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Amazon Studios Plunks Down Sundance Record $13 Million for Mindy Kaling’s “Late Night” Starring Emma Thompson as Talk Show Host

Roger Friedman
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Amazon Studios Plunks Down Sundance Record $13 Million for Mindy Kaling’s “Late Night” Starring Emma Thompson as Talk Show Host

Amazon Studios is swinging for the fences now.

Overnight from Friday they broke a Sundance record and ponied up $13 million for “Late Night,” written by Mindy Kaling and starring Emma Thompson.

Emmy nominated Nisha Ganatra directs her first feature since 2005 with this project.

Last spring, Thompson was in New York filming “Late Night” with Kaling and crew. We talked about it quite a lot but who knew it would turn into such a big deal?

Amazon needed some fire power for next fall and awards season. They pretty much struck out this year except for the Polish film, “Cold War.” This time, they got the goods.

That’s important, since their rival, Netflix, has gained ground on them. But “Late Night” sounds like a broad hit, not to mention a Golden Globes comedy nominee.

Let’s just hope Amazon releases “Late Night” to theaters.

PS Amy Ryan is featured. Cross fingers this is a breakout for her, too!

Michael Jackson Criminal Defense Lawyer Thomas Mesereau Is “Shocked” By Claims Made By Wade Robson: “He was adamant that nothing had happened to him. So were his mother and sister”

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson Criminal Defense Lawyer Thomas Mesereau Is “Shocked” By Claims Made By Wade Robson: “He was adamant that nothing had happened to him. So were his mother and sister”

EXCLUSIVE This morning I spoke with Thomas Mesereau, Michael Jackson’s brilliant criminal defense lawyer in his 2005  child molestation and conspiracy trial. Michael was found not guilty on all counts.

The first witness Mesereau put on the stand in Jackson’s defense was Wade Robson, who now claims Jackson molested him when he was a child. In 2005, Robson, Mesereau says, was “adamant” that Jackson had never done anything wrong to him. Robson’s mother and sister also took the stand and said the same thing.

The Robsons flew in from Australia for the trial. They stayed at Neverland. Mesereau interviewed them extensively.

Mesereau told me: “I found Wade articulate and likeable. But he staunchly defended Michael. His mother and sister supported him in their statements. On the stand, Wade was then subjected to a withering prosecutor. I’m shocked that he’s taken a position contrary to what he told me, and what he testified to in court.”

Mesereau hasn’t seen the documentary “Leaving Neverland” but he is very surprised. And this is a man who has examined and cross examined some of the toughest witnesses ever.

One important thing Mesereau agreed with me on. Santa Barbara District Attorney Tom Sneddon, now deceased, thoroughly investigated Jackson twice, over a 10 year period. He looked ceaselessly for young boys who might have been abused by Jackson. Sneddon was obsessed with tagging Jackson. It was Sneddon who slid his card on the door of the Arvizo family after he saw them on TV, and crafted an unsuccessful prosecution against Jackson using their crazy testimony.

Sneddon knew the names of Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck, the two men who claim in the documentary to have been molested. If Sneddon had thought there was any real story there, he’d have gone after it. He never did.

Meanwhile, Robson has started a not for profit foundation and is soliciting donations. There can be no transparency, as he’s parked his 501 c3 very cleverly under something called the Hawaii Community Foundation. That way, Robson doesn’t have to file a form 990. We’ll never know if the makers of “Leaving Neverland” have donated money to it, for example. This was done on purpose. Leonardo DiCaprio does the same thing with his Foundation. It’s hidden.

Safechuck, meantime, is accused by Jackson fans of creating his story from a very disgusting book published years ago by a man named Victor Guitierrez. Jackson sued Guitierrez and won a $2.7 million judgement against. The writer has never paid up, and now lives in Chile. I threw my copy out a long time; I didn’t want it in my house.

“Leaving Neverland” can’t be taken seriously, and I’m surprised the press in Sundance– who didn’t cover Jackson — was so swayed by it. The movie offers no independent evidence, or third parties, just the claims of Robson and Safechuck. Just because it’s graphic, doesn’t mean it’s true. The rush to judgement here is alarming, and dangerous.

 

Michel Le Grand, Oscar Winning Composer of Much Covered “Windmills of Your Mind,” Dies at 86 in Paris

Roger Friedman
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Michel Le Grand, Oscar Winning Composer of Much Covered “Windmills of Your Mind,” Dies at 86 in Paris

Michel LeGrand has died at age 86. The Oscar winning composer had dates set up for this spring, but he died peacefully in his sleep in France.

LeGrand is huge. His music was heard in dozens of films. But his most famous song was “Windmills of Your Mind” from “The Thomas Crown Affair.” Is there anyone who hasn’t recorded it? Barbra Streisand included a version on a recent album. Here’s my favorite version, by Dusty Springfield:

There’s also a wonderful version by Sting, of all people:

Le Grand was a favorite of Streisand, who commissioned him to write the score for “Yentl.” Tony Bennett also favored LeGrand and another of his hits, “How Do You Keep the Music Playing.” I was lucky enough to watch Tony record that song with Aretha Franklin several years ago.

He won 4 Oscars, 3 Grammy Awards and countless other awards. What a life! Expect memoriams at both the Oscars and the Grammys next month. I know the Oscars don’t want a lot of people singing but it would be so amazing to have Streisand sing “Windmills” over the Tributes.

Four Hour Michael Jackson Documentary “Leaving Neverland” Screens at Sundance, Will Air on HBO This Spring

Roger Friedman
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Four Hour Michael Jackson Documentary “Leaving Neverland” Screens at Sundance, Will Air on HBO This Spring

The controversial documentary about Michael Jackson called “Leaving Neverland” is screening this morning at Sundance. It’s four hours long and will air on HBO this spring.

Ordinarily I’m a huge fan of HBO docs. But this film, by Dan Reed, is cause for concern. It centers on disproved stories from two men who were Neverland boys in the 90s– Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck.

The former actually testified for Michael at his 2005 child molestation trial. So did Robson’s sister and mother. They said nothing untoward happened to Robson. But when Michael died, and Robson’s career wasn’t working out, he suddenly claimed molestation and filed a lawsuit against the estate. His claims were dismissed.

Jimmy Safechuck’s name turned up in a hideous “book” that was published abroad, full of gross allegations that weren’t true. Michael was generous to the Safechucks when Jimmy was a kid. They’ve returned the favor by coming after him now, when he can’t speak.

I reported on Michael Jackson for decades. He got more and more eccentric as time went on, dependent on drugs, careless, capricious. He was disloyal to everyone around him. But I don’t think he was a child molester. The 2005 trial with the Arvizo family, who turned out to be professional liars, showed that Michael was subject to blackmail easily. His “optics” and statements about little boys didn’t help. But one look at how well his kids have turned out indicates he was a good father, and maybe not as crazy as we thought.

So we wait for a report from Sundance around 3:30pm Eastern.

Broadway’s Mid Winter Gift: Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano Nail Sam Shepard’s Classic Play, “True West”

Roger Friedman
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Broadway’s Mid Winter Gift: Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano Nail Sam Shepard’s Classic Play, “True West”

I feel at this point I’ve seen a lot of people in Sam Shepard‘s great play, “True West.” John Malkovich, Randy Quaid, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, and so on. The latter switched roles of the brothers at different performances. We’ve been there, and done that.

So I’m happy to report that Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano‘s new take on the material felt natural from the moment they started speaking. Hawke and Dano, each accomplished movie actors/directors, and Hawke, with a lot of theatrical experience, simply fill the roles of crazy outlaw Lee and his staid screenplay writer brother Austin like hands in old gloves. They just fit, and you know it from the beginning.

British director James McDonald has given the guys a lot to do in this Roundabout Theater production at the American Airlines Theater. The people outside on West 43rd St. (who can sometimes be heard blissfully yelling like real New Yorkers do) would probably be surprised how muscular “True West” is under McDonald’s direction. The brothers pretty much wreck their mother’s sunny California kitchen as they wrestle physically and spiritually. By the time they’re done, their drawers are literally on the floor.

Hawke, as Lee, appears to be menacing Austin, the brother he hasn’t seen in five years. It’s clear from the start Lee is a burglar, lives off the grid, and has so sense of community. Austin has a family “up north” (San Francisco, maybe) but he’s using mom’s house while she’s away in Alaska in vacation. He’s pitching a screenplay to an agent/producer named Saul. Lee’s arrival throws his work and his life into peril.

That’s it, on the face of it. “True West” follows E.M. Forster’s ‘hourglass’ scheme in which you take two characters who are polar opposites and by the end they’ve traded personalities. Watching Paul Dano disintegrate into a derelict is too much fun. And Ethan Hawke reigning himself in from a walking crime scene and creator of mayhem to a “serious writer” equals Dano if not more. We start to see they more alike than either thought or we could have guessed. The entrance of their flighty mother (Marylouise Burke) late in the Second Act turns what seemed dire into surreal.

Lots of stars in the audience last night, most especially Jessica Lange, who loved the show written by her beloved, departed ex, Shepard. Also, Jake Gyllenhaal brought his sister, actress Maggie; Jake starred last year in Dano’s movie “Wildlife.” Friends like Josh Hamilton (so good as the dad in “Eighth Grade”) and playwright Jonathan Marc Sherman lent their support as well as Bryan Lourd and Bruce Bozzi. The great Celia Weston was also on hand; she played the mom to Hoffman and Reilly in that production. Famed agent Johnnie Planco and realtor wife Lois were there as well. At the after-party at Brasserie 8 1/2 we ran into Tony winner Alex Sharp, who will star in  the untitled “Game of Thrones” prequel for HBO. I tried to pry info out of him. He said, very nicely, “Do you know how many papers I signed swearing me to secrecy?”

“True West” runs through mid March. My guess is it will sell out this morning very quickly. If it does, maybe Roundabout can extend. These guys are headed to the Tony Awards.

Daytime Emmys Post Pre-Nominations for Soap Actors, Mostly Familiar Faces Except One: Barney Miller’s Max Gail

Roger Friedman
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Daytime Emmys Post Pre-Nominations for Soap Actors, Mostly Familiar Faces Except One: Barney Miller’s Max Gail

Daytime Emmys voting begins in earnest with pre-nominations. The actors send in reels that are evaluated by committees. They winnow down the names to this stage. Then beginning February 21st there’s another round that cuts the names down to five or six in each category. Most of the names here we’ve seen before, except one: Max Gail, from “Barney Miller.” He joined “General Hospital” last year. His character has Alzheimer’s. If he doesn’t win, something is really wrong. His scene partner, Vernee Watson, won last year as Guest Performer. This year, she could win again although she has stiff competition from Beth Maitland of “The Young and the Restless.” Me, I’ll vote for “SoapDish,” one of the funniest movies ever made. (Whoopi Goldberg- that man has no head. I can’t write for a man without a head!)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sharon Case, as Sharon Newman
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Eileen Davidson, as Ashley Abbott
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Amelia Heinle, as Victoria Newman
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Finola Hughes, as Anna Devane
General Hospital, ABC

 

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, as Steffy Forrester
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Marci Miller, as Abigail Deveraux DiMera
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Michelle Stafford, as Nina Reeves
General Hospital, ABC

 

Heather Tom, as Katie Logan
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Maura West, as Ava Jerome
General Hospital, ABC

 

Laura Wright, as Carly Corinthos
General Hospital, ABC

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Maurice Benard, as Sonny Corinthos
General Hospital, ABC

 

Peter Bergman, as Jack Abbott
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Eric Braeden, as Victor Newman
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Tyler Christopher, as Stefan DiMera
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Scott Clifton, as Liam Spencer
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Billy Flynn, as Chad DiMera
Days of Our Lives, NBC

Drake Hogestyn, as John Black
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Jon Lindstrom, as Ryan/Kevin Collins
General Hospital, ABC

 

Stephen Nichols, as Steve “Patch” Johnson
Days of Our Lives, NBC


Jason Thompson, as Billy Abbott
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

 

Tamara Braun, as Dr. Kim Nero
General Hospital, ABC

 

Kassie DePaiva, as Eve Donovan
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Linsey Godfrey, as Sarah Horton
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Camryn Grimes, as Mariah Copeland
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Martha Madison, as Belle Black
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Beth Maitland, as Traci Abbott
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Mishael Morgan, as Hilary Curtis
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Kirsten Storms, as Maxie Jones
General Hospital, ABC

 

Sal Stowers, as Lani Price
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Vernee Watson, as Stella Henry
General Hospital, ABC

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Darin Brooks, as Wyatt Spencer
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Max Gail, as Mike Corbin
General Hospital, ABC

 

Bryton James, as Devon Hamilton
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Thad Luckinbill, as JT Hellstrom
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Eric Martsolf, as Brady Black
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Wes Ramsey, as Peter August
General Hospital, ABC

 

Greg Rikaart, as Leo Stark
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Christopher Sean, as Paul Narita
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Aaron D. Spears, as Justin Barber
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Dominic Zamprogna, as Dante Falconeri
General Hospital, ABC

 

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Alyvia Alyn Lind, as Faith Newman
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Kiara Barnes, as Zoe Buckingham
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Sasha Calle, as Lola Rosales
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Hayley Erin, as Kiki Jerome
General Hospital, ABC

 

Cait Fairbanks, as Tessa Porter
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Camryn Hamm, as Shauna Nelson
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Olivia Rose Keegan, as Claire Brady
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Victoria Konefal, as Ciara Brady
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Chloe Lanier, as Nelle Benson
General Hospital, ABC

 

Eden McCoy, as Josslyn Jacks
General Hospital, ABC

 

Nia Sioux, as Emma Barber
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Lexi Stevenson, as Mattie Ashby
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Lucas Adams, as Tripp Dalton
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Adain Bradley, as Xander Avant
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Noah Alexander Gerry, as Charlie Ashby
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Tristan Lake Leabu, as Reed Hellstrom
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

William Lipton, as Cameron Webber
General Hospital, ABC

 

Kyler Pettis, as Theo Carver
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Garren Stitt, as Oscar Nero
General Hospital, ABC

 

Zach Tinker, as Fenmore Baldwin
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

OUTSTANDING GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES

Philip Anthony-Rodriguez, as Miguel Garcia
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Patricia Bethune, as Nurse Mary Pat
General Hospital, ABC

 

Wayne Brady, as Dr. Reese Buckingham
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Daniel Hall, as Scott Grainger
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Monica Horan, as Kiernan
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Cassandra James, as Dr. Terry Randolph
General Hospital, ABC

 

Kelly Kruger, as Mackenzie Browning
The Young and the Restless, CBS

 

Kate Mansi, as Abigail Deveraux
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Thaao Penghlis, as Andre DiMera
Days of Our Lives, NBC

 

Jeremy Ray Valdez, as Detective Alex Sanchez
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

James Read, as Gregory Chase
General Hospital, ABC

 

Hunter Tylo, as Dr. Taylor Hayes
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

Danny Woodburn, as Ken
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DIGITAL DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES

Nikko Austen Smith, as Jilly Mitchell
Jacqueline and Jilly, UMC Nikko

 

Vanessa Baden Kelly, as Journee
Giants, YouTube.com

 

Ji Bak, as Molly
Only Children, Vimeo.com

 

Ashley Clements, as Sona
Sona, Legendary Digital Networks

 

Jade Harlow, as Lianna Ramos
The Bay The Series, Prime Video

 

Liana Liberato, as McKenna Brady
Light as a Feather, Hulu

 

Shanti Lowry, as Yolanda Rodriguez
Bronx SIU, UMC/Prime Video

 

Haley Ramm, as Violet Simmons
Light as a Feather, Hulu

 

Alesha Reneé, as Calysta Jeffries
The Rich and the Ruthless, UMC

 

Liz Vassey, as Dr. Gillian Hunt
Riley Parra, Tello Films

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DIGITAL DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES

Mitchell Anderson, as Jason Addams
After Forever, Prime Video & Binge Networks

 

Kristos Andrews, as Pete Garrett
The Bay The Series, Prime Video

 

James Bland, as Malachi
Giants, YouTube.com

 

Richard Brooks, as Augustus Barringer
The Rich and the Ruthless, UMC

 

Richard Brooks, as Magnus Mitchell
Jacqueline and Jilly, UMC

 

Yuri Lowenthal, as Max Levodolinsky
Orbital Redux, Project Alpha

 

Kevin Spirtas, as Brian Stone
After Forever, Prime Video & Binge Networks

 

Tim Wardell, as Mohammed
Only Children, Vimeo.com

 

Brian White, as Jimmy Blue
Bronx SIU, UMC/Prime Video

 

Wayne Wilcox, as Ray
Only Children, Vimeo.com

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DIGITAL DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES

 

Marion Akpan, as Nancy Stephenson
Anacostia, YouTube.com

 

Crystal Brown, as Tamera
Giants, YouTube.com

 

Erin Cherry, as Brenda
After Forever, Prime Video & Binge Networks

 

Celeste Fianna, as Tamara Garrett
The Bay The Series, Prime Video

 

Cady Huffman, as Lisa
After Forever, Prime Video & Binge Networks

 

Joy McElveen, as Mellori
Giants, YouTube.com

 

Carolyn Ratteray, as Caitlin Priest
Riley Parra, Tello Films

 

Irene Roseen, as Maeve Fielding
The Rich and the Ruthless, UMC

 

Victoria Rowell, as Jacqueline Mitchell
Jacqueline and Jilly, UMC

 

Karrueche Tran, as Vivian Johnson-Garrett
The Bay The Series, Prime Video

 

Brianne Tju, as Alex Portnoy
Light as a Feather, Hulu

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DIGITAL DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES

Matthew Ashford, as Steve Jensen
The Bay The Series, Prime Video

 

Ameer Baraka, as Darius
Bronx SIU, UMC/Prime Video

 

Brandon Beemer, as Evan Blackwell
The Bay The Series, Prime Video

 

Carl Gilliard, as Dr. Munroe
Giants, YouTube.com

 

Wil Lash, as Scott Taylor
Anacostia, YouTube.com

 

Tremayne Norris, as Carlos Daniels
Anacostia, YouTube.com

 

Marc Anthony Samuel, as Mark Levodolinsky
Orbital Redux, Project Alpha

 

Sean Samuels, as Ade
Giants, YouTube.com

 

Terrence Terrell, as Kwasi Asamoah
Giants, YouTube.com

 

Alex Wyse, as Cooper
Only Children, Vimeo.com

 

OUTSTANDING GUEST PERFORMER IN A DIGITAL DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES

Denise Boutte, as Jasmine
Bronx SIU, UMC/Prime Video

 

Lou Diamond Phillips, as Martin
Conversations in L.A., Prime Video

 

Sean Patrick Flanery, as Ty Garrett
The Bay The Series, Prime Video

 

Anita Gillette, as Frannie
After Forever, Prime Video & Binge Networks

 

A. Martinez, as Nardo Ramos
The Bay The Series, Prime Video

 

Amy Pietz, as Mrs. Shannon Pierce
Conversations in L.A., Prime Video

 

J. August Richards, as Andrew Prescott
Giants, YouTube.com

 

Eric Roberts, as Alexander Fortnoy
New Dogs, Old Tricks, Prime Video

 

Kelsey Scott, as Sadiyah Siobahn
Giants, YouTube.com

 

Marina Sirtis, as Gail Finney
Riley Parra, Tello Films

 

Vanity Fair Annual Hollywood Issue Makes History with Multi-Cultural (and Beautiful) Cover

Roger Friedman
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Vanity Fair Annual Hollywood Issue Makes History with Multi-Cultural (and Beautiful) Cover

The new annual Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair is out. I haven’t seen the issue yet, but the cover should win a prize. Seven of the eleven featured actors are not white. This is a first. In the past, Vanity Fair kind of hid the black actors on the inside flap, and there were never more than two.

Not so anymore. “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman is front and center on the opening scene, with Timothee Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan.

The next grouping is Regina King (how much do we love her?), Rami Malek, the amazing Yalitza Aparicio from “Roma,” and Nicholas Hoult.

Part three is John David Washington, Henry Golding (from “Crazy Rich Asians”), Tessa Thompson, and Elizabeth Debicki.

VF editor Radhika Jones says in her editor’s letter: “Now more than ever, we in the theaters can see ourselves in the people up there on the screen.”  You betcha. And it’s about time. Boseman adds: “The actors who are within the pages of this issue give new breath to what Hollywood is and what Hollywood is going to be.”

The photo was taken by Oscar winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, whose friends call him “Chivo.” Aside from the Michael B. Jordan cover, this is my favorite of Jones’s covers so far. It’s rich looking and evocative. There’s also a cool video to go with it.

The world of magazine covers is changing, it must. Back in 1990 when I wanted to put Whitney Houston of the cover of our magazine, Fame, the publisher, Steven Greenberg, didn’t want to do it. “She’s black! Blacks don’t sell!” he seethed at us. This was the feeling everywhere. It was racist and of course wrong. Whitney went on the cover “over his dead body” and sold great. Everyone loved it. To her credit, Anna Wintour has always featured multi-cultural actresses, models and singers on the cover of Vogue. It can be done. Kudos to Vanity Fair!

 

 

(Watch Video) Michael Cohen Won’t Testify in Front of Congress Because Donald Trump Is Threatening His Family

Roger Friedman
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(Watch Video) Michael Cohen Won’t Testify in Front of Congress Because Donald Trump Is Threatening His Family

Michael Cohen says he won’t testify in front of Congress because Donald Trump is threatening his family. Another Michael, Corleone, knew exactly what to do.

Here’s the clip:

 

NOT For the Tony Awards: 6 Time Tony Winner Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon Will Hit Broadway in May 2019

Roger Friedman
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NOT For the Tony Awards: 6 Time Tony Winner Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon Will Hit Broadway in May 2019

With all the star power that piles up for the Tony Awards, here’s an announcement apart from the big show.

Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon will open in May, after the Tony season, in “Frankie and Johnnie in the Clair de Lune.” The idea is to celebrate the 80th birthday of playwright Terence McNally.

McDonald has won a record 6 Tony Awards for musicals and plays. Shannon is a two tune Oscar nominee who’s starred on Broadway and off Broadway in different productions.  The director of this production is Arin Arbus, daughter of the late Alan Arbus, half sister of photographer Amy Arbus, and not the daughter of Diane Arbus. (Her mother is someone else.)

These are two “names” who should be able to sell out the limited summer engagement run. Looking to forward to seeing these guys on stage.

 

Oscar Snubs: “First Man,” “A Quiet Place,” “Mary Poppins” Blanked, Mister Rogers Doc (Shock), Bradley Cooper for Director in “Star is Born,” Nicole Kidman, Emily Blunt

Roger Friedman
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Oscar Snubs: “First Man,” “A Quiet Place,” “Mary Poppins” Blanked, Mister Rogers Doc (Shock), Bradley Cooper for Director in “Star is Born,” Nicole Kidman, Emily Blunt

The snubs are always the big story in Oscar nominations. I’ve included some other milestones here.

No nod for Morgan Neville’s award winning doc about Mister Rogers, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor”? It’s a shock. “Three Identical Strangers” was also kept out.

Bradley Cooper was not nominated for Best Director, but picked up Best Actor, Screenplay and Picture for “A Star is Born”

“A Quiet Place” was totally shut out. Emily Blunt didn’t make Best Supporting Actress or Best Actress for “Mary Poppins.” Aside from song and below the line, “Poppins” pooped out.

So did “First Man,” especially Justin Hurwitz’s score which was thought to be a lock.

“Beale Street” didn’t make Best Picture. But they did pick up Best Supporting Actress and Adapted Screenplay.

Big news for Sony Pictures Classics which scored Best Actress for Glenn Close, Foreign Films Capernaum and Never Look Away, and cinematography for Never Look Away.

This is the TENTH Best Song nomination for Diane Warren, “I’ll Fight,” from “RBG.”

Other actors snubbed include Nicole Kidman for “Destroyer” and Timothee Chalamet in “Beautiful Boy.” Julia Roberts was also ignored.

Also out in Director: Peter Farrelly, whose “Green Book” has Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, and Screenplay. Can it win Best Picture without a director? Yes, since that will go to Alfonso Cuaron.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” official director Bryan Singer was also snubbed because of his sex scandals. His replacement director Dexter Fletcher was also left out but he wasn’t eligible.

The folks at Gold Derby made one big mistake: they put “Beale Street” at number 8 and “Rhapsody” at 9. It was the opposite. Apologies to Barry Jenkins.

Amazon wound up giving Netflix almost as good as it got. The former’s “Cold War” scored Best Director, Foreign Film, and Cinematography. Not bad.

There are no lead black actors or actresses. But we do have two Mexicans, for Best Actress and Supporting Actress in “Roma.”

This is Sam Elliott’s first ever nomination. It’s also first ever for Paul Schrader. Both of these guys waited far too long. Also Spike Lee’s first director nod after so many great movies.

 

 

 

 

Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards

Performance by an actor in a leading role

  • Christian Bale in “Vice”
  • Bradley Cooper in “A Star Is Born”
  • Willem Dafoe in “At Eternity’s Gate”
  • Rami Malek in “Bohemian Rhapsody”
  • Viggo Mortensen in “Green Book”

 

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

  • Mahershala Ali in “Green Book”
  • Adam Driver in “BlacKkKlansman”
  • Sam Elliott in “A Star Is Born”
  • Richard E. Grant in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
  • Sam Rockwell in “Vice”

 

Performance by an actress in a leading role

  • Yalitza Aparicio in “Roma”
  • Glenn Close in “The Wife”
  • Olivia Colman in “The Favourite”
  • Lady Gaga in “A Star Is Born”
  • Melissa McCarthy in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

 

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

  • Amy Adams in “Vice”
  • Marina de Tavira in “Roma”
  • Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk”
  • Emma Stone in “The Favourite”
  • Rachel Weisz in “The Favourite”

 

Best animated feature film of the year

  • “Incredibles 2” Brad Bird, John Walker and Nicole Paradis Grindle
  • “Isle of Dogs” Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson
  • “Mirai” Mamoru Hosoda and Yuichiro Saito
  • “Ralph Breaks the Internet” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston and Clark Spencer
  • “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

 

Achievement in cinematography

  • “Cold War” Łukasz Żal
  • “The Favourite” Robbie Ryan
  • “Never Look Away” Caleb Deschanel
  • “Roma” Alfonso Cuarón
  • “A Star Is Born” Matthew Libatique

 

Achievement in costume design

  • “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” Mary Zophres
  • “Black Panther” Ruth Carter
  • “The Favourite” Sandy Powell
  • “Mary Poppins Returns” Sandy Powell
  • “Mary Queen of Scots” Alexandra Byrne

 

Achievement in directing

  • “BlacKkKlansman” Spike Lee
  • “Cold War” Paweł Pawlikowski
  • “The Favourite” Yorgos Lanthimos
  • “Roma” Alfonso Cuarón
  • “Vice” Adam McKay

 

Best documentary feature

  • “Free Solo” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill
  • “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim
  • “Minding the Gap” Bing Liu and Diane Quon
  • “Of Fathers and Sons” Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert
  • “RBG” Betsy West and Julie Cohen

 

Best documentary short subject

  • “Black Sheep” Ed Perkins and Jonathan Chinn
  • “End Game” Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
  • “Lifeboat” Skye Fitzgerald and Bryn Mooser
  • “A Night at The Garden” Marshall Curry
  • “Period. End of Sentence.” Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton

 

Achievement in film editing

  • “BlacKkKlansman” Barry Alexander Brown
  • “Bohemian Rhapsody” John Ottman
  • “The Favourite” Yorgos Mavropsaridis
  • “Green Book” Patrick J. Don Vito
  • “Vice” Hank Corwin

 

Best foreign language film of the year

  • “Capernaum” Lebanon
  • “Cold War” Poland
  • “Never Look Away” Germany
  • “Roma” Mexico
  • “Shoplifters” Japan

 

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling

  • “Border” Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer
  • “Mary Queen of Scots” Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks
  • “Vice” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney

 

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

  • “Black Panther” Ludwig Goransson
  • “BlacKkKlansman” Terence Blanchard
  • “If Beale Street Could Talk” Nicholas Britell
  • “Isle of Dogs” Alexandre Desplat
  • “Mary Poppins Returns” Marc Shaiman

 

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

  • “All The Stars” from “Black Panther”
    Music by Mark Spears, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth and Anthony Tiffith; Lyric by Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Anthony Tiffith and Solana Rowe
  • “I’ll Fight” from “RBG”
    Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
  • “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
    Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyric by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
  • “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
    Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt
  • “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
    Music and Lyric by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

 

Best motion picture of the year

  • “Black Panther” Kevin Feige, Producer
  • “BlacKkKlansman” Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Raymond Mansfield, Jordan Peele and Spike Lee, Producers
  • “Bohemian Rhapsody” Graham King, Producer
  • “The Favourite” Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday and Yorgos Lanthimos, Producers
  • “Green Book” Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga, Producers
  • “Roma” Gabriela Rodríguez and Alfonso Cuarón, Producers
  • “A Star Is Born” Bill Gerber, Bradley Cooper and Lynette Howell Taylor, Producers
  • “Vice” Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, Producers

 

Achievement in production design

  • “Black Panther” Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Jay Hart
  • “The Favourite” Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
  • “First Man” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
  • “Mary Poppins Returns” Production Design: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
  • “Roma” Production Design: Eugenio Caballero; Set Decoration: Bárbara Enríquez

 

Best animated short film

  • “Animal Behaviour” Alison Snowden and David Fine
  • “Bao” Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb
  • “Late Afternoon” Louise Bagnall and Nuria González Blanco
  • “One Small Step” Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas
  • “Weekends” Trevor Jimenez

 

Best live action short film

  • “Detainment” Vincent Lambe and Darren Mahon
  • “Fauve” Jeremy Comte and Maria Gracia Turgeon
  • “Marguerite” Marianne Farley and Marie-Hélène Panisset
  • “Mother” Rodrigo Sorogoyen and María del Puy Alvarado
  • “Skin” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman

 

Achievement in sound editing

  • “Black Panther” Benjamin A. Burtt and Steve Boeddeker
  • “Bohemian Rhapsody” John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone
  • “First Man” Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan
  • “A Quiet Place” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
  • “Roma” Sergio Díaz and Skip Lievsay

 

Achievement in sound mixing

  • “Black Panther” Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin
  • “Bohemian Rhapsody” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali
  • “First Man” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis
  • “Roma” Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García
  • “A Star Is Born” Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow

 

Achievement in visual effects

  • “Avengers: Infinity War” Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick
  • “Christopher Robin” Christopher Lawrence, Michael Eames, Theo Jones and Chris Corbould
  • “First Man” Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm
  • “Ready Player One” Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler and David Shirk
  • “Solo: A Star Wars Story” Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Dominic Tuohy

 

Adapted screenplay

  • “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
  • “BlacKkKlansman” Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee
  • “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
  • “If Beale Street Could Talk” Written for the screen by Barry Jenkins
  • “A Star Is Born” Screenplay by Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters

 

Original screenplay

  • “The Favourite” Written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
  • “First Reformed” Written by Paul Schrader
  • “Green Book” Written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly
  • “Roma” Written by Alfonso Cuarón
  • “Vice” Written by Adam McKay

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