The first trailer for “Spider Man: Far from Home” is here, and it’s a winner. Tom Holland takes Peter Parker to Venice, Italy, where he’s enlisted by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury to save the city of canals and bridges. Jake Gyllenhaal is the new villain. Marisa Tomei is back as Aunt May (now known just as May), and “Iron Man” actor- director Jon Favreau is her love interest. Coming this summer, on the heels of the animated “Spider Man: Into the Spider Verse.” RIP Stan Lee, who knew there would be an endless appetite for this story. In every format. All the time.

Tom Cruise is going to make two more “Mission Impossible” movies. They’ll be filmed back to back, for release in 2021 and 2022, when Cruise turns 60. Christopher McQuarrie will write and direct them.

At the same time, Cruise will appear in his “Top Gun” sequel, which will be released in 2020.

What else is Cruise going to do? He doesn’t appear in comedies, romcoms, or dramas. He doesn’t make love stories or westerns. At age 55, even with the best cosmetic surgery and working out day and night, life takes a toll. Ask Stallone or Schwarzenegger.

Also, Cruise’s non “Mission Impossible” movies are not money makers. The bad ones, like “The Mummy,” and the good ones, like “American Made,” are non starters at the box office. And it’s not like we’re going to get Tom Cruise on Broadway in “Death of a Salesman.” He’s boxed himself into the Ethan Hunt role. As long as Cruise can hang from helicopters, planes, space shuttles, whatever, he can keep the franchise going.

What’s kind of sad is that the Tom Cruise of “Jerry Maguire” and “Risky Business” seems to be gone. But hey– he’s not crying about it, so we won’t weep too long.

Box office update: “The Upside” directed by Neil Burger did much better than $19.5 million over the weekend. The Bryan Cranston-Kevin Hart remake of “The Intouchables” actually broke $20 million when all the chits were counted, bringing it to $20,355,000.

This is rather amazing since “The Upside” was fished out of the Weinstein Company bankruptcy. It premiered to standing ovations in Toronto in 2017.

The movie was a passion project for Harvey Weinstein, who released the original French film, than designed the American remake. Ironically, “The Upside” was the kind of hit that eluded Harvey, a full out comedy, not designed for the Oscars, but for big audiences. He’d been pursuing that for years.

Alas, “The Upside” got shelved after Weinstein’s sex scandals broke and the company went belly up. But STX rescued it, took Harvey’s name off the credits. and voila!

Last night’s Critics Choice Awards may have set the stage for the Oscars.Or did they? “Roma” won Best Picture,but don’t count out “Green Book” or “A Star is Born.” They are still in the running.

The tie between Glenn Close and Lady Gaga was a win win for everyone. But I do think the Academy will pick Close, for so many reasons. One, she deserves it. And two, she’s waited 30 years. Lady Gaga’s amazing debut is the start of an incredible career. She will win lots of awards. She knows it, too. She just has choose wisely now.

Is Christian Bale a slam dunk for Best Actor? It seems like it. His two wins and ingratiating speeches probably foreshadow Oscar night.

Mahershala Ali and Regina King look locked and loaded for Best Supporting. Alfonso Cuaron will receive Best Director whether or not “Roma” wins Best Picture.

I’ll have more notes tomorrow from the Critics Choice soiree. Joey Berlin and co. did a swell job. I don’t know how it looked on TV but the room was a blast. Plenty of stories and good gossip!

My favorite on stage moment: Amy Adams and Patricia Arquette were so funny and warm and real. In the audience: I met Asia Kate Dillon from “Billions,” who really is a superstar! And my tablemates were Viola Davis and her husband Julius Tennon, old friends. It doesn’t get better!

FILM CATEGORIES

Best Picture
“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“The Favourite”
“First Man”
“Green Book”
“If Beale Street Could Talk”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Roma” *WINNER
“A Star Is Born”
“Vice”

Best Actor
Christian Bale, “Vice” *WINNER
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”
Ryan Gosling, “First Man”
Ethan Hawke, “First Reformed”
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Viggo Mortensen – “Green Book”

Best Actress
Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”
Emily Blunt, “Mary Poppins Returns”
Glenn Close, The Wife (TIE) *WINNER
Toni Collette, “Hereditary”
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born” (TIE) *WINNER
Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” *WINNER
Timothée Chalamet, “Beautiful Boy”
Adam Driver, “”BlacKkKlansman””
Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”
Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Michael B. Jordan, “Black Panther”

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, “Vice”
Claire Foy, “First Man”
Nicole Kidman, “Boy Erased”
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk” *WINNER
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Best Young Actor/Actress
Elsie Fisher, “Eighth Grade” *WINNER
Thomasin McKenzie, “Leave No Trace”
Ed Oxenbould, “Wildlife”
Millicent Simmonds, “A Quiet Place”
Amandla Stenberg, “The Hate U Give”
Sunny Suljic, “Mid90s”

Best Acting Ensemble
“Black Panther”
“Crazy Rich Asians”
“The Favourite” *WINNER
“Vice”
“Widows”

Best Director
Damien Chazelle, “First Man”
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma” *WINNER
Peter Farrelly, “Green Book”
Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”
Spike Lee ,”BlacKkKlansman”
Adam McKay, “Vice”

Best Original Screenplay
Bo Burnham, “Eighth Grade”
Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, “The Favourite”
Adam McKay, “Vice”
Paul Schrader, “First Reformed” *WINNER
Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly, “Green Book”
Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski, “A Quiet Place”

Best Adapted Screenplay
Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole, “Black Panther”
Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Barry Jenkins, “If Beale Street Could Talk” *WINNER
Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters, “A Star Is Born”
Josh Singer, “First Man”
Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee, “”BlacKkKlansman””

Best Cinematography
Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma” *WINNER
James Laxton, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Matthew Libatique, “A Star Is Born”
Rachel Morrison, “Black Panther”
Robbie Ryan, “The Favourite”
Linus Sandgren, “First Man”

Best Production Design
Hannah Beachler, Jay Hart, “Black Panther” *WINNER
Eugenio Caballero, Barbara Enriquez, “Roma”
Nelson Coates, Andrew Baseman, “Crazy Rich Asians”
Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton, “The Favourite”
Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas, “First Man”
John Myhre, Gordon Sim, “Mary Poppins Returns”

Best Editing
Jay Cassidy, “A Star Is Born”
Hank Corwin, “Vice”
Tom Cross, “First Man” *WINNER
Alfonso Cuarón, Adam Gough, “Roma”
Yorgos Mavropsaridis, “The Favourite”
Joe Walker, “Widows”

Best Costume Design
Alexandra Byrne, “Mary Queen of Scots”
Ruth Carter, “Black Panther” *WINNER
Julian Day, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Sandy Powell, “The Favourite”
Sandy Powell, “Mary Poppins Returns”

Best Hair and Makeup
“Black Panther”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“The Favourite”
“Mary Queen of Scots”
“Suspiria”
“Vice” *WINNER

Best Visual Effects
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Black Panther” *WINNER
“First Man”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”
“Ready Player One”

Best Animated Feature
“The Grinch”
“Incredibles 2”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Mirai”
“Ralph Breaks the Internet”
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” *WINNER

Best Action Movie
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Black Panther”
“Deadpool 2”
“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” *WINNER
“Ready Player One”
“Widows”

Best Comedy
“Crazy Rich Asians” *WINNER
“Deadpool 2”
“The Death of Stalin”
“The Favourite”
“Game Night”
“Sorry to Bother You”

Best Actor in a Comedy
Christian Bale, “Vice” *WINNER
Jason Bateman, “Game Night”
Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”
John C. Reilly, “Stan & Ollie”
Ryan Reynolds, “Deadpool 2”
Lakeith Stanfield, “Sorry to Bother You”

Best Actress in a Comedy
Emily Blunt, “Mary Poppins Returns”
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” *WINNER
Elsie Fisher, “”Eighth Grade””
Rachel McAdams, “Game Night”
Charlize Theron, “Tully”
Constance Wu, “Crazy Rich Asians”

Best Sci-Fi or Horror Movie
“Annihilation”
“Halloween”
“Hereditary”
“A Quiet Place” *WINNER
“Suspiria”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Burning”
“Capernaum”
“Cold War”
“Roma” *WINNER
“Shoplifters”

Best Song
“All the Stars” from “Black Panther”
“Girl in the Movies” from “Dumplin’”
“I’ll Fight” from “RBG”
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” *WINNER
“Trip a Little Light Fantastic” from “Mary Poppins Returns”

Best Score
Kris Bowers, “Green Book”
Nicholas Britell, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Alexandre Desplat, “Isle of Dogs”
Ludwig Göransson, “Black Panther”
Justin Hurwitz, “First Man” *WINNER
Marc Shaiman, “Mary Poppins Returns”

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Best Drama Series
“The Americans” *WINNER
“Better Call Saul”
“The Good Fight”
“Homecoming”
“Killing Eve”
“My Brilliant Friend”
“Pose”
“Succession”

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Freddie Highmore, “The Good Doctor”
Diego Luna, “Narcos: Mexico”
Richard Madden, “Bodyguard”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Billy Porter, “Pose”
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans” *WINNER
Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us”

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Deuce”
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve” *WINNER
Elizabeth Olsen, “Sorry For Your Loss”
Julia Roberts, “Homecoming”
Keri Russell, “The Americans”

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Richard Cabral, “Mayans M.C.”
Asia Kate Dillon, “Billions”
Noah Emmerich, “The Americans” *WINNER
Justin Hartley, “This Is Us”
Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession”
Richard Schiff, “The Good Doctor”
Shea Whigham, “Homecoming”

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Dina Shihabi, “Jack Ryan”
Julia Garner, Ozark
Thandie Newton, Westworld *WINNER
Rhea Seehorn, “Better Call Saul”
Yvonne Strahovski, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Holly Taylor, “The Americans”

Best Comedy Series
“Atlanta”
“Barry”
“The Good Place”
“The Kominsky Method”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” *WINNER
“The Middle”
“One Day at a Time”
“Schitt’s Creek”

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Hank Azaria, “Brockmire”
Ted Danson, “The Good Place”
Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method”
Donald Glover, “Atlanta”
Bill Hader, “Barry” *WINNER
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
Andy Samberg, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”

Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Rachel Bloom, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” *WINNER
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Justina Machado, “One Day at a Time”
Debra Messing, “Will & Grace”
Issa Rae, “Insecure”

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
William Jackson Harper, “The Good Place”
Sean Hayes, “Will & Grace”
Brian Tyree Henry, “Atlanta”
Nico Santos, “Superstore”
Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Henry Winkler, “Barry” *WINNER

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” *WINNER
Betty Gilpin, “GLOW”
Laurie Metcalf, “The Conners”
Rita Moreno, “One Day at a Time”
Zoe Perry, “Young Sheldon”
Annie Potts, “Young Sheldon”
Miriam Shor, “Younger”

Best Limited Series
“A Very English Scandal”
“American Vandal”
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” *WINNER
“Escape at Dannemora”
“Genius: Picasso”
“Sharp Objects”

Best Movie Made for Television
“Icebox”
“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” *WINNER
“King Lear”
“My Dinner with Hervé”
“Notes from the Field”
“The Tale”

Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
Antonio Banderas, “Genius: Picasso”
Darren Criss, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” *WINNER
Paul Dano, “Escape at Dannemora”
Benicio Del Toro, “Escape at Dannemora”
Hugh Grant, “A Very English Scandal”
John Legend, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert”

Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
Amy Adams, “Sharp Objects” (TIE) *WINNER
Patricia Arquette, “Escape at Dannemora” (TIE) *WINNER
Connie Britton, “Dirty John”
Carrie Coon, “The Sinner”
Laura Dern, “The Tale”
Anna Deavere Smith, “Notes From the Field”

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
Brandon Victor Dixon, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert”
Eric Lange, “Escape at Dannemora”
Alex Rich, “Genius: Picasso”
Peter Sarsgaard, “The Looming Tower”
Finn Wittrock, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Ben Whishaw, “A Very English Scandal” *WINNER

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television
Ellen Burstyn, “The Tale”
Patricia Clarkson, “Sharp Objects” *WINNER
Penelope Cruz, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Julia Garner, “Dirty John”
Judith Light, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Elizabeth Perkins, “Sharp Objects”

Best Animated Series
“Adventure Time”
“Archer”
“Bob’s Burgers”
“BoJack Horseman” *WINNER
“The Simpsons”
“South Park”

The box office this weekend brought a lot of surprises.

Neil Burger’s “The Upside” finished at number 1, a whisper under $20 million. Kevin Hart, embroiled in the Oscar hosting scandal, stars with Bryan Cranston, who is currently also on track for a Tony Award on Broadway in the sold out “Network.”

Nicole Kidman co-stars in “The Upside,” and she’s also in the number 2 movie, “Aquaman.” And she’s on target for an Oscar nod in her indie film, “Destroyer,” which Annapurna Pictures has put zero effort into. But that’s another story.

“The Upside” is the American remake of the great French film, “The Intouchables,” which was a hit for The Weinstein Company several years ago. Harvey Weinstein– I know, you can’t say his name– had the idea to remake it in English, bought the rights, and guided the project. Everyone hates Harvey now, but his filmmaking radar was exceptional. He wanted Hart and Cranston, Kidman was a Miramax/Weinstein regular. It all fell into place.

Weinstein premiered “The Upside” at the 2017 Toronto Film Festival, where it played like gangbusters in Roy Thomson Hall. The plan was for a late December qualifying run and then a January launch much like the one the movie got this week. But two weeks later the stories broke about Weinstein’s sexual misconduct, and you know the rest.

“The Upside” is not “The Intouchables,” but it’s highly entertaining, and the performances are excellent. I’m not surprised it’s a hit. Word of mouth should give it “legs” like crazy.

Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood’s “The Mule” heads to $100 million. Today it crossed the $90 million mark. It’s like printing money. If it gets no Oscar nominations– and it should– “The Mule” will be yet another big hit not represented on the Academy Awards telecast, a movie most people will have seen. Crazy.

Oscar ballots are due back Monday at 5pm, so the last minute campaigning is at an 11 this weekend.

Is this the real life, or is it just fantasy? The spectacular Ross House overlooking Laurel Canyon and all of L.A. has been Oscar campaign central this week: a recent “Bohemian Rhapsody” event was hosted by producer Graham King and Golden Globe winner and the always-gracious Rami Malek, who by the way should teaching Hollywood classes on how to campaign as he’s been handling it all flawlessly…  A “Green Book” event followed the next night featuring the terrific composer Kris Bowers and a modestly comported director Peter Farrelly. The negative publicity seems not to have affected this brilliant film at all; the place was teeming with VIP’s.

Across town at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, pop star  Troye Sivan of “Boy Erased” was campaigning for his song, “Revelation” with a Q & A from songwriter Alan Rich.  The next night none other then 84 year old still sexy siren Sophia Loren held movie icon court at the Montage in Beverly Hills for her pal Rob Marshall’s “Mary Poppins Returns.” Loren got the flashbulbs poppin’ although it’s unclear what connection she has to the film. She and Marshall are friends from the ill=fated movie musical, “Nine.” (But where is Julie Andrews?)

Seems like the selfies have gotten out of control, there was a line out the door of Academy members wanting their pics with Sophia.  Can’t blame them really and Loren, the gorgeous pro she is, posed with them all.

Actress/filmmaker and popular hostess Colleen Camp held a packed soiree at her home for Amazon’s esteemed “Cold War.”  The film has tons of Academy love as a potential nominee for best foreign film. Fans included Dustin Hoffman and David O Russell in the same house (unclear if they ran into or over each other), Alexander Payne, famed “Chinatown” writer Robert Towne, Catherine Hardwicke, CAA’s Josh Lieberman, Cassian Elwes and artist Susan Carter Hall, Diane Warren, Lysa Heslov, Frances Fisher, Helen Hunt, Marc Forster, Catherine O”Hara as well as industry folk who were all under the tent as well.

The film’s director Pawel Pawlikowski and co-star Joanna Kulig were front and center, she’s nine months pregnant and about to pop.  Joanna being the cheery trooper she is, sang impromptu numbers at the piano to the delight and surprise of the crowd. Bluesy and pop combined, wow she is crazy good.  Colleen has the eye and knows the business like no one else…

… Peggy Siegal is in from New York throwing a “Beautiful Boy” event at Mike and Irena Medavoy’s. Timothee Chalamet’s best supporting actor nod seems to the only one that film will receive…

 “First Man,” had an event at the London with the always lovely Claire Foy, Ryan Gosling, director Damien Chazelle and the film’s composer Justin Hurwitz.  The writer, Josh Singer, brought along “West Wing,” pal MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell…

Now for today, there’s a “BlackKlansman”event (the film is boasting DGA, PGA, SAG and WGA nominations) at the Harmony Gold with Jason Blum and director Spike Lee hosting a reception afterwards…

… “Black Panther” makes a last minute pitch to overcome DGA and BAFTA snubs at a brunch at Raleigh Studios for below-the-line voters, with director Ryan Coogler and Marvel honcho Kevin Feige wooing the crowd…

Brad Pitt is hosting a “Beale Street” early evening event for director Barry Jenkins and the talented composer Nicholas Britell at the Ross House, his Plan B Production Company made the film with Annapurna… At the same time Charlize Theron and Diego Luna are hosting a “Roma” event at the Chateau.   Another “Mary Poppins” event will also be held at the same time on the Disney lot, where guests are invited to meet the cast and get a tour of Walt Disney’s office. No word on whether Walt will be there. But he won’t mind. He’s very chill.