Aaron Sorkin

2012 Oscar Nominations Announced; HUGO and THE ARTIST Lead the Pack

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 6:05 am

The nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards have finally been unveiled. Many of the categories have fallen in line just as most have predicted (I fared alright with my predictions, but not great), with Hugo scoring 11 nods, followed closely by The Artist with 10. The biggest surprises are War Horse and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close getting in for Best Picture, the exclusion of The Adventures of Tintin from Best Animated Feature, and The Tree of Life nabbing Best Picture and Best Director nods (hooray!). On the snub side of things, despite landing the most precursor critics awards of any other actor in the race thus far, Albert Brooks was denied a Best Supporting Actor nod for his stellar work in Drive (boo). Additionally, Tilda Swinton was overlooked for giving the best performance of the year in We Need to Talk About Kevin, and AMPAS has no love for Michael Fassbender‘s haunting work in Shame.

There’s still plenty to be happy about, as Gary Oldman has his first ever Oscar Nomination (yes, that’s right) and Melissa McCarthy is a Best Supporting Actress nominee. Hit the jump to check out the full list of nominees. The 84th Academy Awards will be presented by Billy Crystal on February 26th.

Oscars 2012: Adam Predicts the Nominees

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 21st, 2012 at 2:38 pm

As I’ve been covering awards season pretty extensively here on the site over the past few months, I figured it would be appropriate to (foolishly) try to predict the upcoming Oscar nominations. It’s been a fairly tame year, as a few frontrunners were singled out early in the race and have held their ground throughout the grueling awards season. We haven’t been without a few surprises, as Steven Spielberg’s War Horse took a massive tumble following snubs from most of the major guilds, and David Fincher has surged back into the race bringing his adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with him.

Though there are plenty of safe bets when it comes to the 2012 Oscar nominations, there are still a few wildcards and tricky categories. I’ve put on my prognosticating cap (those interested can purchase one of these nifty hats at your local Target) and compiled a list of who and what I think will make the cut. Hit the jump to see how I think the nods will stack up when they’re announced on January 24th.

THE ARTIST Wins Top Prize at Critics Choice Awards; George Clooney Named Best Actor

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 12th, 2012 at 7:52 pm

With each passing awards ceremony, it’s looking more and more likely that we’re in for a fairly boring/predictable Oscars this year. The Artist continues to dominate the precursor ceremonies as it took home the Best Picture and Best Director prize at the Critics Choice Awards. On the acting side of things, George Clooney was named Best Actor for his work in The Descendants, and Viola Davis won Best Actress for The Help. The Artist is our clear frontrunner headed towards Oscar night, and I don’t really think anything else will be able to take it down. I can’t really complain about any of the acting wins, though for what it’s worth I think Brad Pitt gave the best performance of the year in Moneyball.

Elsewhere, Drive won Best Action Movie (though it’s really a drama) Bridesmaids won Best Comedy, and Rango was named Best Animated Feature. Hit the jump to see the full list of winners.

Hugh Jackman to Return to Broadway in 2013/2014 for Original Musical HOUDINI Written by Aaron Sorkin

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 4th, 2012 at 9:05 am

We usually don’t cover Broadway news, but when you have Tony-winner Hugh Jackman and Oscar-and-Emmy-winner Aaron Sorkin teaming up for an original musical, it’s worth attention.  Back in November 2010, we reported that Jackman was attached to the musical biopic Houdini and Sorkin was writing the book (the plot and dialogue of a musical).  The production has now sent out a press release announcing that the show will premiere in 2013/2014.  Jackman recently finished his two month run on Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway, which played to sold-out audiences.  He’s also about to begin filming on the movie musical adaptation of Les Miserables.

Hit the jump for more on the production and Sorkin’s approach to Harry Houdini‘s story.

Aaron Sorkin’s HBO Cable News Drama Officially Called NEWSROOM; Check Out a Small Bit of the Script

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: December 5th, 2011 at 6:23 pm

For awhile now we’ve been updating on the progress of a new HBO drama series from writer Aaron Sorkin with the likes of Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterston, Olivia Munn, Emily Mortimer and more playing various characters working at a fictional cable news channel called UBS. More specifically, the series follows one of the programs on the channel that’s not unlike Countdown with Kieth Olberman. Now HBO Watch is reporting the series formerly known as More as This Story Develops will now simply be called Newsroom. Obviously it draws parallels to Sorkin’s Sports Night series from years back, but this will much different tonally and stylistically. Daniels play the show host Will McCallister while Waterston plays network president Charlie Skinner and if you want to get a taste of the dynamic between these two characters and the work Sorkin has put on the page, you can check out a bit of the expected snappy dialogue from the show after the jump.

New York Film Critics Name THE ARTIST Best Picture; Brad Pitt and Meryl Streep Win Top Acting Prizes

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 29th, 2011 at 10:26 am

Awards season is officially in full-swing, with this morning’s announcements of the Gotham Awards winners and the full list of nominees for the upcoming Independent Spirit Awards. Now it’s the critics’ turn, as the New York Critics Circle have unveiled their list for the best in film of 2011. The Artist took home the top two prizes (Best Picture and Director), solidifying its status as an Oscar frontrunner. Brad Pitt was named Best Actor for his work in Moneyball and The Tree of Life, with the former also taking the Best Screenplay prize for Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian. As for Best Actress, the undeniably talented Meryl Streep took the honor for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

In the supporting categories, Albert Brooks was recognized for his dastardly role in Drive, while the prolific Jessica Chastain was named Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Tree of Life, The Help, and Take Shelter. While The Artist was already running into the Oscars with a good deal of steam, Moneyball‘s two wins give the film a much needed boost heading into the thick of awards season. Hit the jump to see the full list of winners.

2012 Oscar Preview: Best Animated Feature, Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Technical Category Quick Picks

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 26th, 2011 at 10:19 am

Continuing on with our look at the 2012 Oscar race, today we delve into Best Animated Feature and the technical categories. As Pixar’s Cars 2 was the studio’s worst-received feature to date (it currently sits at 38% on Rotten Tomatoes), we’ve got ourselves an actual competition in the Animated Feature category. Not only that, but if all 18 films that were submitted to the Academy are deemed eligible, we’ll have a total of five nominated films. This leaves us to debate the merits of Rango and The Adventures of Tintin against the likes of Puss in Boots and Arthur Christmas.

Additionally, we’ve taken a stab at Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, and the technical categories. As these are incredibly tricky to predict this far out (and my picks would be doomed to haunt me come February), I’ve simply listed a couple of frontrunners in each category instead of going in depth. Though it’s still early, we’ve got an overall picture of how things look like they’ll stack up; so hit the jump to check out the state of the race so far. If you missed our previous preview articles, be sure to take a look at our picks for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, and Best Actor and Best Actress.

Emily Mortimer Talks HUGO and Aaron Sorkin’s New HBO Series MORE AS THIS STORY DEVELOPS

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 24th, 2011 at 7:03 am

Opening this week is Martin Scorsese‘s first 3D film, Hugo.  Based on Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film stars Asa Butterfield as a young boy secretly living in a train station in 1931 Paris.  As he attempts to piece together a puzzle that he’d been working on with his father, the results transform not only Hugo, but everyone he comes in contact with.  The impressive cast also includes Chloe Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Sir Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Emily Mortimer, and Michael Stuhlbarg. You can watch a trailer here.

During my interview with Mortimer, she talked about how she got involved with the project and getting to work for Scorsese for the second time, working in the 3D format, and what it was like to work with Sacha Baron Cohen (most of her scenes are with the gifted comedian).  In addition, with Mortimer working on Aaron Sorkin‘s new HBO show More As This Story Develops, we talked about who she plays and if she’s ready for the many tracking shots and “walk-and-talks” that Sorkin is known for.  Hit the jump to watch.

Aaron Sorkin “Strongly Considering” Penning a Steve Jobs Biopic

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 23rd, 2011 at 8:05 am

Here’s a hard truth about Steve Jobs: he was just a business man.  His products were popular (although controversial among tech geeks), and he ran a successful company, but his death was treated like the passing of one of history’s great leaders.  The non-stop deification has become quite annoying and it doesn’t seem like it will end any time soon.  Last month we reported that Aaron Sorkin was being courted by Sony to write a biopic about Jobs.  The Oscar-winning screenwriter now tells E! (via THR) that “it’s something I’m strongly considering,” but added, “Right now I’m just in the thinking-about-it stages.  It’s a really big movie and it’s going to be a great movie no matter who writes it.”

Hit the jump for more on the story along with my criticism of making a Steve Jobs movie.

Aaron Sorkin Being Courted to Pen Steve Jobs Biopic

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 24th, 2011 at 5:56 pm

Mere days after the incredibly sad passing of pioneer Steve Jobs, we reported that Sony had acquired the rights to the authorized biography by Walter Isaacson and was planning a biopic. Jobs’ life is definitely one of great interest, but nailing down a tactful film based on his life is going to be a very tough task. Sony seems to be moving ahead with the film, and apparently Aaron Sorkin is being courted to take on scripting duties. Sorkin is an inspired choice, and I could really think of no one better to capture the visionary spirit of Jobs. Though no decisions have been made, the Social Network writer is said to be considering the prospect. Hit the jump for more.

Steve Jobs Asked Aaron Sorkin to Write a Pixar Film

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 11th, 2011 at 1:07 pm

Following the extremely sad death of Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs, an outpouring of love followed in the form of heartfelt statements, serving as a testament to Jobs’ innovation and character. Among those who wrote a few words about the visionary was screenwriter/God of Words Aaron Sorkin. The Academy Award-winning scribe behind The Social Network and The West Wing recounted the last phone call he ever got from Jobs, in which he asked Sorkin to write a Pixar movie. Hit the jump to see how the conversation went.

HBO Orders Aaron Sorkin’s Untitled Cable News Drama to Series

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: September 8th, 2011 at 1:56 pm

Though the project has been referred to by the working title More as This Story Develops, the cable news network based drama series set up at HBO is apparently still untitled. However, one thing that’s not uncertain is the future of the series as THR reports HBO has just given a series order to Sorkin’s first cable endeavor that will follow a cable news anchor, his executive producer, the newsroom staff and their boss as they set out on a mission to do the news in the face of commercial and corporate obstacles as well as their own personal entanglements.

Jeff Daniels, in his first major role as a series regular, plays the cable news anchor while Emily Mortimer plays his executive producer. Meanwhile, Alison Pill, John Gallgher Jr., Olivia Munn, Dev Patel, Thomas Sadoski and Sam Waterston round out the supporting cast. Since all of Sorkin’s previous series’ have been on regular network television, I’m hoping the cable arena really lets him cut loose. Of course, knowing Sorkin’s political sensibilities and the fact that he spent time with cable news personalities like Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, I’m betting this series won’t hit that well with conservative audience members. Either way, any new series project from an amazing writer like Sorkin should be good news for everyone.

Aaron Sorkin and John Krasinski Developing HBO Miniseries LIFE AT THE MARMONT

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: June 23rd, 2011 at 3:37 pm

He’s already got a new drama series at HBO with More as This Story Develops on the way, but Aaron Sorkin is working on yet another project at the cable network now. THR reports The Social Network scribe and The Office star John Krasinski are developing a new miniseries at HBO called Life at the Marmont, based on the book of the same name by the infamous hotel owners Raymond R. Sarlot and Fred Basten. The landmark Chateau Marmont at the center of Hollywood has long been a popular location always drawing in the biggest names in film, television, music and literature. Apparently the series, which Krasinski which also have a role in, will have a series of interconnected stories of several different hotel guests over several generations. I’m always interested in projects Krasinski takes on outside of The Office, and with Sorkin involved, this is yet another promising piece of entertainment from HBO.

For more on the project, hit the jump to check out a synopsis of the book.

Sam Waterston Joins Aaron Sorkin’s HBO Drama Pilot MORE AS THIS STORY DEVELOPS

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: June 1st, 2011 at 6:49 am

We’ve known for some time now that Jeff Daniels would lead a new cable news centric drama pilot at HBO called More as This Story Develops. In addition, Emily Mortimer has been confirmed to take the lead female role with Alison Pill and Olivia Munn taking supporting roles. Now The Wrap reports Law & Order alum Sam Waterston, who played Jack McCoy on the staple legal series until its recent cancellation, has signed on for a role in the promising new series. Waterston will play Charles Skinner, the president of the cable news division which houses news anchor Will McCallister’s (Daniels) own show. This assembly of talent with Greg Mottola (Superbad) at the helm of the pilot has me excited for what looks to be yet another great series on HBO.

Emily Mortimer Takes Lead Female Role in Aaron Sorkin’s New HBO Drama

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: May 2nd, 2011 at 4:04 pm

Last week we learned that Marisa Tomei was close to taking the lead female role in a new series pilot for HBO from writer Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and director Greg Mottola (Paul). However, it looks like another serious contender for the role has been locked into the pilot as Deadline reports Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island, Cars 2) has snagged the lead female role instead. Tentatively titled More as This Story Develops, the new series follows cable news anchor Will McCallister (Jeff Daniels), who has his own show, as well as the show’s female executive producer and staff. Mortimer is playing the executive producer, MacKenzie, for whom producing the news is what she does best and everything else is just noise. I’m thoroughly looking forward to seeing how this project turns out and can’t wait to see who else joins the cast.

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