Latest news with #77thAcademyAwards
Fox News
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Mel Gibson's ‘acid trip' ‘Passion of the Christ' sequel will drive people to the theater: expert
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" sequel will begin production this summer in Rome, Italy – more than 21 years after the mega-hit biblical drama premiered in theaters. Filming of the long-awaited sequel, titled "The Resurrection of the Christ," is set to start in August at Rome's Cinecittà Studios, Variety reported on Friday, citing comments that CEO Manuela Cacciamani made during an interview with the Italian financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore. Most of "The Passion of the Christ" was filmed at Cinecittà Studios and the sequel will also share another shooting location with the 2004 movie – the ancient city of Matera in southern Italy. Additional filming will take place in rural towns across the region, including Altamura, Ginosa and Gravina Laterza, per Variety. Gibson has previously confirmed that Jim Caviezel will reprise his role as Jesus Christ. Maia Morgenstern, who played Jesus' mother Mary in the first movie, and Francesco De Vito, who portrayed his disciple Peter, may also return, according to IMDb. "The Passion of the Christ" became a major blockbuster when it debuted in theaters, earning $611 million against a $30 million budget, and it is still the second highest-grossing domestic R-rated movie of all time. The movie also received nominations for best cinematography, best original score and best makeup at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005. The film sparked widespread controversy upon its release due to its graphic depiction of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion. Critics also raised questions about the movie's biblical and historical accuracy. In addition, "The Passion of the Christ" was accused of being antisemitic due to its portrayals of Jewish leaders and their roles in Jesus' death. However, the public interest that was generated by the controversies surrounding the movie has also been credited with contributing to its success, and PR expert Steve Honig told Fox News Digital that history may repeat itself with the sequel. "Moviegoers will be curious about the film and that may be enough to get them to see the movie, or at least read the reviews and let that guide them," Honig said. "At the end of the day, and ironically, it may be controversy over the film that drives people into the theater." Despite achieving massive success as both an actor and director, Gibson himself has been embroiled in a number of controversies over the years due to legal troubles and inflammatory statements he made both publicly and in leaked conversations. Two years after "The Passion of the Christ" was released, Gibson notoriously unleashed an antisemitic tirade on a Jewish law enforcement officer when he was arrested for driving under the influence in July 2006. He later apologized to the Jewish community for his "vitriolic and harmful words" that he said were "blurted out in a moment of insanity." The "Conspiracy Theory" star subsequently entered rehab. In 2010, Gibson faced backlash again over leaked voicemails in which he could be heard using racist and misogynistic language directed at then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. Gibson entered a "no contest" plea to a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery against her the following year. Gibson's career declined in the wake of the scandals, but he mounted a comeback with 2016's "Hacksaw Ridge." The World War II movie, which was Gibson's first directorial outing in 10 years, earned six Academy Award nominations, winning two. Gibson previously received the best director and best picture award for 1995's "Braveheart," in which he also starred. The historical drama received 10 total nominations. Honig told Fox News Digital that the success of "The Resurrection of the Christ" may hinge on whether Gibson has rehabilitated his image in the eyes of the public. "The question here is, has Mel Gibson gotten through all the controversy that has surrounded him for so long? In some ways, time does heal all wounds, however, in other ways, it's hard for many people to forgive and forget," he said. Honig continued, "We're living in a very fragmented society right now so there will likely be a strong segment of the population who embrace the film and others who will push it aside." Gibson, who was recently named a special ambassador to Hollywood by President Trump, first confirmed that he was working on a sequel to "The Passion of the Christ" in 2016. "What the film has going for it, and what may be the ultimate indicator of how the film does, is curiosity." "And you know, it's not the 'Passion 2.' It's called 'The Resurrection,'" Gibson told evangelist Greg Laurie at SoCal Harvest, via IndieWire. While "The Passion of the Christ" followed the last 12 hours of Jesus' life leading up to the crucifixion, Gibson said the sequel will focus on his resurrection. "Of course, that's a very big subject and it needs to be looked at because we don't want to just do a simple rendering of it – you know, read what happened," the actor added. At the time, "The Passion of the Christ" screenwriter Randall Wallace told The Hollywood Reporter that "there's a lot more story to tell." "The evangelical community considers 'The Passion' the biggest movie ever out of Hollywood, and they kept telling us that they think a sequel will be even bigger," Wallace said. Over the years, Gibson and Caviezel dropped hints about what fans can expect from "The Resurrection of the Christ." "It's more than [the] single event [in the title], it's an amazing event," Gibson said during a November 2016 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." "And to underpin that with the things around it is really the story," he continued. "To sort of enlighten what that means. It's not just about the event; it's not just some chronological telling of just that event. That could be boring, and you think, 'Oh, we read that.'" In a 2020 FOX Nation interview, Caviezel told Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo that he had seen the "fifth draft" of the movie's screenplay. "It's going to be a masterpiece. It's gonna be the biggest film in world history, I believe it will be based on what I feel in my heart," Caviezel shared. "It's so imperative in this time. These films can't be made now," he added, suggesting that the film industry overlooks biblical films. "The films they make are Marvel Comics movies. You'll see Superman. You won't see Jesus... I got to play the greatest superhero there ever was." In July 2023, Caviezel shared an update on "The Resurrection" and teased that the movie could be more than one part. "It will be the biggest film in history," he predicted during an interview with Ormi. "It might be two films. Could be three, but I think it's two." During a January appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience," Gibson reflected on the challenges that he faced while making "The Passion," which he self-financed through his company Icon Productions. "There was a lot of opposition to it," Gibson recalled. "I think if you ever hit on this subject matter, you're going to get people going." He continued, "It's a big subject matter, and my contention was, when I was making it, it was like, you're making this film. And the idea was that we're all responsible for this, that his sacrifice was for all mankind, and for all our ills and all the things in our fallen nature. It was a redemption." Gibson also shared details about "The Resurrection" and the themes that the movie will explore. "I'm going to try and tackle this question," he said. "That there are big realms, spiritual realms. There's good, there's evil, and they are slugging it out for the souls of mankind. And my question is, 'Why are we even important, little old, flawed humanity? Why are we important in that process where the big realms are slugging it out over us?'" "And I think there's bigger things at play here," Gibson continued. "And institutions that purport to touch on the divine are necessarily going to be affected by that slugfest that's going on between good and evil." Gibson explained that he wrote the script with his brother Donal Gibson and Wallace over the last seven years. "There's a lot required because it's an acid trip. I've never read anything like it," he told Rogan. "My brother and I and Randall all sort of congregated on this. So there's some good heads put together, but there's some crazy stuff." "And I think in order to really tell the story properly you have to really start with the fall of the angels, which means you're in another place, you're in another realm," he continued. "You need to go to hell. You need to go to Sheol." "You got to have his origin," Gibson added. "I have ideas about how to do that and how to evoke things about to depict that. I've been thinking about that for a long time. It's going to require a lot of planning. I'm not sure I can pull it off. It's super ambitious, but I'm going to take a crack at it." "It's about trying to find a way in that's not cheesy or obvious. It's almost like a magic trick," he said. "It took a long time to write. It's very ambitious. It goes from the fall of the angels to the death of the last apostle." Gibson confirmed that he plans for Caviezel to reprise his role as Jesus. However, he noted that de-aging and CGI techniques will be needed because the movie is set over the three days after the events of "The Passion" but more than 20 years have passed since the first film. The director explained that the movie's dialogue will likely be in English, unlike "The Passion," which was entirely in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin with subtitles. "I don't know that you can do it in a foreign language because the concepts are too difficult now," Gibson said. Doug Eldridge of Achilles PR, shared his thoughts on the likelihood of the success of "The Resurrection," telling Fox News Digital that Gibson's interview with Rogan was "really insightful." "He described the opposition to the concept behind 'The Passion,' as well as Hollywood's reluctance to embrace it, even after it was a runaway hit," Eldrige said. "The first time around, he took the most incredible story – but also, the most difficult to portray – and he did it in a brutally beautiful way." He continued, "To follow up on something like that would be like following an A+ on a test in grade school; there's no way you can surpass it, the best you can possibly do is equal it, and even then, that's a heavy lift and a tall order." "For comparison, 'Gladiator' was one of the most acclaimed films of all time: incredible acting, beautiful score, amazing story, and a perfect ending. What did they do? They made a sequel 24 years later and it bombed. That's not to say Gibson's sequel will suffer the same fate, but it's hard to follow a 'best in class' production with a sequel that meets audience expectations," Eldridge added. "That said, if anyone can do it, it's Mel Gibson."
Los Angeles Times
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Oscars flashback: Clint Eastwood leads the way
In any given year, what makes for a best picture? Are there clues as to what might win, strewn throughout any given Oscars broadcast? As a matter of fact, there usually are — at least if you know what to look for: a sweep, a director win or even a chance to make history. Still, at the 77th Academy Awards ceremony, held Feb. 27, 2005, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, 'Million Dollar Baby' was not a lock on the prize — until all at once, it was. Over the last 20 years, guessing how voters will choose the best picture frequently comes down to a few factors — the most obvious being if the director wins ahead of the best picture prize. Since the 2005 awards, 13 best picture winners also had directors who won that night. Still, that's no guarantee a best picture contender will even have a director nominee. For a time, there was a run of director-best picture parallels — between the 2005 and 2011 awards — that made the two biggest prizes of the night seem intertwined. Clint Eastwood kicked that stretch off by earning his second directing award and second best picture win for 'Million.' The presentation was a fantastic bit of Oscar history. First, Eastwood, along with fellow producers Albert S. Ruddy and Tom Rosenberg, accepted the award from presenters Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman. 'I'm so happy to give this to you again, Clint,' she said after opening the envelope — telling the world that not only had he won tonight, she'd been the one to present him with his first directing Oscar in 1993, for 'Unforgiven.' Then Eastwood had his own flashback to recall: This was Ruddy's second (and final) Oscar, his first being for 'The Godfather,' which he accepted at the 1973 awards from … Clint Eastwood. '[E]very time I started going to this [awards ceremony], I'd say, 'I'm going to enjoy myself whether I win or lose,'' Ruddy (who died in 2024) told the audience. 'But believe me … it's better to win! I love it.' Ruddy gave thanks to his family, the cast of 'Million' — Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank — then also thanked Anjelica Huston, who'd introduced him to the works of F.X. Toole, the author of the short story that inspired 'Million' screenwriter Paul Haggis. He added, 'I'm going to sit down and get a piece of lemon pie with the real filling, I'm going to look at this, and then I'm going to die and go to heaven.' Along with his directing Oscar in 1993, Eastwood also won best picture for 'Unforgiven' that year too. He has one other Oscar, for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from 1995. This was Rosenberg's first nomination and only win thus far. 'Million' also took home the lead actress award (Swank) and supporting actor (Freeman). The remaining films on the nomination slate included five-Oscar winner 'The Aviator,' whose director Martin Scorsese was not included as one of the nominated producers. Those were Michael Mann, who has four nominations and no wins; and Graham King, who would take home his first Oscar in 2007 when Scorsese's 'The Departed' won best picture. One-time Oscar winner 'Finding Neverland' had two producers: Richard N. Gladstein and Nellie Bellflower. This was Bellflower's only nomination thus far; and Gladstein's second. 'Ray' (which won two Oscars) director Taylor Hackford has one win for live-action short film; and his co-producers, Stuart Benjamin and Howard Baldwin, received their first nominations with 'Ray.' Michael London, who produced 'Sideways,' also received his first and so far only nomination on this evening.
Los Angeles Times
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Oscars flashback: An Oscar for playing an Oscar winner
Never question the way Hollywood loves a good old biopic. After all, the 77th Academy Awards ceremony, held on Feb. 27, 2005, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, provides all the proof you need. Not only did lead actor go to Jamie Foxx for playing Ray Charles in 'Ray,' but the supporting actress win went to a stellar performance by Cate Blanchett for playing legend Katharine Hepburn. In awarding the Oscar to Blanchett for portraying Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's 'The Aviator,' the academy set a new milestone. Blanchett's award was the first time a performer had won an Oscar for a portrayal of a previous Oscar winner. Hepburn, who died in 2003, was nominated 12 times and ultimately won four Oscars — all in leading roles. And those who enjoy synchronicity might enjoy knowing that Hepburn was often referred to as 'the great Kate' — something Cate Blanchett likely appreciates. Over the years, Blanchett has actually made it something of a habit to get nominated for playing real people — she played Queen Elizabeth I twice in 'Elizabeth' and 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age,' and was nominated for them in 1999 and 2008; and she played a facet of Bob Dylan in 'I'm Not There,' picking up a nomination in 2008. This was Blanchett's second nomination (she has eight total) and her first win. She would win again in 2014 as the lead in 'Blue Jasmine.' Accepting the award from presenter Tim Robbins, she made sure to reference the source of inspiration for her role. After thanking her family and husband, producer Andrew Upton, she noted, 'When you play someone as terrifyingly well known as Katharine Hepburn, it's a collaborative effort; you need as much help as you can get. And thank you, of course, to Miss Hepburn. The longevity of her career, I think, is inspiring to everyone.' She then thanked Scorsese, and added, 'I hope my son will marry your daughter.' Scorsese, in the audience, laughed heartily. The director had spotted Blanchett two decades earlier at the Golden Globes, as Vanity Fair reported. And as Scorsese observed her in the ballroom, he realized that she would be perfect for a film he was developing — 'The Aviator.' He and his wife agreed simultaneously: 'We both looked at each other and said, 'Katharine Hepburn, there she is.'' With that as a backdrop, it's hard to imagine the other actresses in the running had much of a chance. Three of the nominees were on their first nods: Virginia Madsen, for playing a waitress hanging out with a pair of wine drinkers in 'Sideways'; Sophie Okonedo as the wife of a hotelier sheltering victims of a genocide in 'Hotel Rwanda'; and Natalie Portman as the duplicitous Alice/Jane in 'Closer.' Portman would go on to win in 2011 for 'Black Swan' and be nominated again in 2017 for 'Jackie.' The others have not been nominated since. Laura Linney rounded out the list on the second of her three nominations, her first and only so far in a supporting role, for playing the researcher wife of the title character of 'Kinsey.'
Los Angeles Times
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Oscars flashback: Hilary Swank goes 2 for 2
Even when an Oscar moment is meant to focus on the best actresses in the business … it often becomes about the actors. Early in the opening monologue for the 77th Academy Awards, held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Feb. 27, 2005, host Chris Rock struck a chord with at least a few actors in the audience. He compared Tom Cruise with Jude Law and then asked, 'Who is Jude Law? Why is he in every movie I have seen in the last four years? … He's in everything.' It was a callout that much later in the show Sean Penn, who was onstage to read out the nominees for lead actress, decided to address. Going off-script, Penn said, 'Forgive my compromised sense of humor, but I did want to answer [Rock's] question about who Jude Law is. He's one of our finest actors.' Only then did he pivot to focus on the women: 'What Jude and all talented actors know is that for every greatly talented actor, there are five actresses who are nothing short of magic. And the Academy's favorite five this year are…' After that segue, it was time for a small bit of history to be made, when Hilary Swank earned her second Oscar. By winning that award, Swank became the first woman in academy history to win for playing a boxer, in 'Million Dollar Baby.' (She'd already become the first nominated.) After giving husband Chad Lowe a hug in the audience (they would divorce two years later), Swank took the stage to accept the award. It was her second win on her second nomination; she'd won her first Oscar in 2000 for 'Boys Don't Cry.' 'I don't know what I did in this life to deserve all this,' she said in her Nebraska twang. 'I'm just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream.' She gave Lowe thanks, calling him 'my everything,' and made sure to thank the cast and crew from 'Million,' which had already earned co-star Morgan Freeman an Oscar for his role in the film and would shortly thereafter earn director-producer Clint Eastwood two more Oscars (for directing and best picture). Swank also thanked her mother 'for believing in me from the beginning; my dad for support,' then saved special thoughts for Eastwood, calling him her 'mo chuisle,' an Irish phrase meaning 'pulse of my heart' that was used in the film. Surely, Annette Bening, who also was nominated in the category for playing an actor in 'Being Julia,' was having déjà vu. She and Swank had been opposite one another in the lead actress nominee list in 2000. At that time, Bening was up for 'American Beauty,' and Swank won it then too, for 'Boys Don't Cry.' Bening has been nominated five times for an Oscar (1991, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2024) with no wins; all of them were leading nominations except one, in the supporting category. 'I would think it would feel really great [to win], but I certainly know what it's like not to win,' she told Rolling Stone ahead of the 2024 Oscars ceremony. 'I've been there and I've done that, and that's also not so bad.' Also up for the award were first-time nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno, who played a drug mule in 'Maria Full of Grace'; fellow first-timer Imelda Staunton, who played the title character, an abortion provider, in 'Vera Drake'; and Kate Winslet, for playing a woman who's had her memories erased in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.' Winslet is a seven-time nominee (1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2016), which includes her one win in the category in 2009 for 'The Reader.' Winslet missed a nomination this year for her biopic 'Lee,' based on American photographer Lee Miller.
Los Angeles Times
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Oscars flashback: Animation — and Pixar — have an ‘Incredibles' night
Starting in 2002, feature-length animated films were included in awards season in the same way their short animated film compatriots had been since 1932 — with their own dedicated Academy Awards category. The new category was a breakthrough at the time, though in the years since it has also been controversial: Does having a dedicated animated feature category exclude worthy films from being included in the best picture discussion? That discussion has swirled annually since the late 2010s — but it wasn't part of the discourse on Feb. 27, 2005, when the 77th Academy Awards were held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles and 'The Incredibles' took home Pixar's second of a series of Oscar wins in the category. Director-writer Brad Bird won for 'Incredibles' with his first nomination. It was Pixar's second film to earn the feature Oscar; 'Finding Nemo' had won the previous year. Bird was also nominated for the original screenplay but didn't win; in 2008, he would win again in the feature category with 'Ratatouille.' Pixar films have won 11 of the animated feature film awards that have been given out. Disney would go on to acquire Pixar in 2006. Accepting the award from Robin Williams, Bird (who wore an oval-shaped 'Incredibles' themed pin on his lapel) noted, 'I don't know what's more frightening, being watched by millions of people, or the hundreds of people that are going to be annoyed with me tomorrow for not mentioning them tonight.' He added that 'Animation is about creating the illusion of life, and you can't create it if you don't have one,' then went on to thank his wife and children. There were only two other nominees in the category, each on their first and (thus far only) nomination: Bill Damaschke ('Shark Tale') and Andrew Adamson ('Shrek 2'). 'Shrek' was the first winner in this category in 2002, with the award given to Aron Warner. For the first 50 years of animated short films receiving Oscars, the awards were given to the producers of the films, but current rules give the award to the person most directly responsible for the creation of the film — usually the director. In 2005, animated short film winner Chris Landreth wasn't just the director of the documentary 'Ryan,' he was also a co-star. The film focused on Landreth's interview with Canadian animator Ryan Larkin, who'd been nominated for his own Oscar in 1970 for 'Walking,' and who fell on hard times in later years. Landreth, who had also been nominated in this category in 1996, dedicated the award to Larkin. 'I am here tonight because of the grace and humility of one guy watching from Montreal,' he said. Larkin died in 2007. The other nominees represented a wide spectrum of animation styles and largely leaned on humor and animals — or both. 'Gopher Broke' by Jeff Fowler and Tim Miller looked at the frustration of a hungry, ambitious gopher; it was their first and so far only nomination. Bill Plympton received his second nomination (his first came in 1988) for 'Guard Dog,' which provided insight to the canine mind and why some dogs bark at everything. 'Lorenzo' was nominated for director Mike Gabriel (who co-wrote the script with Joe Grant) and producer Baker Bloodworth and was about a cat whose tail develops a personality of its own. It was their first and only nomination. 'Birthday Boy' took a different turn, looking at a young boy during the Korean War who roams his town to collect the remains of battles around him. The nomination went to first-timers Sejong Park (writer-director) and Andrew Gregory (producer).
