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“Sinners” Scores Most Critics Choice Nods, “One Battle” Second, Group Snubs “Avatar Fire and Ash” After Late Screening

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The nominations are in for the Critics Choice Awards, airing Sunday January 4th on USA and other networks.

“Sinners” scored 17 noms, “One Battle After Another” 14.

Totally snubbed was “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which was screened at the very last minute. Not a big deal, since it’s the third iteration.

The Golden Globes were named Best Comedy. Pete Hegseth wins Worst Actor in a Drama.

FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 31ST ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE

Bugonia (Focus Features)

Frankenstein (Netflix)

Hamnet (Focus Features)

Jay Kelly (Netflix)

Marty Supreme (A24)

One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Sentimental Value (Neon)

Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Train Dreams (Netflix)

Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST ACTOR

Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme (A24)

Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams (Netflix)

Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics)

Michael B. Jordan – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent (Neon)

BEST ACTRESS

Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)

Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)

Emma Stone – Bugonia (Focus Features)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Paul Mescal – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Sean Penn – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly (Netflix)

Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value (Neon)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Amy Madigan – Weapons (Warner Bros.)

Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS

Everett Blunck – The Plague (Independent Film Company)

Miles Caton – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Cary Christopher – Weapons (Warner Bros.)

Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family (Searchlight Pictures)

Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)

Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)

Chloé Zhao – Hamnet (Focus Features)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly (Netflix)

Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)

Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Zach Cregger – Weapons (Warner Bros.)

Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby (A24)

Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams (Netflix)

Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don Mckellar, Jahye Lee – No Other Choice (Neon)

Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Will Tracy – Bugonia (Focus Features)

Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell – Hamnet (Focus Features)

BEST CASTING AND ENSEMBLE

Nina Gold – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold – Jay Kelly (Netflix)

Jennifer Venditti – Marty Supreme (A24)

Cassandra Kulukundis – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Francine Maisler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Claudio Miranda – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Łukasz Żal – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams (Netflix)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis – The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel Studios)

Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Jack Fisk, Adam Willis – Marty Supreme (A24)

Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST EDITING

Kirk Baxter – A House of Dynamite (Netflix)

Stephen Mirrione – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)

Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Viridiana Lieberman – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

Michael P. Shawver – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Kate Hawley – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Malgosia Turzanska – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Lindsay Pugh – Hedda (Amazon MGM Studios)

Colleen Atwood, Christine Cantella – Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions)

Ruth E. Carter – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Flora Moody, John Nolan – 28 Years Later (Sony Pictures)

Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Siân Richards, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal – The Smashing Machine (A24)

Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat, Jason Collins – Weapons (Warner Bros.)

Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Laura Blount – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett – Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios)

Ryan Tudhope, Nikeah Forde, Robert Harrington, Nicolas Chevallier, Eric Leven, Edward Price, Keith Dawson – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Alex Wuttke, Ian Lowe, Jeff Sutherland, Kirstin Hall – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)

Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé, Guy Williams – Superman (Warner Bros.)

BEST STUNT DESIGN

Stephen Dunlevy, Kyle Gardiner, Jackson Spidell, Jeremy Marinas, Jan Petřina, Domonkos Párdányi, Kinga Kósa-Gavalda – Ballerina (Lionsgate)

Gary Powell, Luciano Bacheta, Craig Dolby – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Wade Eastwood – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)

Brian Machleit – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Andy Gill – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Giedrius Nagys – Warfare (A24)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Arco (Neon)

Elio (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

In Your Dreams (Netflix)

KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (GKIDS)

Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

BEST COMEDY

The Ballad of Wallis Island (Focus Features)

Eternity (A24)

Friendship (A24)

The Naked Gun (Paramount)

The Phoenician Scheme (Focus Features)

Splitsville (Neon)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

It Was Just an Accident (Neon)

Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)

No Other Choice (Neon)

The Secret Agent (Neon)

Sirāt (Neon)

Belén (Amazon MGM Studios)

BEST SONG

“Drive” – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin – F1 (Apple Original Films)

“Golden” – Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)

“I Lied to You” – Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

“Clothed by the Sun” – Daniel Blumberg – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
“Train Dreams” – Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams (Netflix)

“The Girl in the Bubble” – Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST SCORE

Hans Zimmer – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Max Richter – Hamnet (Focus Features)

Daniel Lopatin – Marty Supreme (A24)

Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

BEST SOUND

Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John – F1 (Apple Original Films)

Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, Greg Chapman – Frankenstein (Netflix)

Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco, David V. Butler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Laia Casanovas – Sirāt (Neon)

Mitch Low, Glenn Freemantle, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner – Warfare (A24)

Movie Divide: “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” Scores Whopping $7.2 Million in Previews, But Gets Shmeared by Critics

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Horror is one place where critics and fans are divided.

Last night, Universal’s “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” made $7.2 million in previews.

That’s huge. Will it do multiples over the weekend? Hard to say. Horror films tend to bring in their fans on the first days, then slow down.

Still, who wouldn’t want an opening night like that?

The critics, however, were less impressed. The reviews may be scarier than the movie!

On Rotten Tomatoes the movie has around a 12% rating, panned by just about everyone. Eviscerated. Frank Scheck wrote in The Hollywood Reporter: “The film’s cast deserves credit, not so much for their performances as their ability to keep a straight face throughout.”

Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press wrote: “It’s an incoherent mess, something that, back in the day, would be straight to DVD. “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” has an after-school special vibe with no real horror and no real awareness that it should.”

The first “Five Nights” movie did wind up making over $137 million domestically. The original also made $3 million more on preview night than the new one. Including Thurs and Fri for that release, the total was just over $39 million. So that’s something to remember.

Taylor Swift’s and Ariana Grande’s Record Label Chiefs Will Be Honored at Clive Davis’s Annual Pre-Grammy Dinner: Will They Come?

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The Grammy weekend at the end of January just got a lot more interesting.

Clive Davis’s annual pre-Grammy dinner — produced along with the Recording Academy — is going to honor the record label chiefs of Republic Records as Grammy Icons.

Brothers Monte and Avery Lipman run Republic, the most successful label in the business. Republic is home to Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and dozens of other stars.

Clive Davis’s gala is the gem of the Grammy weekend, celebrating 50 years. Davis puts on a show to this hot ticket event that’s unrivaled, with the biggest acts in music.

So will Swift or Grande come and be guests? Will they perform?

Recently, Monte and Avery have been appointed to lead Universal Music Group’s East Coast Collective of labels including Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, Mercury Records, as well as Republic Records.

So the sky’s the limit, and tickets to Davis’s dinner on January 31st at the Beverly Hilton are now going to hotter than anything in Hollywood this winter.

“Monte and Avery are proof of how far drive and dedication, combined with passion and talent, can go in this industry,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “Their collective vision and unwavering will to go above and beyond for the incredible community of artists they support have made Republic Records one of the most influential labels in the world. We look forward to celebrating their impact as true industry icons at the 2026 Pre-GRAMMY Gala.”

“Monte and Avery are two of the music industry’s most illustrious leaders, and I am thrilled that they will be this year’s Salute to Industry Icons honorees,” said Clive Davis. “Their longtime trailblazing commitment to supporting songwriters across the music spectrum as well as their staunch dedication to advocacy, diversity and equality in the music business are exemplary. Artists and the industry at large are fortunate to have Monte and Avery’s insights and passion at the helm.”

Netflix Buys Warner Bros and HBO, CNN Remains with David Zaslav’s Discovery as Possible Sale to Paramount, Ellisons Thwarted

Who’s not getting control of CNN? The Ellisons and Donald Trump’s efforts to take another news organization after CBS have been thwarted.

In a boffo sale announced overnight, Netflix is buying Warner Bros and HBO from David Zaslav, who will keep CNN as well TNT and TBS etc in a spun off Discovery Global.

There are people in Hollywood concerned that Netflix will destroy Warner’s theatrical arm. But this could have been a lot worse if the Ellisons — whose bid included all of Warner Bros Discovery — had gotten control of CNN.

Will Netflix indeed take Warner’s out of theaters? Let’s hope not. If they can keep Warner’s as a separate company, everyone wins. Why would they destroy a 100 Year old brand? Then we’ll all be watching movies on phones and tablets.

Also, for film, Netflix already has issues with places like the Cannes Film Festival, which won’t show their films because of streaming. If Warner’s was reduced to not putting films in theaters, the eco system of the movie business would be obliterated.

But let’s be happy that the Ellisons didn’t get what they wanted. That itself is a victory.

The cash and stock transaction is valued at $27.75 per WBD share with a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion (equity value of $72.0 billion).

From the press release:

“Our mission has always been to entertain the world,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix. “By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies—from timeless classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to modern favorites like Harry Potter and Friends—with our culture-defining titles like Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, we’ll be able to do that even better. Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling.”

Does Quentin Tarantino Have Dementia or Just Verbal Diarrhea? “Pulp Fiction” Director Breaks a Golden Rule About Dissing Actors

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Quentin Tarantino.

Does he have dementia? Suffer from verbal diarrhea?

Is he on the spectrum?

The director of “Pulp Fiction” broke the golden rule on Bret Easton Ellis’s podcast this week. He dissed popular and talented actors in a vicious way.

Tarantino said of beloved actor Paul Dano starring with Daniel Day Lewis in the acclaimed movie “There Will Be Blood”:

“Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander. But it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander,” Tarantino said. “[Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. [Daniel] is eating him [alive]. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. Daniel Day-Lewis shows that he doesn’t need a strong foil. The movie needs it. He doesn’t need anything. It’s supposed to be a two-hander and it’s not! … you put him with the the weakest fucking actor in SAG? The limpest dick in the world?”

WTF? Dano does a remarkable job in that movie, as he does in everything in which he’s featured. He’s one of our top talents of this generation.

Tarantino continued: “I am not saying he is giving a terrible performance, I am saying he’s giving a non-entity performance… I don’t care for him.”

This from the man who made the absolutely dreadful film, “The Hateful Eight,” two and a half hours of torture other than Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Tarantino also insulted Owen Wilson, star of Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” Although he said Woody’s film was his 10th favorite of this century, he had to add: “Oddly enough, I really can’t stand Owen Wilson. I mean, I can’t stand him. And I spent the first time watching the movie loving it and hating him. The second time I watched the movie, I was like ‘Okay, don’t be such a prick. He’s not so bad. He’s not so bad.’ And then the third time I watched it I found myself watching him.”

Is Tarantino suffering from dementia? He also insulted Matthew Lillard, who did such great work in Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants.”

What Tarantino has done here is break the unwritten rule of not dissing working actors. It’s petty and mean spirited and designed only to be hurtful. He’s crossed a line and should make amends immediately. Maybe he can send these three guys Tom Cruise’s coconut cake for working Thetans.

As for Dano, he deserved an Oscar nom for “There Will Be Blood.” He’s been amazing in everything including “Love and Mercy,” “Dumb Money,” “The Fabelmans,” “Escape at Dannemora,” and so many others.

Tarantino is getting a major time out. Sit in the corner and think about what you’ve done.

“Wicked For Good” Bubble Bursting: Oz Sequel Slowing Down, Struggling to Hit $300 Mil, Losing 130 Theaters This Weekend

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In “Wicked for Good,” Glinda has no super powers. She just rides around in a motorized bubble.

Now that bubble looks like it might be bursting. “WFG” is slowing down at the box office.

I thought by today they’d hit $300 million, but the Universal music has had three bad weekdays. It’s stuck at $287 million in the US. Declines for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday average 80% from the same days last week.

Have all the “Wicked” fans satisfied their curiosity? Are fans going back for seconds? This weekend will be edifying as “WFG” has been pulled from 130 theaters. It’s still in a huge release — 3,985 — but “Zootopia” seems to have stolen its thunder.

Stay tuned…

Netflix Places Three Films on AFI Top 10 Movies Including “Train Dreams,” “Frankenstein,” “Jay Kelly,” No Comedies in Top 10 TV

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The American Film Institute list of top 10 movies of 2025 is out.

In a sign of the times, Netflix has placed three movies on the list. They are all excellent, too. “Frankenstein,” “Jay Kelly,” and “Train Dreams” made the cut.

Warner Bros. secured “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.”

Universal and Focus Features got “Wicked For Good” and “Hamnet” and “Bugonia.”

The others were “Marty Supreme,” from A24, and “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” from Disney.

The AFI snubbed Sony Pictures Classics, which had a strong hand this year.

Also honored as a special prize: Jafar Panahi and his “It Was Just An Accident.” This is because Panahi, who is Iranian, made his film in secret but still managed to be convicted in absentia by the punitive government. If he returns to Tehran — which he told me he would — Panahi would have to serve a year in jail and be banned from travel.

The AFI Top 10 TV shows are: “Adolescence,” “Andor,” “Death by Lightning,” “The Diplomat, “The Lowdown,” “The Pitt,” “Pluribus,” “Severance,” “The Studio,” and “Task.”

Missing are comedies. No “Hacks” or “Only Murders in the Building” or “The Bear,” which isn’t a comedy anyway. Very surprising.

The AFI awards are given at a luncheon on January 9th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. The lunch is one of the highlights of awards season. AFI chief Bob Gazzale always comes up with a special surprise movie star to open the event.

Meantime, Gazzale was able to get Eddie Murphy for the AFI gala next spring, a perfect choice. Eddie doesn’t like awards events, but he deserves this one and it’s encouraging that he’s on board!

Maurice DuBois Exits CBS Evening News and Network Along with John Dickerson as Bari Weiss Reshapes Network As Fox News Redux

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Maurice DuBois is out.

The CBS Evening News co-anchor says he’s leaving the show and the network on December 18th.

He’s following John Dickerson out the door.

Maurice was a beloved local New York anchor. We’d love to have him back on any channel. WCBS TV News is not the same without him.

But Bari Weiss, the new conservative head of CBS News with no television experience, is determined to reshape the network. She’s having a town meeting special with Charlie Kirk’s widow, something only Fox News would do normally.

Who will anchor the CBS Evening News next? One White Man. Bret Baier? He says no. But Weiss will definitely find someone onerous.

Pop Legend Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam Tour Cancelled Completely as US Won’t Let Him In: The Peace Train Stops Here

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If you were hoping to hop on the Peace Train, think again.

Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam has cancelled his US tour. Previously, he’d give up the promotional tour for his book.

WHy? The US won’t let him in. They don’t care if Morning Has Broken. They’re saying it’s a Wild World.

It’s hard to rationalize Cat/Yusuf. We loved him in the 70s but his turn to Islam has been fraught with political problems. His response is to plead innocence and a certain naivete. Listen, he knows the score. The first cut was the deepest.

Andrea Bocelli, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams Booked for FIFA Show Tomorrow, Could Be Kennedy Center Performers

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On Friday, FIFA — the World Cup Soccer Organization — takes over the Kennedy Center in Washington for the day.

They’re having their big draft event and giving Donald Trump a phony peace prize.

The whole thing is streaming on YouTube.

The Kennedy Center’s chief Trump lackey has been accused by The Athletic of giving FIFA the facility gratis. Tricky Dick Grenell wrote a screed on Twitter claiming this wasn’t true. No one believes him.

FIFA has also lined up performers for this event. They are Andrea Bocelli, Nicole Scherzinger, and the UK’s Robbie Williams. Trump had advertised in October that Bocelli was coming to sing at the White House on Friday, December 5th. In reality — which escapes Trump — Bocelli is singing for FIFA.

But will the faux opera singer also be part of the Kennedy Center Honors? Could be. He’d be perfect in the tribute to Michael Crawford, singing from “Phantom of the Opera.” So, too, would be Nicole Scherzinger, who starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard” last year.

Robbie Williams? Maybe he’ll stick around and sing Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” Someone has to do it.

Also on the FIFA show, the Village People, whose “YMCA” is Trump’s favorite song about cruising gyms for hook ups. If the VP’s sing the song on the KCH, Trump may dance as hard as he can!