THE KING’S SPEECH Wins Best Picture; Full List of Oscar Winners

In what easily had to be one of the most painful, unfunny Oscar ceremonies in recent memory, The King’s Speech finally reached the end of its inevitable march to Best Picture.  It was the first Best Picture winner to win less than five Oscars (it won four, including Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay).  Does that make it more or less unworthy of the Best Picture crown?  I don’t know.  I don’t care. But i was wishing that The Social Network win it.

Full List of Winners Below:

 

BEST PICTURE: The King’s Speech

BEST DIRECTOR: Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech

BEST ACTOR: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

BEST ACTRESS: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christian Bale,The Fighter

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Melissa Leo,The Fighter

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Toy Story 3

BEST ART DIRECTION: Alice in Wonderland

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Inception

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Alice in Wonderland

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Inside Job

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Strangers No More

BEST EDITING: The Social Network

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: In a Better World

BEST MAKE-UP: The Wolfman

BEST SCORE: The Social Network

BEST SONG: Toy Story 3

BEST ANIMATED SHORT: The Lost Thing

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT: God of Love

BEST SOUND EDITING: Inception

BEST SOUND MIXING: Inception

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Inception

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Social Network

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The King’s Speech

 

Rumor: Robin Will Be in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Here’s some news that may leave Batman fans scratching their heads.  Scouting is currently underway in Michigan for The Dark Knight Rises; production crews reportedly scouted locations, including a water treatment plant, in Grand Ledge’s Fitzgerald Park last week, but for something entirely unexpected.  Sources told Michigan’s WILX [via AICN] “the area is being considered as a hideout for Batman sidekick Robin.”

Another rumor? A killer joke? Didn’t Christian Bale say he’d “refuse to work” if Robin was introduced into the new Batman stories? Still, this news is quite intriguing, especially when coming off the heels of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s possible addition to the cast. Could he be the boy wonder, forced to take the mantle when/if Bane breaks the Bat’s back? Could be a unique take on the Knightfall storyline … repeat after me: IN NOLAN I TRUST.

Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy were recently cast as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman) and Bane, respectively, in The Dark Knight Rises, scheduled for release on July 20, 2012.

 

Anne Hathaway Cast as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman) in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES; Tom Hardy to Play Bane

Here are two major pieces of The Dark Knight Rises news that you can take to the Gotham City bank.  First up, Warner Bros’ has announced that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle.  Kyle’s alter-ego is Catwoman, but the press release doesn’t mention the character.  They only refer to Hathaway’s role as “Selina Kyle”.

The other major piece of news from the press release is that Tom Hardy will be playing the Batman villain Bane.  It was previously rumored that Hardy would be playing villainous psychologist Dr. Hugo Strange.  Personally, I think Strange is a more interesting character than Bane, whose claim to fame is that he broke Batman’s back in the comics.   The Dark Knight Rises is due out July 20th.

As previously reported, The Dark Knight Rises is rumored to have two leading female characters.  One was to be a villain and the other was to be a love interest.  The character Talia al Ghul was rumored to be in the movie and presumed to be the villain since she’s the daughter of the villain fromBatman Begins, Ra’s al Ghul.  However, the inclusion of Kyle complicates matters.  Catwoman/Selina Kyle works perfectly as both a love interest AND a villain.  However, if she doesn’t become Catwoman in the movie, then presumably she stays as the “love interest” and not the villain.  But it would be bizarre to try and hold Catwoman for a fourth movie when Nolan has said that he plans to make The Dark Knight Rises his finalBatman movie.

As for Bane, I’m surprised a character that super-natural and comic-book-y has made it into Nolan’s grounded-in-reality Gotham City.  For those unfamiliar with the character, Bane is hooked up to a chemical known as “Venom” that causes his body to become super-muscular when injected.  He also wears (in the comics) a Mexican wrestling mask.  Of course, the press release states that this will be a “new interpretation” of Bane.

Here’s the press release:

BURBANK, CA, January 19, 2011 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”

Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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