DreamWorks Studios Forms New Content Creation Company

DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One Form Amblin Partners, a New Film, Television and Digital Content Creation Company

Steven Spielberg Also an Investor in Amblin Partners

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Steven Spielberg, Principal Partner, DreamWorks Studios, Jeff Skoll, Chairman, Participant Media, Anil Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Group and Darren Throop, President and Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment One (eOne) announced today the formation of Amblin Partners, a new film, television and digital content creation company.

The new company will create content using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant brands and leverage their power and broad awareness to tell stories that appeal to a wide range of audiences. Participant Media will remain a separate company that continues to independently develop, produce and finance projects with socially relevant themes.

Amblin Partners will be led by CEO Michael Wright and President and COO Jeff Small.

In addition, Amblin Television will become a division of Amblin Partners and continues to be run by co-presidents Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank, who maintain their longtime leadership roles. They join Producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and President of Production Holly Bario on the film side, to complete Amblin Partners’ senior management team.

David Linde, Chief Executive Officer of Participant Media, and Participant’s narrative feature team, led by Executive Vice President Jonathan King, will work closely with Amblin Partners to develop and produce specific content for the new venture in addition to exploring opportunities for co-productions and other content.

In making the announcement about Amblin Partners, Mr. Spielberg said, “We are thrilled to partner with Jeff Skoll, Participant Media, and to continue our prolific relationship. We are of like minds, as our many collaborations have illustrated, with a mutual commitment to quality, premium entertainment and global vision.”

Mr. Skoll said, “I have had the good fortune of working with Steven for many years. We share a passion for stories that can truly affect change. And this new venture will further Participant’s growth and global impact.”

DreamWorks Studios and Participant Media have collaborated on many Academy Award® nominated films such as “Lincoln” and “The Help” as well as the critically acclaimed “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” and the recently released “Bridge of Spies.”

Mr. Spielberg continued, “We are honored to continue our long-term association with our dear friend, Anil Ambani and his team at Reliance. We have had the opportunity to develop and produce wonderful films thanks to their ongoing support.”

“We are delighted to continue our now seven-years-strong relationship with our valued partner, Steven Spielberg, and to extend this alliance to the formation of Amblin Partners with Jeff Skoll. We look forward to the combination of Steven’s passion and integrity with Jeff’s unique socially conscious vision to create uplifting and quality content to entertain global audiences,” Mr. Ambani said.

Mr. Spielberg continued, “We are also grateful to Darren Throop and his team at Entertainment One for their contribution to Amblin Partners. We look forward to expanding our relationship.”

“We are delighted to join Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll and Reliance in launching this unique new venture,” Mr. Throop said. “We continually strive to partner with producers of the highest quality content, and Amblin Partners certainly represents the gold standard.”

Through this new partnership, eOne extends its collaboration into television production and distribution and expands its successful film distribution relationship across additional territories. eOne will handle the direct distribution of Amblin Partners films on a multi-territory output basis in Australia/New Zealand and Spain as well as the United Kingdom and the Benelux, where it previously had a successful output arrangement with DreamWorks Studios.

J.P.Morgan Chase structured and arranged the $500 million debt syndication together with Comerica Bank, which served as Co-Lead. Other financial institutions involved included Sun Trust Bank, Union Bank, City National Bank and Bank of America, among others. J.P.Morgan Chase and its predecessors have financed DreamWorks Studios since its inception in 1994.


About Amblin Partners
Amblin Partners is a content creation company formed by DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One (eOne). The company develops and produces films using the Amblin, DreamWorks Pictures and Participant banners and includes Amblin Television, a longtime leader in quality programming.

Film projects in various stages of production include: “The BFG,” and “The Light Between Oceans,” scheduled for release by Disney in 2016; “The Girl on the Train,” scheduled for release in October 2016; “A Dog’s Purpose,” scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2017 and “Ready Player One,” a co-production between Amblin Partners and Warner Bros. Pictures that is scheduled to be released in December of 2017.

Upcoming shows from Amblin TV include “All the Way,” an HBO movie directed by Jay Roach and starring Bryan Cranston, with an airdate to be announced shortly; and “American Gothic,” a summer series that will air on CBS and begin production in February 2016.

About Participant Media
Participant Media is a leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll, Participant combines the power of a good story well told with opportunities for viewers to get involved. Participant’s more than 70 films, including “Spotlight,” “Contagion,” “Lincoln,” “The Help,” “He Named Me Malala,” “The Look of Silence,” “CITIZENFOUR,” “Food, Inc.,” and “An Inconvenient Truth,” have collectively earned 37 Academy Award® nominations and eight wins. Participant has also launched more than a dozen original series including, “Please Like Me,” Emmy® Award-winning “Hit Record On TV with Joseph Gordon-Levitt,” and “Fortitude,” for its television network Pivot. Participant’s digital hub, TakePart, serves millions of socially conscious consumers each month with daily articles, videos and opportunities to take action. Follow Participant Media on Twitter at @Participant and on Facebook.

About Reliance Entertainment
Reliance Group, led by Mr. Anil D. Ambani, is among India’s major business houses, with a leadership position in telecommunications, power, infrastructure, financial services, and media and entertainment. The Group has over 250 million customers, serving 1 in every 5 Indians, and has over 8 million shareholders, amongst the largest shareholder families in the world.

Reliance Entertainment is the media and entertainment arm of Reliance Group, and is engaged in the creation and distribution of content across film, television, digital and gaming platforms. Internationally, Reliance Entertainment has partnered since 2009 with iconic film producer and director, Steven Spielberg, in the formation of DreamWorks Studios.

About Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a leading international entertainment company that specializes in the acquisition, production and distribution of film and television content. The company’s comprehensive network extends around the globe including Canada, the U.S., the UK, Ireland, Spain, Benelux, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Through established Film and Television divisions, the company provides extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production, family programming, merchandising and licensing, and digital content. Its current rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 40,000 film and television titles, 4,500 hours of television programming and 45,000 music tracks.

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VIZ Media Has Two Naruto Publications Set for Jan. 5th, 2016

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES A NEW ACTION-PACKED NARUTO MANGA EPILOGUE AND THE RELEASE OF THE FINAL MANGA SERIES BOX SET EDITION

NARUTO Box Set 3 Contains Series’ Exciting Concluding Volumes; Find Out What Happens Next In NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING Spin-Off Manga

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces plans to kick off 2016 with a pair of exciting NARUTO releases.

Set for release in print on January 5th, 2016, NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING is the post-series spin-off to the world’s most popular ninja manga. A digital version is currently available via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. Also set for release on January 5th, 2016 will be the NARUTO Manga Box Set 3, which contains the thrilling concluding story arcs to the worldwide smash hit manga (graphic novel) series. Also included is an exclusive double-sided poster and a bonus booklet featuring a special NARUTO story and an interview with series creator Masashi Kishimoto. Both releases are rated “T” for Teen.

NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN · Available January 5th!

Digital Edition Available Now For $6.99

In the years since the great ninja war, peace has bloomed in the ninja world, and a new generation has begun to take root. Naruto’s work as Hokage seems to be pretty mundane, but his son, Boruto, is constantly demanding attention. Luckily for Naruto, he can make clones of himself to babysit his son. But Sasuke’s daughter, Sarada, could be the target of a mysterious figure who has connections to the Uchiha clan!

NARUTO Manga Box Set 3

MSRP: $185.99 U.S. / $214.99 CAN · Available January 5th!

The third and final NARUTO Box Set contains the thrilling conclusion to one of the most popular manga series of all time. The set features Volumes 49-72 at a substantial savings over buying them individually, along with exclusive premiums.

Manga author/artist Masashi Kishimoto was born in 1974 in rural Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Like many kids, he was first inspired to become a manga artist in elementary school when he read DRAGON BALL. After spending time in art school, he won the Hop Step Award for new manga artists with his story, Karakuri. After considering various genres for his next project, Kishimoto decided on a story steeped in traditional Japanese culture. His first version of NARUTO, drawn in 1997, was a one-shot story about fox spirits; his final version, which debuted in Japan in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, quickly became the most popular ninja manga in the world. The series would also spawn multiple anime series, movies, novels, video games and more. Having concluded the series in late 2014, Masashi Kishimoto has kept himself busy this year with the side story, NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING, and writing the story for the latest NARUTO movie, Boruto: Naruto the Movie, both of which focus on the title character's son, Boruto.

VIZ Media is the North American master licensor for NARUTO and publishes the bestselling NARUTO manga series in print and digitally and also distributes the NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series and feature films. Additional information on NARUTO is available at www.Naruto.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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Detroit Film Critics Name "Spotlight" Best Film of 2015

The Detroit Film Critics Society was founded in Spring 2007 and currently consists of a group of 20 Michigan film critics (as December 2013) who write or broadcast in the Detroit area as well as other major cities within a 150-mile radius of the city including Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Flint, Michigan.

The winners of the 2015 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards were Monday, December 14, 2015.

2015 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards winners:

BEST FILM
Spotlight

BEST DIRECTOR
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTOR
Michael Caine, Youth

BEST ACTRESS
Saroise Ronan, Brooklyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Liev Schreiber, Spotlight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

BEST ENSEMBLE
Spotlight

BREAKTHROUGH
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina, The Danish Girl (actress)

BEST SCREENPLAY
Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amy

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2015 Chicago Film Critics Association Award Nominations - Complete List

The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization that hands out the Chicago Film Critics Awards, hold critics roundtables, and takes on industry and artists’ rights issues. The parent association was founded in 1990 by film critic Sue Kiner after the successful launch of the Chicago Film Critics Awards in 1989.

Now in its 26th year, the CFCA will announce the winners of Chicago Film Critics Association Awards during their year-end awards dinner to be held on the evening of Wednesday, December 16, 2015.

2015 / 26th Annual Chicago Film Critics Association Award nominations:

BEST PICTURE
Carol
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight

BEST DIRECTOR
Todd Haynes--Carol
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu--The Revenant
Tom McCarthy--Spotlight
Adam McKay--The Big Short
George Miller--Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTOR
Christopher Abbott--James White
Leonardo DiCaprio--The Revenant
Michael Fassbender--Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne--The Danish Girl
Jason Segel--The End of the Tour

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett--Carol
Brie Larson--Room
Charlotte Rampling--45 Years
Saoirse Ronan--Brooklyn
Charlize Theron--Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio Del Toro--Sicario
Sam Elliott--Grandma
Mark Rylance--Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon--99 Homes
Sylvester Stallone--Creed

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Jason Leigh--Anomalisa
Jennifer Jason Leigh--The Hateful Eight
Cynthia Nixon--James White
Kristen Stewart--Clouds of Sils Maria
Alicia Vikander--Ex Machina

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Bridge of Spies--Matt Charman and Joel & Ethan Coen
Ex Machina--Alex Garland
The Hateful Eight--Quentin Tarantino
Inside Out--Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley
Spotlight--Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Anomalisa--Charlie Kaufman
The Big Short--Adam McKay & Charles Randolph
Brooklyn--Nick Hornby
Room--Emma Donoghue
Steve Jobs--Aaron Sorkin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol--Edward Lachman
The Hateful Eight--Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road--John Seale
The Revenant--Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario--Roger Deakins

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Carol--Carter Burwell
The Hateful Eight--Ennio Morricone
Inside Out--Michael Giacchino
It Follows--Disasterpeace
Mad Max: Fury Road--Junkie XL

BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Assassin
Brooklyn
Carol
Crimson Peak
Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST EDITING
The Big Short--Hank Corwin
Mad Max: Fury Road--Jason Ballantine & Margaret Sixel
The Martian--Pietro Scalia
The Revenant--Stephen Mirrione
Spotlight--Tom McArdle

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
The Assassin (Taiwan)
The Look of Silence (Denmark)
Phoenix (Germany)
Son of Saul (Hungary)
White God (Hungary)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amy
Cartel Land
The Hunting Ground
The Look of Silence
Where to Invade Next

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
The Shaun the Sheep Movie

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Christopher Abbott--James White
Bel Powley--The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Geza Rohrig--Son of Saul
Amy Schumer--Trainwreck
Jacob Tremblay--Room

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Alex Garland--Ex Machina
Marielle Heller--The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Josh Mond--James White
Laszlo Nemes--Son of Saul
Bill Pohlad--Love & Mercy

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Online Film Critics Name "Mad Max: Fury Road" Best Picture of 2015

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 Online Film Critics Society currently consists of 254 members with writers representing 22 countries across the globe.

The 19th Online Film Critics Society Awards were announced on Monday, December 14, 2015.

2015 / 19th OFCS Award winners:

Best Picture:
Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Animated Feature:
Inside Out

Best Film Not in the English Language:
The Assassin (Taiwan)

Best Documentary:
The Look of Silence

Best Director:
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Actor:
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett (Carol)

Best Supporting Actor:
Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina)

Best Supporting Actress:
Rooney Mara (Carol)

Best Original Screenplay:
Spotlight (Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Carol (Phyllis Nagy)

Best Editing:
Mad Max: Fury Road (Margaret Sixel)

Best Cinematography:
Mad Max: Fury Road (John Seale)

Best Non-U.S. Release
Aferim!
Cemetery of Splendor
The Club
Dheepan
The Lobster
Mountains May Depart
Mia Madre
Rams
Right Now, Wrong Then
The Sunset Song

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2016 Golden Globe Award Nominations Announced - Complete List

The Golden Globe Award is a movie accolade bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).  The award recognizes excellence in both film and television.  The annual awards ceremony is a major part of the film industry’s award season.

The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations were announced on Thursday, December 10, 2015.  The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards will be hosted by Ricky Gervais.  The ceremony will air on Sunday, January 10, 2016 on NBC, beginning at 8:00 (EST) and 5:00 (PST).

2016 / 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations:

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

CAROL
Number 9 Films; The Weinstein Company

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Warner Bros. Pictures / Village Roadshow Pictures / Kennedy Miller Mitchell; Warner Bros. Pictures

THE REVENANT
Regency Enterprises; Twentieth Century Fox

ROOM
Element Pictures / No Trace Camping; A24

SPOTLIGHT
Anonymous Content / Participant Media / First Look; Open Road Films

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
CATE BLANCHETT, CAROL
BRIE LARSON, ROOM
ROONEY MARA, CAROL
SAOIRSE RONAN, BROOKLYN
ALICIA VIKANDER, THE DANISH GIRL

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BRYAN CRANSTON, TRUMBO
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, THE REVENANT
MICHAEL FASSBENDER, STEVE JOBS
EDDIE REDMAYNE, THE DANISH GIRL
WILL SMITH, CONCUSSION

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

THE BIG SHORT
Paramount Pictures / Regency Enterprises; Paramount Pictures

JOY
Fox 2000 Pictures; Twentieth Century Fox

THE MARTIAN
Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox

SPY
Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox

TRAINWRECK
Universal Pictures / Apatow Productions; Universal Pictures

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
JENNIFER LAWRENCE, JOY
MELISSA MCCARTHY, SPY
AMY SCHUMER, TRAINWRECK
MAGGIE SMITH, THE LADY IN THE VAN
LILY TOMLIN, GRANDMA

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
CHRISTIAN BALE, THE BIG SHORT
STEVE CARELL, THE BIG SHORT
MATT DAMON, THE MARTIAN
AL PACINO, DANNY COLLINS
MARK RUFFALO, INFINITELY POLAR BEAR

BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED

ANOMALISA
Starburns Industries; Paramount Pictures

THE GOOD DINOSAUR
Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

INSIDE OUT
Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

THE PEANUTS MOVIE
Blue Sky Studios; Twentieth Century Fox

SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE
Aardman; Lionsgate / Studiocanal

BEST MOTION PICTURE – FOREIGN LANGUAGE

THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT (BELGIUM/FRANCE /LUXEMBOURG)
Terra Incognita/Climax Films/Après le Déluge/Juliette Films/ Caviar; Belga Films/Le Pacte

THE CLUB (CHILE)
Fabula; Music Box Films

THE FENCER (FINLAND/GERMANY/ESTONIA)
Making Movies/Kick Film GmbH/Allfilm; Oy Nordisk Film Ab

MUSTANG (FRANCE)
CG Cinéma/Vistamar Flimproduktion; Cohen Media Group

SON OF SAUL (HUNGARY)
Laokoon Filmgroup; Sony Pictures Classics

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
JANE FONDA, YOUTH
JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, THE HATEFUL EIGHT
HELEN MIRREN, TRUMBO
ALICIA VIKANDER, EX MACHINA
KATE WINSLET, STEVE JOBS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
PAUL DANO, LOVE & MERCY
IDRIS ELBA, BEASTS OF NO NATION
MARK RYLANCE, BRIDGE OF SPIES
MICHAEL SHANNON, 99 HOMES
SYLVESTER STALLONE, CREED

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
TODD HAYNES, CAROL
ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ IÑÁRRITU, THE REVENANT
TOM MCCARTHY, SPOTLIGHT
GEORGE MILLER, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
RIDLEY SCOTT, THE MARTIAN

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
EMMA DONOGHUE, ROOM
TOM MCCARTHY/JOSH SINGER, SPOTLIGHT
CHARLES RANDOLPH/ADAM MCKAY, THE BIG SHORT
AARON SORKIN, STEVE JOBS
QUENTIN TARANTINO, THE HATEFUL EIGHT

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
CARTER BURWELL, CAROL
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT, THE DANISH GIRL
ENNIO MORRICONE, THE HATEFUL EIGHT
DANIEL PEMBERTON, STEVE JOBS
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, ALVA NOTO

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

“LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO” — FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
Music by: Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami, Ilya Salmanzadeh
Lyrics by: Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami, Ilya Salmanzadeh

“ONE KIND OF LOVE” — LOVE & MERCY
Music by: Brian Wilson, Scott Bennett
Lyrics by: Brian Wilson, Scott Bennett

“SEE YOU AGAIN” — FURIOUS 7
Music by: Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, Cameron Thomaz
Lyrics by: Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, Cameron Thomaz

“SIMPLE SONG #3” — YOUTH
Music by: David Lang
Lyrics by: David Lang

“WRITING’S ON THE WALL” — SPECTRE
Musicby: Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes
Lyrics by: Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

EMPIRE (FOX)
20th Century Fox Television / Imagine Television

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360 and Startling Television

MR. ROBOT (USA NETWORK)
Universal Cable Productions

NARCOS (NETFLIX)
Gaumont International Television for Netflix

OUTLANDER (STARZ)
Sony Pictures Television

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
CAITRIONA BALFE, OUTLANDER
VIOLA DAVIS, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
EVA GREEN, PENNY DREADFUL
TARAJI P. HENSON, EMPIRE
ROBIN WRIGHT, HOUSE OF CARDS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
JON HAMM, MAD MEN
RAMI MALEK, MR. ROBOT
WAGNER MOURA, NARCOS
BOB ODENKIRK, BETTER CALL SAUL
LIEV SCHREIBER, RAY DONOVAN

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

CASUAL (HULU)
Lionsgate TV/Right of Way

MOZART IN THE JUNGLE (AMAZON VIDEO)
Amazon Studios

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (NETFLIX)
Lionsgate Television for Netflix

SILICON VALLEY (HBO)
HBO Entertainment in association with Judgemental Films, Alec Berg, Altschuler Krinsky Works, and 3 Arts Entertainment

TRANSPARENT (AMAZON VIDEO)
Amazon Studios

VEEP (HBO)
HBO Entertainment in association with Dundee Productions

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
RACHEL BLOOM, CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
JAMIE LEE CURTIS, SCREAM QUEENS
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, VEEP
GINA RODRIGUEZ, JANE THE VIRGIN
LILY TOMLIN , GRACE AND FRANKIE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
AZIZ ANSARI, MASTER OF NONE
GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL, MOZART IN THE JUNGLE
ROB LOWE, THE GRINDER
PATRICK STEWART, BLUNT TALK
JEFFREY TAMBOR, TRANSPARENT

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

AMERICAN CRIME (ABC)
ABC Studios

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL (FX)
20th Century Fox Television

FARGO (FX)
MGM Television Studios/FX Productions

FLESH & BONE (Starz)
Starz

WOLF HALL PBS
A Playground Entertainment and Company Pictures production for BBC and MASTERPIECE in association with BBC Worldwide, Atlus Media and Prescience

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
KIRSTEN DUNST, FARGO
LADY GAGA, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL
SARAH HAY, FLESH & BONE
FELICITY HUFFMAN, AMERICAN CRIME
QUEEN LATIFAH, BESSIE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
IDRIS ELBA, LUTHER
OSCAR ISAAC, SHOW ME A HERO
DAVID OYELOWO, NIGHTINGALE
MARK RYLANCE, WOLF HALL
PATRICK WILSON, FARGO

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
UZO ADUBA, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
JOANNE FROGGATT, DOWNTON ABBEY
REGINA KING, AMERICAN CRIME
JUDITH LIGHT, TRANSPARENT
MAURA TIERNEY, THE AFFAIR

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
ALAN CUMMING, THE GOOD WIFE
DAMIAN LEWIS, WOLF HALL
BEN MENDELSOHN, BLOODLINE
TOBIAS MENZIES, OUTLANDER
CHRISTIAN SLATER, MR. ROBOT

Cecil B. DeMille Award:
Denzel Washington

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Dark Planet's "Silver Volume 2" Arrives on December 16th

Stephan Franck's Genre-Bending SILVER Reveals Its Dracula In Epic World-Building Volume 2, Coming December 16, 2015

Los Angeles, CA – Dark Planet is proud to announce that on Wednesday, December 16, 2015, SILVER Volume 2, the new trade paperback in Stephan Franck’s acclaimed high-concept graphic novel mini-series SILVER, will be simultaneously released on the direct market, Amazon, and ComiXology Submit, which features the series on its well respected “ESSENTIAL READS” list.

Following a widely acclaimed first volume, which sent instant fan-favorite master-thief James Finnigan, Rosalynd “Sledge” Van Helsing, and Tao Leu, a 10 year-old boy with the gift of second sight, on a quest to  steal an ancient treasure hidden in Dracula’s castle, SILVER Volume 2 goes into full world-building mode!

A direct extension of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and told as a classic heist story, SILVER astonishes as both a faithful homage and an exciting reinvention, staying true to its literary origin while creating its own expansive and wildly original mythology.  “I have a deep fascination with the original Stoker novel,” says Franck, “and kept wanting to lift the veil and see more of that world… What happens once the Victorian strictures disappear and the 20th century sets in? What happens to the characters and their descendants? What is that world’s history--going all the way back to the Bronze Age, with epic tales otherwise lost to the sands of time?” As we follow the team from pulp-era New York City, across Europe, and to their final destination, we enter the hidden world of vampires--a culture of intrigues, vanity, decadence and ancient traditions. Franck says: “I couldn’t wait to present my take on the legendary castle and to reveal my version of Dracula. A damaged character in search of himself. Not as dead as we thought he was. And his spirit definitely not as freed.”

Such a character and his world provide a great thematic foil for Finnigan and his group of con-men. Franck says: “Conmen and vampires are related in the sense that they both are predatory creatures, who don’t engage with life in the way most people do. So taking a bunch of broken characters with bruised souls, and pitting them against the truly soulless, leads to the idea that walking around in the world and feeling truly alive are two completely different things.”

As SILVER volume 2 puts its long con in motion, it sets Finigan and the king of the undead on a collision course. Franck says:  “I always saw Finnigan as a good guy trying to be bad, and this Dracula is a bad guy trying to be good, which means that they will meet at an interesting crossroads.”

This new volume continues the series trademark character work as Hamilton, Tao, Finnigan and Sledge further build their relationships, revealing more about their past and inner lives, in a powerful combination of light-hearted, suspenseful, and emotional moments. Meanwhile, new characters appear on the scene, including the particularly cruel and fearless vampire princess Lillian, with whom Sledge seems to have a secret history.

As with previous installments in the series, comic books luminaries have been vocal supporters of Franck’s storytelling:

“Silver is so big, bold, and juicy! I absolutely love this book!” --BILL SIENKIEWICZ (Elektra: Assassin, Stray Toasters)

“With SILVER, Stephan Franck masterfully drives his narrative home. A breath of fresh air in the world of comics!” --TOMMY LEE EDWARDS (Marvel 1985, The Question, Turf)

“Why was I not reading this before?  Why? Why? Why?  It’s everything I love about comics.  And everything I miss about a lot of comics these days.” — JIM KRUEGER (Earth X, Justice, The Runner)

SILVER Volume 1 and 2 are also available from the Dark Planet Webstore and from the Dark Planet booth at comic book conventions across the US, where the company maintains a dynamic presence.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Stephan Franck is an award-nominated animator/writer/director/comic book creator. He was a supervising animator on the cult classic THE IRON GIANT, and contributed story to DESPICABLE ME. He co-created the animated TV series CORNEIL & BERNIE (Nicktoons - Hub Network), and received an Annie Award nomination for Best Director In a TV Program for the special SMURFS: THE LEGEND OF SMURFY HOLLOW, which presented the Smurf for the first time in 2D animation at a feature-animation level of quality. Stephan’s graphic novel debut, SILVER Volume 1 earned him a nomination for the prestigious Russ Manning Award at San Diego Comic Con 2014, a 2015 Geekie Awards nomination for Best Comic or Graphic Novel, and landed on ComiXology Submit’s ESSENTIAL READS list.

For more information, questions, or interview requests, please contact press@darkplanet.com

FUN VIDEOS:

SILVER Vol 1 trailer
https://goo.gl/cch05C
https://vimeo.com/131248274

SILVER Vol 2 trailer
https://youtu.be/AerzXsvDu6E
https://vimeo.com/140270722

Character introductions/author commentary:

Finnigan
https://youtu.be/whjWIJmp9MQ
https://vimeo.com/148685982

Sledge
https://youtu.be/uMchjbvH2Sg
https://vimeo.com/148686272

Hamilton
https://youtu.be/_W0D-RJdtwQ
https://vimeo.com/148738327

The world of silver
https://youtu.be/rzbfwwcPKl0
https://vimeo.com/148750644

Hear SILVER fans talk
https://youtu.be/__NrEi7GIgw
https://vimeo.com/137669720

http://dark-planet-comics.com/

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