L.A. Moviegoers Have to Be Vaccinated. Why Not Oscar Attendees?

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShanola Hampton has been cast in the lead role of the NBC drama pilot “Unfound,” Variety has learned.The one hour drama deals with the fact that, in any given year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the U.S. More than half that number are people of color that the country seems to forget about. Public relations specialist Gabi Mosley (Hampton) — who was once herself one of those forgotten ones — and her crisis management team now make sure there is always someone looking out for the forgotten missing people.

K.J. Yossman Oscar Kennedy (“Ladhood”) and Jack Rowan (“Noughts + Crosses”) have joined new BBC comedy horror series “Wrecked.”Described as a “tense thriller” set aboard a cruise ship, the six-episode series is both comic with a “slice of slasher.” It is currently in production in Northern Ireland. Kennedy stars as Jamie, who infiltrates a cruise ship called The Sacramentum, in a bid to find his sister, who has gone missing after working aboard the ship on a previous tour.As Jamie is initiated into the 3,000-strong crew he meets the different factions it’s comprised of, from the theater workers to the “mafias” and low-paid staff, and their life of partying and excess.

Oscar Isaac had a night on the town with his wife Elvira Lind during SAG Awards weekend!

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticCritics matter. That’s how I interpret the love the Academy showed for “Drive My Car” this year, nominating the three-hour Japanese drama in four separate categories: best picture, director, adapted screenplay and international film, and in so doing, effectively issuing a referendum to the Spike Lee-led Cannes jury that awarded the Palme d’Or to the relatively divisive “Titane.”Sure, other non-U.S.

Drive My Car,” a three-hour Japanese film; “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom,” only the second Oscar submission (and first nom) from Bhutan; Paolo Sorrentino’s “Hand of God,” the Italian helmer’s second visit to the Academy Awards; Denmark’s “Flee,” an animated tale of an Afghan refugee; and Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World.”Three of the films even broke out of the international film race, with “Drive My Car” drawing noms for best pic, adapted screenplay and director; “Flee” also earned nominations for animation and doc, while “The Worst Person in the World” nabbed a nom in original screenplay.Joachim Trier, who directed “Worst Person in the World” says of the noms: “The Academy wants a broader spectrum of people from across the world looking at films and voting. It’s a more international community.

Clayton Davis Kodi Smit-McPhee has maintained a stronghold this awards season for his work as Peter Gordon in Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog,” winning the most critics prizes, including the Golden Globe for best supporting actor. However, he doesn’t take his acting craft for granted and is still learning with each new outing.“I always treat myself as a student, not only my craft but of the world,” McPhee tells Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I’m in a constant state of observing and acting like a sponge and taking everything in.

Clayton Davis Jessica Chastain’s nod as Tammy Faye Bakker in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” marks her Oscar third nomination — yet she says this awards season is a bit of a refreshing experience. That’s because the award is no longer overshadowed by some of the ugly campaign tactics employed by the likes of Harvey Weinstein — the disgraced studio head convicted in 2020 of multiple counts of rape and sexual assault (whom Chastain doesn’t reference by name).On this episode of Variety’s award-winning Awards Circuit Podcast, we talk to Chastain about “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” and her approach to portraying the controversial televangelist. She reveals what lies ahead via upcoming film roles including playing Tammy Wynette in the forthcoming “George and Tammy” limited series, Tobias Lindholm’s “The Good Nurse” and Rawson Marshall Thurber’s “The Division.” The actor also discusses her friendship with fellow Julliard classmate Oscar Isaac, whom she’s worked with on several films and tv projects.

Twice-Oscar-nominated producer Monica Hellstrøm and her partner at Copenhagen-based Final Cut For Real, Simon Lereng Wilmont, have helped to evacuate the protagonists of one of their films, The Distant Barking of Dogs, from a war-torn area of eastern Ukraine.

Gallery: Which movies or people have won the most Oscars? (Espresso)For the German composer, "Dune" was always going to be a dream project. He had been a fan of Herbert's intergalactic tale of politics, religion and giant sandworms since his teenage years, like Villeneuve. "It was only when Denis very quietly said to me one day, have I ever heard of a book called 'Dune' that I sort of went into this teenage enthusiasm like a puppy dog chasing his own tail.

The Academy’s plan unveiled yesterday to cut Best Editing and seven other categories from this year’s live Oscar telecast to resuscitate viewership has received reactions of shock, disappoint and outrage – and that’s from the people who are being polite.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterLos Angeles County will drop its indoor mask mandate on Friday for indoor venues where patrons are required to show proof of vaccination to enter, including theaters and restaurants.The state of California dropped its indoor mask mandate last Wednesday, but some counties have kept their mandates in place due to local transmission rates. Barbara Ferrer, the director of the L.A.

After it leaked that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was planning on not requiring vaccination at the 94th Academy Awards, there was a massive pushback from members and the industry over the decision. Today, an AMPAS spokesperson revealed an updated policy that will raise many eyebrows and will leave the door open for major speculation on who on the telecast is and isn’t vaccinated.

Oscar Isaac and Zoe Kravitz are taking over hosting duties!

Saturday Night Live has set two new hosts for its opening March shows and has rescheduled a musical performance by Charli XCX.

Wilson Chapman editorOscar Isaac and Zoë Kravitz will host “Saturday Night Live” this March, NBC announced Thursday. Isaac will host the upcoming March 5 episode of the NBC variety comedy series. The award winning actor, who had a busy 2021 with projects such as “The Card Counter,” “Dune” and “Scenes From a Marriage,” is set to star in the upcoming Disney Plus Marvel television series “Moon Knight,” which premieres March 30.

Claudia Eller Co-Editor-in-ChiefAs of this writing, the Motion Picture Academy has yet to officially announce its policy regarding COVID protocols for next month’s Oscar ceremony.Nonetheless, many in the Hollywood community are going on the assumption that The Hollywood Reporter’s Feb. 9 scoop that no proof of vaccination will be required for the March 27 awards show at the Dolby Theatre is already set in stone.

Without a doubt, Oscar Isaac is one of the best actors working today. So, when it was announced that he would be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in “Moon Knight,” fans were excited to see what Isaac would bring to the character and the MCU, in general.

“It’s so great for representation and it’s also grounded in normalization,” says Naomi star Kaci Walfall of the barrier breaking CW superhero series from Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship. “So it’s a story that is just about a 16-year old girl whose Black, who happens to be a superhero and I think that is supercool ‘cause it’s not something we see, it’s not something we see,” Walfall added.

Tim Gray Senior Vice PresidentAfter Oscar nominations were announced Feb. 8, the buzz seems equally centered on who was nominated and who wasn’t.There’s an impressive roster of work in both categories.

When it comes to awards snubs, Josh Brolin has Denis Villeneuve’s back.