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Oscars Big Guns: Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman Will Present Awards

Roger Friedman
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Oscars Big Guns: Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman Will Present Awards

The big guns have just been announced for Sunday’s Oscar show: Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman. Not to say other big guns haven’t already been announced– Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand (singing).

Few are missing from what you might call Hollywood’s reigning top tier. Clint Eastwood told us he’s staying home, Warren Beatty and Annette Bening may have had a scheduling issue. Sean Connery is a curmudgeon. But wow–the Oscars are pulling out every stop to make Sunday’s show memorable.

Then there are the “newer” reigning stars: Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Robert Downey Jr. Christoper Plummer will present Best Supporting Actress because he won Supporting Actor last year.

“James Bond” will be saluted in music–Shirley Bassey and Adele. Movie musicals “Chicago” and “Les Miserables” will bring their entire casts. Those two casts will do medleys from their shows– so yes, Anne Hathaway will sing at least part of “I Dreamed a Dream.”

Newer stars like Jeremy Renner, Kristen Stewart, Reese Witherspoon, and Jamie Foxx will each get their moments.

And lovely music superstar Norah Jones is going to sing the “Lullaby” from “Life of Pi.” So the Best Songs will be represented by Adele singing “Skyfall,” Hugh Jackson “Suddenly,” the show’s host Seth MacFarlane — “Everybody Needs a Friend” from “Ted.”

The last big musical surprise will no doubt be Scarlett Johansson singing and Joshua Bell playing violin on the song from “Chasing Ice.”

Plus of course Barbra, Jennifer Hudson, and Shirley Bassey. And tons more names that have already been announced.

My advice: have lots of snacks, caffeine, pillows, blankets, and no plans until Monday at noon!

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Foster Replaces Shia LaBeouf in Broadway “Orphans”

Roger Friedman
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Ben Foster Replaces Shia LaBeouf in Broadway “Orphans”

Ben Foster, a very talented actor, has replaced Shia LaBeouf in the Broadway production of “Orphans.” La Beouf dropped out of the produciton after locking horns with co-star Alec Baldwin and director Daniel Sullivan. Tom Sturridge is third actor in the revival of Lyle Kessler’s play about two brothers (Baldwin, Sturridge) who run afoul of Foster.

LaBeouf, a volatile character on a good day, was a bad mix with the equally volatile Baldwin. There’s been a lot of Tweeting and posting among all these guys. But basically Sullivan acknowledged that he’d made a mistake putting Alec and Shia together.

This isn’t the first time Alec has not played well with others backstage. A few years ago, Baldwin forced the lovely Broadway star Jan Maxwell out of the 2006y production of “Entertaining Mr. Sloane.” Maxwell, a Broadway favorite, couldn’t put up with Baldwin’s backstage histrionics. The New York Times reported that Baldwin punched a hole in a wall when an airconditioner malfunctioned.

LaBeouf has had his own anger and misbehavior problems. But Baldwin is notable for having public fights with photographers and reporters, and his own daughter.

Foster is a pretty level headed guy with a great resume. Most recently he’s starred in films like “The Messenger” and “X Men.” He’s also done a lot of producing and works with director Oren Moverman. Ben got his start years ago in Barry Levinson’s “Liberty Heights.” I can’t wait to see him on stage. Let’s hope this pairing works out.

 

 

 

 

 

Oscar Party Nights: Vanity Fair Beats The Wrap With Most Celebs

Roger Friedman
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Oscar party night: and the winner is Vanity Fair over The Wrap.com. By a mile. The popular glossy bible of pop culture had not one but two events last night, and brought in the A list crowd by miles. Most of the Les Miserables cast– director Tom Hooper, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, and Amanda Seyfried included– were celebrated at Eveleigh Restaurant to support The Los Angeles Fund for Public Education. Chrysler sponsored the night, and VF publisher Ed Menischechi hosted the cool party.

And it was jammed. We had a long talk with Hathaway and her nw husband Adam Shulman– more on that tonight…Eddie Redmayne had us laughing about his unfortunate attack of food poisoning at the recent BAFTA Awards in London. Just as he was about to go on stage with Sally Field to present an award, Eddie became violently ill. “I thought no one would know, but of course Sally announced it from the stage. I had three hundred text messages the next morning.”

Over at the Chateau Marmont, VF hosted a dinner for “Silver Linings Playbook” director David O. Russell and the cast. I ran into producer Jon Gordon and Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver later in the evening, still hanging at the Chateau’s heated tented outdoor garden. Jacki’s actor husband is stuck in Australia performing Shakespeare and is missing the Oscars this year.

Also hanging at the Chateau: our favorite neighbor from New York, Patty Clarkson, who’s in town for meetings and production details on a new movie. She’s going to the big Vanity Fair dinner and party on Sunday. Now we know everything will be all right if Patty’s in town. The Chateau is hopping of course. It’s the number 1 hangout other than Soho House. Wild!

And The Wrap? They put on a big party at the Four Seasons, and yielded exactly one acting nominee: Jessica Chastain. David O. Russell and Kathryn Bigelow stopped by. But really. Ir was a pedestrian event at best.

Martin Scorsese Will Honor First Time Filmmakers

Roger Friedman
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Oscar winning director, legend, and great guy Martin Scorsese is coming to the First Time Festival in New York next month. Scorsese will present the first ever John Huston Award to “Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky at the Players Club on March 4th. The First Time Fest honors new filmmakers. This year’s impressive jury includes Barbara Kopple, Christine Vachon, Melvin van Peebles, Sofia Coppola, Todd Solondz, and the B52s’s Fred Schneider. Details for tickets– the festival runs from March 1st-4th in NYC– at www.firstimefest.com

COMPETITION FILMS – (please visit web site for film descriptions)

 

BLUMENTHAL – New York Premiere. USA, 86 minutes. Written and directed by Seth Fisher. With Fisher, Brian Cox, Mark Blum, Laila Robins, Mei Melançon.

 

HEADFIRST (LA TETE LA PREMIERE) – U.S. Premiere.  Belgium/France, 89 minutes. Written and directed by Amélie van Elmbt. With Alice de Lencquesaing, David Murgia, Jacques Doillon.

 

HORIZON SKY – World Premiere. Belarus, 133 mins. Written and directed by Dmitry Marinin, Andrey Kureychik. With Leonid Pashkovsky, Tatyana Bovkalova, Viktor Rybchinsky, Anna Sirotina.

I LOVE YOU ALL (LOS QUIERO A TODOS) – U.S. Premiere.  Argentina, 75 mins. Written, directed, and produced by Luciano Quillici. With Ramiro Aguero, Santiago Gobemori, Diego Jalfen, Valeria Louis, Leticia Mazur, Margarita Molfino, Alan Sabbagh.

JUNCTION – USA, 90 mins.  Written and directed by Tony Glazer. With Tom Pelphrey, Neal Bledsoe, Harris Doran, Summer Crockett Moore, Anthony Rapp, David Zayas, Michael O’Keefe

 

MONGOLIAN BLING – U.S. Premiere. Australia/Mongolia, 90 mins. Documentary, directed by Benj Binks.

 

SAL – New York Premiere.  Chile/Argentina, 112 mins. Written and directed by Diego Rougier. With Fele Martínez, Patricio Contreras, Sergio Hernández, Javiera Contador.

 

SUBMERGE – World Premiere.  Australia, 90 mins. Directed by Sophie O’Connor. With Lily Hall, Christina Hallett, Kevin Dee, Georgia Bolton.

SUMMERTIME – New York Premiere.USA, 90 mins. Written and directed by Max Weissberg. With Lethia Nall, Eric Garcia, Rob Hollander, H.R. Britton, James Eason, Jenny Grace, Olivia Horton, Michele Cesari.

 

UPRISING – USA/Egypt, 85 mins. Documentary directed by Fredrik Stanton.

 

URBAN TALE – U.S. Premiere. Israel, 90 mins. Written and directed by Eliav Lilti. With Barak Friedman, Noa Friedman, Esti Yerushalmi, Zohar Shtrauss, Ohad Knoller, Michal Shtamler.

 

ZIPPER – USA, 77 mins. Documentary directed by Amy Nicholson.

 

 

FIRST EXPOSURE FILMS – (please visit web site for film descriptions)

 

BOTTLE ROCKET – USA, 1996, 91 mins. Speaker TBA. Directed by Wes Anderson. Written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. Cast: Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Robert Musgrave, Andrew Wilson, Lumi Cavazos, James Caan.

 

HARLAN COUNTY, U.S.A. – USA, 1976, 103 mins. Barbara Kopple in person. Documentary directed by Barbara Kopple.

 

JACK GOES BOATING – USA, 2010, 91 mins. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Ryan in person. Directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Written by Robert Glaudini. Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega.

 

THE MALTESE FALCON – USA, 1941, 101 mins. Speaker TBA. Written and directed by John Huston. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Elisha Cook, Jr.

 

PI – USA, 1998, 83 mins. Speaker TBA. Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. Cast: Sean Gullette, Mark Margolis, Ben Shenkman, Pamela Hart, Stephen Pearlman.

 

POISON  – USA, 1991, 85 mins. Producer Christine Vachon in person. Written and directed by Todd Haynes. Cast: Edith Meeks, Millie White, Buck Smith, Anne Giotta, Lydia Lafleur, Ian Nemser

 

THE STORY OF A THREE-DAY PASS – USA, 1968, 87 mins. Melvin van Peebles in person. Written and directed by Melvin Van Peebles. Cast: Harry Baird, Pierre Doris, Christian Marin, Nicole Berger

 

TRUE LOVE – USA, 1989, 84 mins. Nancy Savoca in person. Directed by Nancy Savoca. Written by Nancy Savoca and Richard Guay. Cast: Annabella Sciorra, Ron Eldard, Aida Turturro, Roger Rignack

 

THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH – USA, 1989, 90 mins. Hal Hartley in person. Written and directed by Hal Hartley. Cast: Adrienne Shelley, Robert John Burke, Edie Falco, Gary Sauer.

 

THE VIRGIN SUICIDES – USA, 1999, 97 mins. Sofia Coppola and cinematographer Ed Lachman in person. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola. Cast: Kirsten Dunst, James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Josh Hartnett, Michael Paré, Danny DeVito

 

WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE – USA, 1996, 88 mins. Todd Solondz in person. Written and directed by Todd Solondz. Cast: Heather Matarazzo, Brendan Sexton III, Matthew Faber, Daria Kalinina, Eric Mabius

 

“American Idol” Hits A Wednesday Ratings Low, Down 5% from Last Week

Roger Friedman
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“American Idol” Hits A Wednesday Ratings Low, Down 5% from Last Week

This pains me because I really enjoy Randy, Mariah and Keith (and to some extent Nicki Minaj) but “American Idol” is really showing signs of age. Last night’s ratings were 5 % lower than last Wednesday’s, making it the lowest rated Wednesday show since 2002.

With a 4.1 in the key demo, Idol is losing its viewers week by week. Last week, the Thursday show was a 3.7, which means that tonight could be dismal. Something has to be done fast. I do think “Idol” needs performances by current or legacy stars, and some mentors to boost the show.

UPDATE: http://www.showbiz411.com/2013/02/22/american-idol-walloped-again-by-cbs-comedies-big-bang-and-men

Granted, “Idol” still won the night and has a huge following. But “Modern Family” was close behind with a 3.9. I hope tonight Mariah just stands up, belts out a song, and tosses Nicki Minaj over her shoulder. Action!

Jane Fonda Joining Sunday’s Oscar Show

Roger Friedman
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Jane Fonda Joining Sunday’s Oscar Show

Two time Oscar winner and multiple nominee Jane Fonda is joining Sunday’s Oscar show. I am told that Jane will present a big award with her “China Syndrome” co-star Michael Douglas, who was announced a few days ago. More presenters will be announced shortly. The show should be great at this point considering the star power and musical numbers. Keep refreshing…

Also added: Jennifer Garner (who’s also Mrs. Ben Affleck), the great Kerry Washington, and, hmmmm, Kristen Stewart (that’s a nod to young viewers, I guess)…

add this group to the all aforementioned previously announced names…

Clint Eastwood: “A Star is Born” Is Happening, Without Beyonce

Roger Friedman
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Clint Eastwood: “A Star is Born” Is Happening, Without Beyonce

Superstar direct0r (and actor/musician) Clint Eastwood tells me his next project will indeed be the remake of “A Star is Born”–without Beyonce as the female lead. Beyonce dropped out of the project last October, citing her tour schedule among other things. Whatever the reason, “Star” is going on, and very shortly.

Clint dined last night in West Hollywood with his veteran Warner Bros. marketing man, legendary Joe Hyams and his beautiful wife. (Hyams, if you don’t know, guided all the great Warners hits and was Clint’s most trusted associate through four decades of filmmaking–at least.)

The setting was out of the way insider movieland hot spot Il Piccolino, one of the few places where big stars can still go without being trailed by paparazzi. It was a great pleasure to run into Clint, who is one of Hollywood’s last giants. He’s also one of the greatest filmmakers. Oscar winning “Unforgiven” is a timeless classic. “Gran Torino” is a masterpiece. And let’s not forget “Million Dollar Baby” or “Mystic River.”

Eastwood, in a great mood, told me a couple of things. First: where is he watching the Oscars this Sunday? “At home, like a sensible person,” he said.

Second, followers of his famous Obama “chair speech” might be surprised that the diners on the other side of Eastwood’s table were former California governor GRay Davis and his wife. The Democrat–who was ousted in a recall vote and replace by Arnold Schwarzenegger–had a long and very friendly chat with Clint when his meal was over, for about ten minutes. The lesson–which I learned more than a dozen years ago– is never try to put Clint Eastwood in one political corner. He’s a man for all seasons.

As for “Star,” Eastwood says he’s ready and “has a few ideas” of who his leads are going to be. Of course everyone has ideas about who should play the parts of an over the hill alcoholic rock star and his rising pop star wife. But I think Russell Crowe and Katy Perry would be ideal. Send me your ideas at roger@showbiz411.com

PS That reality show featuring some of the female members of Eastwood’s family is over. He told me he let it happen because his daughters “really wanted to do it” and he agreed as long as they left him out of it. But it’s history now, which is a relief, I think, to this classy, private star.

Oscars Power Punch: Jennifer Hudson, Zeta-Jones Will Perform Movie Musicals Tribute with “Les Miz” Cast

Roger Friedman
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Oscars Power Punch: Jennifer Hudson, Zeta-Jones Will Perform Movie Musicals Tribute with “Les Miz” Cast

The Oscar cast on Sunday night is turning into a blockbuster. For the movie musicals tribute, Neil Meron and Craig Zadan have added Jennifer Hudson, Catherine Zeta Jones, plus the Les Miz cast: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman. Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveit and Russell Crowe. That’s in addition to musical numbers from Barbra Streisand, Adele, and Shirley Bassey. And there will be more–someone has to sing the three other Best Song nominees besides “Skyfall” (Adele) and “Suddenly” (Jackman). Of course when Hathaway sings “I Dreamed a Dream,” Bassey sings “Goldfinger,” Streisang sings “The Way We Were”– the show is going to be full of standing ovations. What about the awards? What awards? More to come…

Hedge Fund Billionaire’s Son Directing Film Produced by Spike Lee

Roger Friedman
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A new casting call went out today for “Mania Days,” which starts shooting April 1st. Paul Dalio, son of Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio, directs. Spike Lee is producing. Financing is likely in place.

From March 21, 2012: Remember Ray Dalio? The man who runs the $80 billion Bridgewater Hedge Fund was recently profiled in Forbes. And I told you that Dalio is also a fan of Jennifer Lopez–he funds her charity–and a heavy contributor to director David Lynch’s Transcendental Meditation charity. (And you thought his mantra was just ‘money, money money’.)

Now Dalio’s son, Paul, a TV producer at the David Lynch Foundation, is now getting ready to make his debut as a  feature director with a film called “Mania Days.” And the producer of the film is, of all people, Spike Lee. ‘Producer’ is not executive producer–Spike isn’t coming up with the money. But according to a production sheet that went out on Friday, Spike is going to be overseeing Dalio’s film on a hands-on basis, which he rarely does for films other than his own. Dalio, like Lee, is a graduate of the NYU Film School.

Dalio wrote and will direct the film about a manic depressive rapper who gets involved with a manic depressive poet in a passionate affair that results in a pregnancy. There’s no word on who’s financing “Mania Days,” but all things considered, it shouldn’t be hard to find the money. His mom is loaded, too–she’s a direct descendant of the Vanderbilt-Whitney families, making Paul a cousin, by the way, of Anderson Cooper, son of Gloria Vanderbilt.

Paul Dalio’s previous credits include  a short film called “The Order” about  “Sam, a major driver behind economic policy, devises a plan to get the country out of a depression by harnessing the power behind people’s desires for conflict.” He also co-wrote a feature called “Faith, Love and Whiskey,” that was shot in Bulgaria and shown in January at the alternative Slamdance Film Festival. In February, Dalio married the director-star of the film, Kristina Nikolova.

Exclusive: Robert DeNiro Will Direct Broadway Musical “A Bronx Tale”

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Robert DeNiro Will Direct Broadway Musical “A Bronx Tale”

Oscar voting has closed, so I can say this: Robert DeNiro can do anything. And so now, the nominee for “Silver Linings Playbook” is taking on his bravest project yet. He’s going to direct the Broadway musical of “A Bronx Tale,” the movie he directed in 1993. Chazz Palminteri, who wrote the original movie and acted in and the Broadway play (which he also wrote), is writing the book for the musical now. David Bryan of Bon Jovi, who won the Tony for “Memphis,” is writing the songs. (Expect a lot of doo wop– they should call Richard Perry.) Sergio Trujillo — of Jersey Boys and Addams Family fame– is working on the choreography.

I know all this because the one and only Tommy Mottola is producing the musical, and he told me all about it yesterday. (Mottola is in partnership with Broadway’s The Dodgers.) Tommy and I were talking about his own musical memoir, the autobiography called “Hitmaker” in book stores now. Mottola called me from Miami where he’s working on two more books–including one about the Latin culture and “the whole demographic.” Mottola is also working on a musical version of Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly,” directed by Bill T. Jones– aimed for Broadway next winter. Curtis Mayfield is hot hot hot–first “Sparkle,” now “Superfly.”

Well, Tommy is a man for all seasons. And he’s reinventing himself as a Broadway tycoon, a new David Merrick. And let me tell you, he’s going to do it, too!

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