Spike Lee To Receive DGA Lifetime Achievement Award

Well, it’s certainly that timer again. The 94th Academy Award ceremony announces its Oscar picks for 2022.

Michael Jackson biopic is in the works, with Bohemian Rhapsody‘s Graham King on board to produce the film.According to Variety, the forthcoming movie – titled Michael – is being made with the blessing of the Michael Jackson estate. The screenplay is being written by John Logan (Gladiator, Skyfall), who previously worked with King on Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator (2004).John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of Jackson’s estate, will produce the biopic alongside King, who first met the Jackson family in 1981.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaLionsgate will distribute a new Michael Jackson biopic that will be produced by “Bohemian Rhapsody’s” Graham King. The film is being made with the cooperation of the Michael Jackson estate, which may impact how it deals with the multiple allegations of child sexual abuse that were brought against the King of Pop over the course of his career and following his 2009 death.Entitled “Michael,” the film will be produced by King, who mined similar terrain with Freddie Mercury, and the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain.

Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”) and Simu Liu (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) sat down for a virtual chat for Variety’s Actors on Actors, presented by Amazon Studios. For more, click here.Prior to 2021, Ariana DeBose and Simu Liu had certainly worked as actors. DeBose was a Tony nominee (“Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”) who’d appeared in Netflix’s “The Prom” and Apple TV Plus’ “Schmigadoon!” Liu was a former stuntman who’d co-starred on the Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience.”But after their breakout roles last year — DeBose as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of “West Side Story” and Liu as Shang-Chi in Marvel Studios’ superhero blockbuster “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” — they’ve both suddenly become household names.

Sci-fi epic blockbuster “Dune” and Jane Campion’s dark Western “The Power Of The Dog” lead the nominations for this year’s British Academy Film Awards, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lady Gaga among those up for leading actor awards.

EXCLUSIVE: The Art Directors Guild has sketched out a career honor for Donna Cline. The concept artist whose credits include Bones, Chicago Med and The Big Bang Theory will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illustrators and Matte Artists at the 26th annual ADG Awards.

Patrick Swayze and actress Demi Moore, and initially for portraying Celie Johnson in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985). Now, Whoopi is regularly seen debating on talk show The View and has made headlines for her controversial and "offensive" comments on the Holocaust. She has since apologised and been suspended for two weeks by ABC to show support for the Jewish communities.

Taraji P. Henson has signed on to star alongside H.E.R. and Corey Hawkins in Blitz Bazawule’s (Black Is King) adaptation of The Color Purple for Warner Bros., Deadline has confirmed.

Audio Up, home to such audio programs as Stephen King’s “Strawberry Spring,” Michael Cohen’s “Mea Culpa” and the just-released Audible exclusive “Maejor Frequency,” is bolstering its executive ranks with the hiring of music supervision trailblazer PJ Bloom and label marketing veteran Christine Kauffman.Bloom (pictured at left) will serve as co-president of music, alongside John Ingrassia. Kauffman has been named executive VP, brand strategy and partnerships.Bloom’s resume includes, most recently, a nearly five-year run at Warner Records, where he served as SVP of film and television music and soundtracks, leading the label’s creative, marketing and licensing efforts in the music for screens space.

The 2022 nominees for BAFTA’s Rising Star Award have been revealed, including actors from James Bond pic No Time To Die, Jane Campion’s awards contender The Power Of The Dog, and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) turns back the clock to 1969 when a series of concerts by Black artists transfixed Harlem. Under different circumstances, the director thinks the film would have turned out very differently.

West Side Story‘s Steven Spielberg, The Power of the Dog‘s Jane Campion, Dune‘s Denis Villeneuve, Licorice Pizza‘s Paul Thomas Anderson and Kenneth Branagh of Belfast have been nominated for the top feature film prize as the Directors Guild unveiled nominations Thursday for its 74th annual DGA Awards.

A day after “Succession” dominated the television nominations, the Directors Guild of America announced the key film nominees for the 2022 DGA Awards. To no surprise, “The Power of the Dog’s” Jane Campion, “Dune’s” Denis Villeneuve, and “Belfast’s” Kenneth Branagh made the list.

Clayton Davis After a stampede of awards announcements that include ACE Eddies, Producers Guild and Writers Guild of America Awards, the prestigious Directors Guild of America Awards finally weighs in with their own set of nominees that recognizes achievements in directing.In the motion pictures category, the group nominated Kenneth Branagh for “Belfast” (Focus Features), Jane Campion for “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix), Paul Thomas Anderson for “Licorice Pizza” (MGM/United Artists Releasing), Steven Spielberg for “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios) and Denis Villeneuve for “Dune” (Warner Bros).Notable snubs included Joel Coen (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”), Adam McKay (“Don’t Look Up”), Siân Heder (“CODA”), Guillermo del Toro (“Nightmare Alley”) and Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”). Campion is the second woman ever to receive a second nod from the Directors Guild.

Outlander fans will get a very exclusive preview of the first episode of season six of STARZPLAY’s worldwide smash-hit at Glasgow Film Festival.

The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild has announced that it will honor Doug Jones with the inaugural The Chair Award at its annual awards ceremony taking place at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 19.

Tim Gray Senior Vice PresidentWhen Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” screened for industry audiences in late November, Oscar pundits were rapturous but immediately worried: “It’s great, but could a remake win best picture?”The answer, of course, is yes. (Pundits like to either predict the Oscar outcome five months in advance or else predict dire scenarios, nothing in between.)This year, there are some terrific remakes.

Joseph Reidy will receive the DGA’s Frank Capra Achievement Award and Garry Hood will receive the guild’s Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award at the 74th annual DGA Awards on Jan. 27 in recognition of their “extraordinary contributions” to the guild.

Mary Parent, the producer of “Dune” with Legendary Entertainment, will receive this year’s David. O Selznick Achievement Award from the Producers Guild of America.