Latest news with #OscarNomination
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Conclave author reveals Ralph Fiennes was third choice for lead role in Oscar nominated film - behind two other A-list Hollywood actors
His acclaimed performance as a liberal cardinal in Conclave secured him an Oscar nomination – but Ralph Fiennes was not the first choice for the part. Both Hollywood legend Robert de Niro and Spanish star Javier Bardem were in line to take the lead role, author Robert Harris has revealed. But negotiations with both actors' representative broke down, opening the way for 62-year-old Fiennes. His casting also meant a change to his character. In Harris's original 2016 novel, the dean of the council of cardinals was an Italian called Jacopo Baldassare Lomeli. But once Fiennes was cast, he became the English Cardinal Thomas Lawrence. The author told the Hay-on-Wye literary festival: 'For a long time, Robert De Niro was supposed to play the Fiennes role, but that fell through, and then Javier Bardem was supposed to do it.' But again a deal could not be struck, so producers turned to Fiennes, best known for playing evil Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter blockbusters and M in the Bond films. It was Fiennes and director Edward Berger who decided to change the character's nationality, Harris revealed. 'They came to lunch and told me they wanted to change the nationality of Cardinal Lomeli, because Ralph wanted to play an Englishman. I looked across the table and thought, ''Do I really want to lose Ralph Fiennes?'' And of course, it doesn't make any difference at all.' Harris – whose other bestselling novels include Fatherland and Enigma – also told the Hay audience that film producers had been circling around his novel before he had finished writing it. But after the initial clamour, the executives decided to hold back the film's release – which turned out to be fortuitous as it ended up in cinemas just before the real Vatican conclave to select Pope Francis's successor. Harris, 68, said: 'They sat on it for a year to prevent it being swamped by other films, which was a stroke of genius as it got a lot of attention. There was this rolling interest in conclaves, and I found myself peculiarly having written a primer on conclaves.' Among those who watched the film this year was American Cardinal Robert Prevost, who saw it just before the conclave voted him to become Pope, subsequently taking the name Leo XIV. Conclave, which also starred Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini, was nominated for eight Academy Awards, but secured only the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for Peter Straughan's script. Two Oscar voters later told trade magazine Variety that they hadn't backed Fiennes as they wrongly believed he had won the award before.
Geek Tyrant
3 days ago
- Business
- Geek Tyrant
Ariana Grande Joins MEET THE PARENTS 4 with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro — GeekTyrant
After earning an Oscar nomination for her role as Glinda in Wicked, Ariana Grande is jumping from Oz to a much more grounded and dysfunctional world: the Focker family reunion. Grande is officially joining Meet the Parents 4 , starring alongside franchise staples Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. The sequel is coming from Universal Pictures, which has banked over $1.1 billion globally on the series since the original debuted back in 2000. That's a lot of awkward family dinners. While plot details are under wraps, longtime producer Jane Rosenthal previously teased: 'Stiller is now the same age that [De Niro] was when we did the first one, and his kids have grown up, and they have to come home and meet the parents.' So yes, it looks like it's Stiller's turn to play the overprotective dad, and if we're placing bets, Ariana Grande might just be the significant other walking into the family firestorm. John Hamburg, who co-wrote all three previous films, returns as both writer and director. Rosenthal and De Niro will produce under Tribeca Productions, with Jay Roach on board via Delirious Media, and Stiller producing through Red Hour Films. Universal is targeting a November 25, 2026 theatrical release. Grande is already a proven hitmaker for the studio thanks to Wicked , and she brings more than just pop power. The artist now has serious acting clout with an Academy Award nomination, plus nods from the Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG. Whether she's playing the poised outsider or matching Stiller's neurotic energy with her own comedic attempts, Grande's addition adds fresh energy to a franchise that has always thrived on uncomfortable generational clashes. Get ready. The circle of trust is opening back up, this time with Ariana Grande at the table.
News.com.au
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Michelle Williams recounts ‘horrible' details of living with Ryan Gosling
The pair starred together in the 2010 drama Blue Valentine which saw Williams land an Oscar nomination for her role as Cindy who falls out of love with Gosling's Dean. The pair lived together during filming and seemingly learned to get on each other's nerves as they filmed the movie in a chronological fashion. Williams, 44, told the Armchair Expert podcast, 'We shot the first part where they're young and in love and everything is going really well and then we took a two-week break and we lived together."
