler, and Alan Rosenberg (The Guardian) as Dr. Golliher. The series is co-Executive Produced by Pieter Jan Brugge (Heat, The Pelican Brief) and Produced by Pat McKee (Longmire) and Rachel Rusch (Bill Maher: The Decider). Episodes were directed by Jim McKay, Kevin Dowling, Ernest Dickerson, Roxann Dawson, Matt Earl Beesley, Alex Zakrzewski and Thomas Carter. Bosch is produced by Fabrik Entertainment in association with Red Arrow International for Amazon Studios.
Here is what the critics are saying:
“Welliver, all confident minimalism, quietly commands your attention with his naturally fierce charisma.” – Jeff Jensen, Entertainment Weekly
“Titus Welliver sensationally nails Harry’s gruff demeanor.” – Matt Roush, TV Guide
“So why is it so darn fun to watch? Because Welliver and other cast members make it credible, first of all, and because of the show’s unlikely nostalgic sensibility: It feels like a detective movie or TV show from another era.” – David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle
About Amazon Studios
Bosch joins other Amazon original series Mozart in the Jungle, from Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Paul Weitz, John Strauss and Alex Timbers, Jill Soloway’s multi-Golden Globe Award-winning dark comedy Transparent, along with the second season of the Garry Trudeau political comedy Alpha House. The studio has also launched its first live-action series for kids 6-11, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and three additional children’s series, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival Award-winning and Annie Award-winning Tumble Leaf from Bix Pix Entertainment; Creative Galaxy from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises, the creators of Blue’s Clues; and Annedroids, from Emmy nominated Sinking Ship Entertainment.
Amazon Studios has also announced three additional, original series to debut in 2015, including Hand of God from Marc Forster and Ben Watkins; Red Oaks from Steven Soderbergh, David Gordon Green, Greg Jacobs and Joe Gangemi; and kids series Wishenpoof! from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises; as well as a second season of Transparent.
In 2015 Amazon Studios will begin to produce and acquire original movies for theatrical release, followed by early window distribution on Prime Instant Video.
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script online and Amazon Studios will read and review all submissions. Those who choose to make their projects public can also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.
About Prime Instant Video
Amazon Prime members have instant access to stream tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, including award-winning Amazon Original Series, available on Prime Instant Video at no additional cost to their membership. In addition, new release movies like Gone Girl, Boyhood and Birdman along with in-season shows like The Walking Dead, Scandal and Better Call Saul are also available for rent or purchase on Amazon Instant Video for all customers to stream and enjoy.
Customers can watch shows and movies with the Amazon Instant Video app. The Amazon Instant Video app is available on hundreds of devices including connected TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as on mobile devices like Fire phone, Fire tablets, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Customers can also watch online at Amazon.com/PIV. Prime Instant Video is also the only U.S. online-only subscription streaming service that enables offline viewing—on a plane, on vacation, and anywhere else where you may not have Wi-Fi.
Amazon Prime members have exclusive access to popular TV series at no additional cost to their membership. Prime members can enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series’ airing now such as multi-Golden Globe winning series, Transparent, the hour-long drama, Bosch, based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling books, the Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman comedy, Mozart in the Jungle and the political comedy starring John Goodman, Alpha House, in addition to HBO favorites like The Sopranos, True Blood and Six Feet Under, and popular primetime series including 24, Covert Affairs, Downtown Abbey, Extant, Falling Skies, Grimm, Hannibal, Justified, Orphan Black, Teen Wolf, The Americans, Under the Dome and Veronica Mars. Prime members also have access to an exclusive collection of kids shows now airing including Amazon Original Series’ Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and Tumble Leaf, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, Blue’s Clues and The Bubble Guppies.
Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and filmographies, is available on Amazon's IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
About Red Arrow International
Red Arrow International is a world-leading TV distributor of scripted, factual and formatted shows from Red Arrow’s global group of production companies, outstanding third-party producers and digital-content partners.
Red Arrow International is a major co-producer of global entertainment, providing substantial production financing for scripted and non-scripted projects. Recent international highlights include: “Bosch” (Amazon), “Lilyhammer” (Netflix); “Married at First Sight” (FYI); and “The Taste” (ABC).
With offices in Munich, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, Red Arrow International has a truly global reach and distributes acclaimed, quality content to over 200 territories worldwide.
Led by Henrik Pabst, Red Arrow International is part of Red Arrow Entertainment Group, made up of 13 production companies across 7 countries; the Los Angeles based MCN, Collective Digital Studios; and creative partnerships and joint ventures with STV, Screenz, Sync Media and United Artists Media Group (Mark Burnett / Hearst).
Red Arrow Entertainment Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, one of Europe’s leading media groups.
-------------------
Based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling books with nearly 50 million copies sold, all ten episodes are now available
Bosch stars Titus Welliver (Lost, The Good Wife), Jamie Hector (The Wire), Amy Aquino (Being Human), Lance Reddick (Fringe, The Wire) and Annie Wersching (24, Extant), with Sarah Clarke (24) and Jason Gedrick (Luck), and is Executive Produced by Connelly, Eric Overmyer (The Wire, Treme), and Henrik Bastin of Fabrik Entertainment (The Killing, Burn Notice), a Red Arrow Entertainment Group company
Series guest stars include Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead), Troy Evans (ER), Veronica Cartwright (Resurrection), Abraham Benrubi (The Bridge), Mark Derwin (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Mimi Rogers (Austin Powers), and Alan Rosenberg (The Guardian)
February 13, 2015 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced all ten episodes of its first hour-long drama series Bosch are now available exclusively on Prime Instant Video in the US, UK and Germany. Based on Michael Connelly’s internationally best-selling Harry Bosch book series with nearly 50 million copies sold, Bosch stars Titus Welliver (Lost, The Good Wife) as Harry Bosch, Jamie Hector (The Wire) as Jerry Edgar, Amy Aquino (Being Human) as Lt. Grace Billets, Lance Reddick (Fringe, The Wire) as Deputy Chief Irvin Irving, and Annie Wersching (24, Extant) as Julia Brasher, with Sarah Clarke (24) as Eleanor Wish and Jason Gedrick (Luck) as Raynard Waits.
The series follows the relentless LAPD homicide detective as he pursues the killer of a 13-year-old boy while standing trial in federal court on accusations that he murdered a suspected killer in cold blood. Guest stars on Bosch include Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead) as Dr. Guyot and Troy Evans (ER) as Detective Johnson, and was developed for television by Eric Overmyer (Treme, The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Streets) and Executive Produced by Overmyer, Connelly, and Henrik Bastin (The Killing, Burn Notice).
“It’s finally time to see Harry Bosch on screen”
Prime members can now watch all ten episodes of Bosch as often as they would like from the Amazon Instant Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/boschtv, at no additional cost to their membership. Customers who are not already a Prime member can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime.
Primarily based on elements from Connelly’s books City of Bones (2002), The Concrete Blonde (1994) and Echo Park (2006), Harry Bosch’s investigation takes on a life and death urgency when a killer who has confessed to a boy’s murder escapes custody and begins a murderous rampage across Los Angeles. Bosch and the killer are locked in a cat and mouse game, with the killer taunting Bosch as the investigation turns deeply personal. The case unearths Bosch’s buried past as well as entangling his ex-wife and 14-year-old daughter. The season takes the viewer through back streets and neighborhoods of Los Angeles rarely seen on-screen. There have been 19 Harry Bosch novels published since 1992, including 2014’s number-one bestseller The Burning Room.
“We’re delighted to debut the first television adaptation of Michael Connelly’s classic works,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “We hope customers enjoy this extraordinary glimpse around Los Angeles with legendary LAPD detective Harry Bosch.”
“It’s finally time to see Harry Bosch on screen,” said Michael Connelly. “I am very excited because I think we’ve got something here in Titus Welliver and this production that will be just what cop show fans and Harry Bosch fans are looking for; a smart and convincing story about a detective who may be haunted but is also undaunted. I have waited about 20 years for this and it was worth the wait to see my books taken to the screen in this no holds barred way."
“The response to Bosch has already been incredible,“ added Henrik Pabst, Managing Director at Red Arrow International. “With its LA-noir look and exceptional performances and cinematography, Bosch is shaping up to be the event crime series of the year."
Other guest stars in Bosch include Veronica Cartwright (Resurrection) as Irene Saxon, Abraham Benrubi (The Bridge) as Rodney Belk, Mark Derwin (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) as Captain Harvey Pounds, Mimi Rogers (Austin Powers) as Honey Chandler, and Alan Rosenberg (The Guardian) as Dr. Golliher. The series is co-Executive Produced by Pieter Jan Brugge (Heat, The Pelican Brief) and Produced by Pat McKee (Longmire) and Rachel Rusch (Bill Maher: The Decider). Episodes were directed by Jim McKay, Kevin Dowling, Ernest Dickerson, Roxann Dawson, Matt Earl Beesley, Alex Zakrzewski and Thomas Carter. Bosch is produced by Fabrik Entertainment in association with Red Arrow International for Amazon Studios.
Here is what the critics are saying:
“Welliver, all confident minimalism, quietly commands your attention with his naturally fierce charisma.” – Jeff Jensen, Entertainment Weekly
“Titus Welliver sensationally nails Harry’s gruff demeanor.” – Matt Roush, TV Guide
“So why is it so darn fun to watch? Because Welliver and other cast members make it credible, first of all, and because of the show’s unlikely nostalgic sensibility: It feels like a detective movie or TV show from another era.” – David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle
About Amazon Studios
Bosch joins other Amazon original series Mozart in the Jungle, from Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Paul Weitz, John Strauss and Alex Timbers, Jill Soloway’s multi-Golden Globe Award-winning dark comedy Transparent, along with the second season of the Garry Trudeau political comedy Alpha House. The studio has also launched its first live-action series for kids 6-11, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and three additional children’s series, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival Award-winning and Annie Award-winning Tumble Leaf from Bix Pix Entertainment; Creative Galaxy from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises, the creators of Blue’s Clues; and Annedroids, from Emmy nominated Sinking Ship Entertainment.
Amazon Studios has also announced three additional, original series to debut in 2015, including Hand of God from Marc Forster and Ben Watkins; Red Oaks from Steven Soderbergh, David Gordon Green, Greg Jacobs and Joe Gangemi; and kids series Wishenpoof! from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises; as well as a second season of Transparent.
In 2015 Amazon Studios will begin to produce and acquire original movies for theatrical release, followed by early window distribution on Prime Instant Video.
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script online and Amazon Studios will read and review all submissions. Those who choose to make their projects public can also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.
About Prime Instant Video
Amazon Prime members have instant access to stream tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, including award-winning Amazon Original Series, available on Prime Instant Video at no additional cost to their membership. In addition, new release movies like Gone Girl, Boyhood and Birdman along with in-season shows like The Walking Dead, Scandal and Better Call Saul are also available for rent or purchase on Amazon Instant Video for all customers to stream and enjoy.
Customers can watch shows and movies with the Amazon Instant Video app. The Amazon Instant Video app is available on hundreds of devices including connected TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as on mobile devices like Fire phone, Fire tablets, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Customers can also watch online at Amazon.com/PIV. Prime Instant Video is also the only U.S. online-only subscription streaming service that enables offline viewing—on a plane, on vacation, and anywhere else where you may not have Wi-Fi.
Amazon Prime members have exclusive access to popular TV series at no additional cost to their membership. Prime members can enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series’ airing now such as multi-Golden Globe winning series, Transparent, the hour-long drama, Bosch, based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling books, the Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman comedy, Mozart in the Jungle and the political comedy starring John Goodman, Alpha House, in addition to HBO favorites like The Sopranos, True Blood and Six Feet Under, and popular primetime series including 24, Covert Affairs, Downtown Abbey, Extant, Falling Skies, Grimm, Hannibal, Justified, Orphan Black, Teen Wolf, The Americans, Under the Dome and Veronica Mars. Prime members also have access to an exclusive collection of kids shows now airing including Amazon Original Series’ Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and Tumble Leaf, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, Blue’s Clues and The Bubble Guppies.
Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and filmographies, is available on Amazon's IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
About Red Arrow International
Red Arrow International is a world-leading TV distributor of scripted, factual and formatted shows from Red Arrow’s global group of production companies, outstanding third-party producers and digital-content partners.
Red Arrow International is a major co-producer of global entertainment, providing substantial production financing for scripted and non-scripted projects. Recent international highlights include: “Bosch” (Amazon), “Lilyhammer” (Netflix); “Married at First Sight” (FYI); and “The Taste” (ABC).
With offices in Munich, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, Red Arrow International has a truly global reach and distributes acclaimed, quality content to over 200 territories worldwide.
Led by Henrik Pabst, Red Arrow International is part of Red Arrow Entertainment Group, made up of 13 production companies across 7 countries; the Los Angeles based MCN, Collective Digital Studios; and creative partnerships and joint ventures with STV, Screenz, Sync Media and United Artists Media Group (Mark Burnett / Hearst).
Red Arrow Entertainment Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, one of Europe’s leading media groups.
-------------------
Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of February 8th to 14th, 2015 - Update #12
NEWS:
From GoldDerby: The Oscar horse race.
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From Variety: HBO will launch an online only service later this year.
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From Variety: The #1 movie at the box office for the weekend of Feb. 6th to 8th, 2015 is The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water with an estimated take of $56 million.
COMICS:
From WallStCheatSheet: TNT's "Teen Titans" will feature a mostly female line-up.
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From TheVillageVoice: A review of Kingsman.
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From YahooMovies: A reminder from Samuel L. Jackson, he only has two movies left on his Marvel contract.
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From TheHollywoodReporter: There will be a new Spider-Man, a new Spider-Man film (2017), and the new Spider-Man in a Marvel Studios film.
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From TheVerge: More on the Spider-Man/Marvel/Sony news.
STAR WARS:
From YahooTV: Billy Dee Williams coy about Lando's return.
TRAILERS:
20th Century Fox and MGM have remade the 1982 horror-thriller classic, Poltergeist, and it's coming. Here is the trailer on YouTube.
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20th Century Fox has a trailer for Hitman: Agent 47 on YouTube.
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20th Century Fox has a new Nicholas Sparks movie, The Longest Ride, and the trailer is on YouTube.
MISC:
From YahooSports: A four-year-old Tom Brady at "the Catch" game - Cowboys vs. 49ers.
Anna Kendrick to Sing (Maybe Something from "Into the Woods") at 87th Oscars
Anna Kendrick To Perform At 87th Oscars®
Actress and singer Anna Kendrick will make a special appearance at the 87th Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.
"Out of the woods and on to the Oscar stage, Anna will be performing something special that is sure to be an "Only on the Oscars" moment." says Zadan and Meron.
Kendrick was nominated for an Oscar® for her supporting role in the 2009 film “Up in the Air.” Her other film credits include “Into the Woods” (2014), “Pitch Perfect” (2012) and the “Twilight” film series. In 1998, at the age of 12, Kendrick was nominated for a Tony Award® for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for “High Society.” She will star in the films "The Last Five Years," "The Hollars,” and “Pitch Perfect 2” later this year.
The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Friday, February 13, 2015
VIZ Media Announces Film Development on "The Street of Fruiting Bodies"
BATMAN Screenwriter Sam Hamm To Develop Script About An Infestation Of Deadly Hallucinogenic Spores
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced that its Los Angeles-based film development division, VIZ Productions, is developing the haunting short story, “The Street of Fruiting Bodies,” by famed Japanese author Sayuri Ueda into a feature film, and has retained Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm to write the adaptation.
“The Street of Fruiting Bodies” depicts the sudden spread of a mysterious and lethal species of hallucinogenic mushroom. The infestation is deadly, but it also offers visions of deceased loved ones to the infected, hinting at the reality of an afterlife, or at least a new kind of existence that is beyond human comprehension. Ueda’s story appeared in the anthology, PHANTASM JAPAN, which collected works by several bestselling authors from both the United States and Japan and was published in English in 2014 by VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint. More information on the book is available at: http://www.haikasoru.com/phantasm-japan.
Jason Hoffs, Head of Production at VIZ Productions, says the story is well suited for feature film adaptation. “Sayuri Ueda turns the ‘killer virus’ concept on its head with an agent that strikes at our emotions rather than our bodies. We hope to marry the pace of a riveting popcorn movie with a compelling meditation on life-after-death, love and memory, and God."
Screenwriter Sam Hamm is best known for his script for the 1989 Tim Burton film, Batman, and also adapted short fiction for Showtime’s "Masters of Horror" series. He says of the new project, “Ueda creates a world in which the most profound human emotions – love, grief, longing, and hope – can lead to one's salvation or one's undoing, and the true horror is that it may be impossible to tell the difference. ‘The Street of Fruiting Bodies’ is not only disturbing, it is moving.”
VIZ Productions coordinates the licensing of Japanese entertainment media (manga, books and film) to North American-based film studios. The company’s most recent project was 2014’s sci-fi action feature, Edge of Tomorrow, which was co-produced by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures and starred Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton. The film was based on the novel, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and available in English from VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint. VIZ Productions is also currently developing a feature film adaptation of the hit manga property DEATH NOTE.
For more information on anime, manga and film titles published and distributed by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.
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.
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Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana Among Presenters at 87th Oscar
Josh Hutcherson, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana And Octavia Spencer To Present At 87th Oscars®
Josh Hutcherson, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana and Octavia Spencer will be presenters at this year’s Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.
Hutcherson has appeared in such films as “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (2008), “The Kids Are All Right” (2010) and all three “Hunger Games” films to date. He will star later this year in the series finale, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.”
Johansson, whose film credits include “Lost in Translation” (2003), “Match Point” (2005), “Her” (2013) and “Lucy” (2014) will reprise her recurring role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the upcoming film “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
Saldana has appeared in such features as “Avatar” (2009), “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013) and “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014). She will next appear in “Infinitely Polar Bear” due out later this year.
Spencer won an Oscar® for her supporting role in the 2011 film “The Help.” Her other film credits include “Fruitvale Station” (2013), “Snowpiercer” (2014) and “Black or White” (2014). She will appear in the upcoming “Divergent” sequel “Insurgent.”
The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
-------------
Josh Hutcherson, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana and Octavia Spencer will be presenters at this year’s Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.
Hutcherson has appeared in such films as “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (2008), “The Kids Are All Right” (2010) and all three “Hunger Games” films to date. He will star later this year in the series finale, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.”
Johansson, whose film credits include “Lost in Translation” (2003), “Match Point” (2005), “Her” (2013) and “Lucy” (2014) will reprise her recurring role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the upcoming film “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
Saldana has appeared in such features as “Avatar” (2009), “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013) and “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014). She will next appear in “Infinitely Polar Bear” due out later this year.
Spencer won an Oscar® for her supporting role in the 2011 film “The Help.” Her other film credits include “Fruitvale Station” (2013), “Snowpiercer” (2014) and “Black or White” (2014). She will appear in the upcoming “Divergent” sequel “Insurgent.”
The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
-------------
Tegan and Sara Join The Lonely Island to Perform "Everything Is Awesome" at 87th Oscars
Tegan And Sara Reteam With Comedy-Music Trio The Lonely Island For Oscars® Performance
Pop duo Tegan and Sara and comedy-music trio The Lonely Island will perform the Oscar®-nominated song “Everything Is Awesome” at the 87th Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, live on ABC.
"Tegan and Sara and The Lonely Island?.....Everything Is Awesome, indeed. This is certainly an 'Only on the Oscars' moment," says Zadan and Meron.
“Everything Is Awesome,” written by Shawn Patterson for the animated feature “The Lego Movie,” is nominated for Original Song. The four other nominated songs are “Glory” from “Selma,” “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights,” “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me” and “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again.”
Canadian twin sisters Tegan and Sara have been releasing critically acclaimed albums and touring internationally alongside some of the biggest names in the industry since 1999. Their seventh and latest studio album, “Heartthrob,” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200, with certified gold single "Closer" charting in the top 20 at U.S. pop radio. Tegan and Sara were recognized with a Grammy nomination in 2013, and won Pop Album of the Year for “Heartthrob”, and Group of the Year, at Canada’s 2014 Juno Awards. “Everything Is Awesome,” which the duo recorded with The Lonely Island, has sold more than half a million copies in the U.S.
A comedy, music and filmmaking trio composed of “Saturday Night Live” alumni Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, The Lonely Island has released three studio albums and several gold and platinum singles. “I’m On A Boat,” featuring singer-songwriter T-Pain, achieved double-platinum status and earned a 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The group is responsible for one of the biggest channels on YouTube, garnering over 1.5 billion views.
The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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Pop duo Tegan and Sara and comedy-music trio The Lonely Island will perform the Oscar®-nominated song “Everything Is Awesome” at the 87th Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, live on ABC.
"Tegan and Sara and The Lonely Island?.....Everything Is Awesome, indeed. This is certainly an 'Only on the Oscars' moment," says Zadan and Meron.
“Everything Is Awesome,” written by Shawn Patterson for the animated feature “The Lego Movie,” is nominated for Original Song. The four other nominated songs are “Glory” from “Selma,” “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights,” “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me” and “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again.”
Canadian twin sisters Tegan and Sara have been releasing critically acclaimed albums and touring internationally alongside some of the biggest names in the industry since 1999. Their seventh and latest studio album, “Heartthrob,” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200, with certified gold single "Closer" charting in the top 20 at U.S. pop radio. Tegan and Sara were recognized with a Grammy nomination in 2013, and won Pop Album of the Year for “Heartthrob”, and Group of the Year, at Canada’s 2014 Juno Awards. “Everything Is Awesome,” which the duo recorded with The Lonely Island, has sold more than half a million copies in the U.S.
A comedy, music and filmmaking trio composed of “Saturday Night Live” alumni Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, The Lonely Island has released three studio albums and several gold and platinum singles. “I’m On A Boat,” featuring singer-songwriter T-Pain, achieved double-platinum status and earned a 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The group is responsible for one of the biggest channels on YouTube, garnering over 1.5 billion views.
The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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