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Bryce Dallas Howard is looking for answers in the first teaser for 'Pete's Dragon'

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PetesDragonDisney.JPG

In 1977 Disney combined live-action and cartoons for the light-hearted "Pete's Dragon," which followed the adventures of an orphan boy and his magical dragon.  

For 2016 the movie is getting a more modern redo. This time, Pete has been living on his own in the woods for the last six years, and his dragon is not a cartoon but in CGI. 

The first teaser of "Pete's Dragon," out August 12, shows off a more thrilling story with Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford as the pair who try to figure out who Pete is — and his "imaginary" friend. 

Watch it below:

 

 

SEE ALSO: This is the amazing "Game of Thrones"-Donald Trump mash-up

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Here's which actors are expected to clean up at the Oscars on Sunday — and other predictions

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Oscar trophey Christopher Polk Getty

We’ve finally made it.

The 88th Academy Awards are taking place Sunday night and after months of screenings, cocktail parties, and campaigns it’s time to give out some Oscars.

Though many will be tuning in to see how host Chris Rock takes on the movie industry’s lack-of-diversity issue that’s hit a boiling point, it’s also going to be a rare year where the night’s biggest prize is anyone's guess.

Best Picture is often locked down by the awards pundits long before Oscar night, but this year there’s a race between three films — “Spotlight,” “The Revenant,” and “The Big Short.”

Another big storyline is if Leonardo DiCaprio will finally get his first Oscar win.

Well, we can’t contain ourselves. So here we’ve come up with our predictions of who will win Oscars on Sunday.

See all the nominees.

SEE ALSO: Disney just showed off a ton of new concept art for "Star Wars" land, and it looks incredible

Best Animated Feature: "Inside Out"

What will win: “Inside Out”

The movie isn’t just loved industry-wide but by general audiences. Pixar is also still the gold-standard when it comes to today’s animated features, so any other title winning would be a complete shock.

What else could win: It feels like this one’s a lock.



Best Cinematography: “The Revenant”

Who will win: Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Revenant”

You could honestly make a case for anyone in this category, but the way the year is going, “The Revenant” has wowed everyone — especially the below-the-line departments. That includes Lubezki, who shot the entire film with natural light and captures some incredible visuals. This would be the DP’s third straight Oscar win in this category; fourth in five years.

Who else could win: Roger Deakins, “Sicario”
This is more the sentimentalist in me than anything. This year marks the legendary cinematographer’s 13th Oscar nomination. “Sicario” won’t be what he’s remembered best for, but it’s another beautifully-lensed work.



Best Documentary: "What Happened, Miss Simone?"

What will win: “What Happened, Miss Simone?”

Netflix is still licking its wounds from its first narrative feature film, “Beasts of No Nation,” being shut out of the Oscars. But it has been a fixture in the documentary category for the last few years, and that will carry through to this year's Oscars. Liz Garbus’ moving portrait of singer/civil rights activist Nina Simone has been on Netflix for months (they also have another doc nominee, “Winter on Fire”) , giving the film not just supreme access to voters but also to their friends who can’t stop gushing about it.

What else could win: “Cartel Land”

Profiling the drug trade from multiple perspectives, its access looks like something out of a Vice piece. If voters are looking for something a little edgier they might turn this way.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Will Smith's 'Ali' co-star says he was an 'a-hole' on the set who was maybe on steroids

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Will_SmithAli columbia pictures

It’s not often you hear someone say something negative about Will Smith, but recently on a San Diego radio station actor Paul Rodriguez revealed that Smith was not that pleasant towards him when they worked together on the 2001 Muhammad Ali biopic, “Ali.”

“I’ve done a couple of films with him and this time we didn’t end up too good. I would never work with him again, he was an a-hole,” Rodriguez told Rock 105.3 when he was asked what it was like to work with Smith.

Rodriguez then told a story from filming about the real person who Rodriguez was playing in the movie, Ali’s cornerman Ferdie Pacheco, coming to visit the set. Rodriguez said Pacheco showed up drunk and shouted racial slurs at Smith because he was angry Andy Garcia wasn’t playing him in the movie . From that moment on, Rodriguez says Smith took his frustration out on him (although he isn't exactly sure why).

“Will never looked at me the same,” Rodriguez said. “He would say, ‘You’re a long way from anybody that likes you.'”

Paul Rodriguez Joe Scarnici GettyRodriguez, who’s known best for his stand-up comedy in the '80s and '90s, blames his dialogue being cut from the movie due to Smith’s ill-will towards him.

Rodriguez previously worked with Smith on the 1993 Whoopi Goldberg comedy “Made In America” and felt they had a good relationship before shooting "Ali."

Rodriguez then told the DJs that “maybe the steroids he was using to beef up” were the reason why Smith acted the way he did.

“I don’t know for a fact” Smith was on steroids, said Rodriguez. But he explained that was the only way Smith could look “massive” to portray Ali.

Smith has denied using steroids for the role, which garnered him an Oscar nomination. 

Listen to Rodriguez’s comments here:

SEE ALSO: Kanye and Rihanna may not have saved Jay-Z's music streaming service after all

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Morgan Freeman is lending his voice to Google's GPS navigation system

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evan almighty universal

It seems like it was only a matter of time before the man who's been the calming, trustworthy voice for everything from the narration of penguins' lives to God got his latest role.

Morgan Freeman is finally a GPS navigation voice.

The actor will be lending his reassuring voice to Google’s app Waze. Well, for a limited time

It’s all a bit of marketing magic for his new movie “London Has Fallen” (out March 4). In the movie, he plays the vice president, so when you select Freeman as your GPS guide on Waze, he will address you as if you’re POTUS.

Here’s how to select Freeman. After opening Waze, click Settings>Sound>Voice Language>Morgan Freeman.

Then get ready for the majesty that is Morgan Freeman telling you how to get to the highway.

SEE ALSO: Here's how Hulu tries to keep you from quitting

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NOW WATCH: The Department of Justice wants Apple to unlock more iPhones

The inside story of Three 6 Mafia's historic Oscars win that shocked everyone 10 years ago

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Three 6 Mafia Oscars 2 AP Mark J. Terrill

Craig Brewer will never forget when he tried to write a rap song in the script that would become “Hustle & Flow.”

“I would try to put in some flow, just a paragraph to get it going, and then I realized...” Brewer paused. “It just felt wack.”

Thankfully, Brewer stopped himself, and instead gave us one of the most unlikely Academy Award wins in the show's history.

Brewer’s “Hustle & Flow” came out of nowhere in 2005 to become one of the most memorable indies of the year. The journey of a Memphis pimp named Djay (Terrence Howard) who aspires to become a rapper quickly became a must-see for hip-hop fans and cinephiles alike.

hustle and flow paramountThe movie was championed by “Boyz n the Hood” director John Singleton, who came on as a producer, and launched the careers of Howard and Taraji P. Henson (who plays a pregnant prostitute with an incredible voice). It also paved the way for "Dirty South" rap, which was just beginning to hit the mainstream, giving the film an underdog sensibility as it made its way to the Oscars in 2006.

This year’s Oscars marks the 10th anniversary of when the film’s lead track, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” written by the Memphis group Three 6 Mafia, won the award for best song — the first time a rap group ever won the prize.

Business Insider talked to some of the people behind the song and movie to uncover how it was created and what its win, which was considered a shock at the time, means now.

Searching for the music

Around the time of Craig Brewer’s failed attempt to come up with rap lyrics, in the early 2000s, he was making the rounds in Hollywood, script in hand, trying to find financing for “Hustle & Flow.” Brewer always planned to showcase Memphis rap in the movie, but as he recalled to BI, in those early meetings, the executives would throw out more commercial names like Nelly, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg.

“I think they knew about five rap songs,” Brewer said of the Hollywood suits. “They would say, ‘You need to get this guy Nelly,’ and they would also say Sisqó— I think 'The Thong Song' was out at that time.”

Thankfully, Brewer found a savior in Singleton, who came on as a producer and financier in 2003, and also had knowledge of the Memphis rap scene, as he’d featured a Three 6 Mafia song in his 2001 movie “Baby Boy.”

hustle and flow ParamontEven before production began, Brewer and Singleton were planning out the songs for the movie, especially one showcasing Djay’s life.

“John kept saying, ‘We need a song that shows how difficult it is to be a pimp,’” Brewer said. “But we also wanted to articulate the absurdity of that, because it’s an outrageous idea. I mean, really, how hard is their life?”

Brewer drove that home in the scene in which Djay comes up with lyrics for “It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” while walking with his friend Key (Anthony Anderson), who is struggling to carry an air conditioner. Djay never offers to help.

Brewer and Singleton were still in search of the key song for the movie when they paid Three 6 Mafia member Juicy J for the song “Pop It for Some Paper.” The two also signed on another Memphis rapper, Al Kapone, to write a few more tracks for the movie, including one performed by Djay on screen, "Whoop That Trick."

Then during preproduction, Brewer and Singleton visited Three 6 Mafia’s studio, Hypnotize Minds Camp, to check on how Howard was doing recording “Pop It for Some Paper” (which Howard would end up doing a cappella in the movie). And there, music history was made.

Creating the song

Three 6 Mafia were already legends in the Memphis rap scene before "Hustle & Flow." Members Juicy J, DJ Paul, and Lord Infamous (who died in 2013) had their own record company in the early 1990s, and sold their early albums in and around Memphis as either Backyard Posse or Triple 6 Mafia. They later signed with Sony, changed their name to Three 6 Mafia, and expanded the group, which at the time of "Hustle & Flow" included rappers Frayser Boy and Crunchy Black.

Brewer had met Juicy J in Memphis years earlier, and when Howard agreed to play Djay, the writer-director had the actor meet the rapper, which led to a mixed encounter.

three 6 mafia Stefano Paltera AP“I got a call from Juicy, and I knew Terrence was hanging out with Three 6 Mafia, so I asked how it was going, and he said, 'Man, he left.' I was like, 'What do you mean he left?'" Brewer remembers.

Brewer tracked down Howard back at his hotel and found he wasn't getting a good vibe hanging out with the group at Hypnotize Minds Camp.

“You know, their studio is right next to the jail,” Singleton points out.

"I realized what was happening," Brewer said. "Terrence was standing in front of Memphis rappers and he was going to have to play one. That's a real intimidating experience."

Brewer went back to Juicy J and explained the pressure Terrence was under. Juicy J understood what he had to do. That evening, he showed up at Howard's hotel with a bottle of Cristal and no entourage.

"The next time I talked to Terrence, he had the Memphis accent down. He transformed," Brewer said. "That was all because of Juicy. That's producing — get your talent comfortable."

hustle and flow paramount 3
Weeks later, when Brewer and Singleton arrived for the “Pop It for Some Paper” recording, Juicy J was in another producing mode: hustling.

“Juicy felt the deal that John gave him for ‘Pop It for Some Paper’ wasn’t right,” Brewer said.

When everyone got settled in the studio, Juicy J said to Singleton, “It’s really too bad you’re not f-----g with us on that pimp song,” referring to the song Brewer and Singleton were searching for that would highlight Djay’s struggle.

“Well, you know, business,” Singleton answered.

“Yeah, but listen to this business,” Juicy J said, then hit the space bar of his laptop to reveal the beat he and DJ Paul came up with for what would become “It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp.”

“And Juicy pulls out a napkin where he wrote the hook,” Brewer explains. “And he tells us, ‘Yeah, I was going to have the pregnant ho sing:

‘You know it’s hard out here for a pimp /
When he tryin' to get this money for the rent /
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent /
Will have a whole lot of b-----s jumpin' ship.'"

Brewer said Singleton’s face lit up with excitement.

“But you gotta get deeper in the pocket a little more John,” Juicy J told Singleton. “Because I’m not gonna give this to you for free.”

That’s when Singleton went into producer mode. He had Henson, who was also in the studio, go into another booth to record the hook Juicy just sang. And then Singleton and Brewer sat with Fayser Boy to talk about the focus of the song.

“The first thing that popped in my head was ‘it’s hard out here for a pimp,’” Frayser Boy told BI. “John looked at me and goes, ‘What did you say?’ And I said, ‘It’s hard out here for a pimp, that needs to be the name of the song,’ and he just looked at me and said, ‘That’s it!’”

“So I go in this other room with Frayser,” Brewer said. “He cuts up a cigar, dumps out the tobacco, rolls a blunt, and starts writing what later we know to be an Academy Award-winning song.”

"We got this term in Memphis called pimpin', something that's old-school, and it already had that pimpin' flavor, so it was easy to write," Frayser Boy said. "It took me only 30 minutes to write both verses."

Going out for air, Brewer came across Singleton and Juicy J chatting in the lobby.

“They are talking about what club they are going to that night, but then John would look at his Sidekick,” Brewer said, “and he would type something, and then Juicy’s would ding. ‘Oh, that’s what you want, huh?’ Juicy would say out loud.”

Brewer realized the two were negotiating the terms of “It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp” via their phones.

“So from the moment that Juicy played that beat on what would be 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,' the song was written, produced, recorded, and negotiated maybe within three to four hours,” Brewer said.

A historic Oscar night with behind-the-scenes uneasiness

The conventional thinking before the 2006 Oscars was laid out by a Billboard story: “Most predict Dolly Parton’s ‘Travelin’ Thru’ from ‘Transamerica’ will claim best song...”

The biggest musician to sing in a movie usually walks away with the statue (think Céline Dion for "Titanic"). But Brewer and Singleton felt they had the ace card this year: a song that was the movie.

“Whatever people think about rap music, when they watch these characters struggle to make a song, then it becomes the audience's song, and that's what happened with 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,'" Brewer said. "When I heard it got nominated, I was like, 'We're going to win it.'"

 

taraji hustle and flow
The Academy wanted to utilize the connection between movie and music on Oscar night by having Howard and Henson perform the song in character. Howard (who was also nominated for best actor) declined. Singleton says his decision was influenced by others.

“Terrence didn't want to because people in the black film community didn't want him to perform as a pimp on the Oscars," Singleton said. "I really wanted Terrence to perform, and years later Terrence regrets not doing it."

Singleton declines to mention the people who objected to Howard performing as a pimp, saying they're some of the same people boycotting this year's Oscars over the nominees' lack of diversity.

Three 6 Mafia AP Kevork DjansezianBut Howard opened the door for Three 6 Mafia to be the first rap group to ever perform at the Oscars, doing the song alongside Henson.

“They started flying us back and forth for meetings and getting us prepared. We had to do choreography," Frayser Boy said. "We were just happy to be there."

Three 6 Mafia Oscars AP Mark J. TerrillThough the evening had better musical numbers than most Oscars ceremonies — a somber number by Kathleen "Bird" York for "Crash" and Parton bringing the audience back to church— "Hustle & Flow" was easily the highlight.

The title "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" was in a large glowing sign at the top of the stage, part of which was made up to look like the room Djay used to record the song in the movie. Three 6 Mafia, who had shown up in suits, were now in their sunglasses, chain, and baggy clothes, while Henson sang the hook in a beautiful white dress (replacing the word "b-----s" with "witches"). Backup dancers played pimps and prostitutes, including one made to look like Djay.

"I'm in the audience sitting there watching this crazy music number and part of me was like, 'Geez, I'm totally responsible for this,'" Brewer said. "I was also thinking, somewhere there's an Oscar party going on and people are thinking, 'What the hell is this?'"

“I had these big shades on during the performance because I was so nervous," Frayser Boy said. "But then I saw Jamie Foxx in the front row singing the words to the song that I wrote. Man, that meant everything to me."

Three 6 Mafia were rushed to the side of the stage after the performance, as Queen Latifah came to the podium to announce the winner for best song.

“I had tunnel vision," Frayser Boy said. "Everything was moving in slow motion, and it was like me and Queen Latifah connected eyes when she opened the envelope and before she even announced the winner, I knew she was going to say 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp.'"

Even before acceptance speeches could go viral on social mdia, the win was an instant classic in awards history. Juicy J, DJ Paul, and Frayser Boy rattled off names to thank, with a shout-out to George Clooney in the front row. Host Jon Stewart came on afterward and said, “That's how you accept an Oscar.”

Frayser Boy recalls that the group was the toast of every Oscars after-party.

"The first party was the Vanity Fair party, and we had the Oscar in our hands, and we walked into the party and all eyes were on us," he said. "I met anyone who's anyone that night and they all wanted to meet me. The only thing I regret is I didn't take pictures."

Three 6 Mafia afterparty Kevin Winter GettyBut Brewer’s favorite memory was the one told to him by his friends back in Memphis.

“Every Oscar night, this place called the Pink Palace in Memphis holds this Oscar party where old-school Memphis shows up. And when I mean old-school Memphis, I mean old white people," he said. "When 'It's Hard Out for a Pimp' won, they leaped out of their seats and cheered and screamed. Our win meant a lot to the city. That's where the racial lines fall — the unity behind the city itself."

The 'Pimp' legacy continues

Ten years after the Oscar win, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" is part of the popular vernacular. “I’ve had preachers come up to me and say, 'It's hard out here for a preacher,'” Brewer said.

And recently we finally saw Howard and Henson perform the song that made them famous as a duo, when the two "Empire" stars went on Spike's "Lip Sync Battle."

As the years passed, Three 6 Mafia changed members and their name (to Da Mafia 6ix). Juicy J went solo and Frayser Boy moved to another label. But looking back, Fayser Boy still feels like that Oscars night was all a dream.

“It's a benefit that never runs out because people believe in your vision," he said. "You pretty much got the trophy to show what you can do."

Craig Brewer Three 6 Maphia key to the city April 2006 Mike Brown GettyAnd where does he keep his Oscar?

“I donated it to the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, so it's there now for a couple of years," he said. "I like people to see mine. That's something in a million years I didn't think I could do, and that title in front of my name — Oscar winner — is everything to me, because it means I really did something. Where I'm from, Memphis, Tennessee, a lot of people don't come out. A lot of my friends are dead or in jail. It's just a blessing to be sitting here and to show that you can come from the hood and still make it."

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 12 greatest movies to win the Best Picture Oscar

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NOW WATCH: How much sex happy couples have every month

How Disney characters from its latest movie get made into toys

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Disney's next animated movie, "Zootopia," will be in theaters March 4.

You've probably seen the trailers, or at least the one with an overly eager rabbit slowly getting frustrated by the pronounced sluggishness of a sloth at the DMV.

sloth zootopia

By the time the film arrives in theaters, there will be countless pieces of merchandise tie-ins from stuffed animals to action figures. Among those toys will be figures of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, the two lead characters of the new film, for Disney's popular video game franchise "Disney Infinity."

judy nick infinity

But they didn't always look this way. It takes a lot of collaboration between the filmmakers and the "Disney Infinity" team, led by vice president of art development Jeff Bunker, to bring them to life.

Bunker, who has been in the video game industry for two decades, has been at the helm of "Infinity" since the toy-to-life game launched back in August 2013. He's overseen the creation of over 100 Infinity characters ranging from Marvel's Avengers to Kylo Ren and Rey in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Work on the "Zootopia" lead characters began over a year ago. Bunker tells Tech Insider the process of bringing them from the big screen to a real-life toy and an in-game character is not as simple as looking at each one and recreating it for the game. Each character adheres to an "Infinity" art style.

judy nick zootopia

As many as 20 people worked to create both the physical toy figurine and in-game characters for Nick and Judy. Six or seven individuals create concept artwork and sculptures. A team of engineers made up of another four to five people prep the sculptures for manufacturing. While the physical toys are configured, a team consisting of a game designer, animators, and programmers work to implement the animation into the game.

But before any concept art is made for any character, the team starts out doing a lot of research.

"If we’re doing an older vault character — or classic character — we’ll just watch their past film and really get steeped in their personality and understand how they move," explains Bunker of the research process. "If it’s a new character, we just get as much reference as we can from the filmmakers and talk to them a lot about what their vision is for what the character will be."

And that's exactly what the design team did for "Zootopia" working with filmmakers Rich Moore and Byron Howard throughout the entire process.

"We find the most appealing caricature that captures the essence of that character. When we get something that we really like, we send that back to the filmmakers and we get their feedback," says Bunker. "In a movie like 'Zootopia' we haven’t seen that film before because it’s not made yet, so we have to depend on them [the Disney animators] to share with us what the personality is and how that character moves and how that character may pose for the figure. We’re very dependent on them to guide us."

When they get a look down — Bunker says they can go back and forth awhile going over designs — concept artists start creating 2D concepts of what Nick and Judy will look like. Afterwards, that concept is sent to 3D modelers who sculpt the characters.

judy nick sculptures infinityjudy nick disney infinity sculptures.JPGnick judy disney infinity

"When the first iteration is done they hand it back to the 2D artist who will do paint overs and give directions on what might make that look better," says Bunker. "They just collaborate back and forth until they get a model that they feel very confident in."

Afterwards, the model is sent to the animators to make sure the character moves in the game the same way it does in the film.

"At that point, that’s when we start working on the poses for the figure," says Bunker.

They take the animated character — a rig model —and start putting Nick and Judy in different poses which are shared with Byron and Moore to find the right toy pose for each character.

"Our goal is to create a pose that only that character would look right being in," Bunker says of working with the two. "Once we’ve found that pose we basically have to start the model completely over and we have to sculpt that figure in that pose."

After all of that is approved, the models are then sent off to the factories which are manufactured and shipped from China.

Here's a look at both characters through their various stages.

nick zootopia concept artjudy zootopia concept art

Bunker says each one of these steps takes about a week, but sometimes they'll receive feedback and certain steps will take longer than others.

"I don’t resent that time at all," he says. "That’s what makes the character right. If we’re making the filmmaker happy, then we’re clearly going to make the fans of that character happy."

Everything doesn't always go off without a hitch, either. One of the biggest hurdles to overcome while making the "Zootopia" characters was Judy's rabbit ears.

"The way the plastic is injected into a mold, the mold has to split in two and then the plastic has to be able to pull out of it. At the angle that Judy's ears were it wasn’t working well pulling it out of the mold," Bunker explained. "The factory was telling us that we’d have to trim the ears facing straight forward in order to make it work. And we were like ‘Oh man, we can’t do that. It won’t look right.’"

judy hopps ears

In order to make it work they tried several different fixes including trying to make the ears separate from the head before resolving the issue.

"Some of the options were actually cutting her ears off the head and inserting them back," said Bunker of figuring out the right way to get the Judy toys produced. "We eventually got to a combination of this one plastic with just the right angle of the ears to allow it to pull out. It turned out really good."

Other subtle details on the characters can easily be missed if you're just picking one of the figures off a store shelf to buy for a child. The team embossed a Hawaiian print onto Nick's shirt instead of simply painting it on.

"Typically, toys will do all the detail with deco and with paint, but our style is more geometry based. I really like how that turned out," he said.

nick wilde shirt

While the figurines for "Zootopia" are in production, Bunker is also overseeing production on many different characters across live-action films and animated pictures through work with independent game developers like Ninja Theory and Sumo Digital.

"I spent 20 years making virtual characters in games and I just started working on toys in the last three years," says Bunker. "It’s crazy how I look at toys now. There’s a lot that goes into them."

nick wilde judy hopps.JPG

The Judy and Nick "Disney Infinity" toys will be in stores March 1.

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NOW WATCH: Disney has 13 movies coming out in 2016 — here’s what you have to look forward to

This behind-the-scenes 'Justice League' photo teases a lot of superheroes

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batman v superman trinity

"Batman v Superman" director Zack Snyder delighted fans Monday night by tweeting a photo with actor Jason Momoa who will star as Aquaman, the ruler of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis in the upcoming "Justice League" movie. The pair were at Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden, a huge UK production studio which has also been the site of several "Harry Potter" films. 

Not only were fans excited to hear confirmation that the "Justice League" film will begin shooting April 11, they also picked out a few Easter eggs hidden in the photo.

zac-jason-justice-league-costumes

In the photo is our first look at the Flash's suit, shown in red on the left. In the upcoming films, actor Ezra Miller will taken on the role as the fastest man alive. Next, in the faded green, is most likely Aquaman's suit. Notice the scales on the chest. It also matches the comic hero's chest piece.

aquaman

Finally, the all-black suit is clearly Batman's. Or is it?

While Batman's "Dawn of Justice" costumes are somewhat bulky, fans have noticed this new suit is much sleeker. Could it belong to Nightwing — Batman's former protege, Tim Drake? Drake left the Robin persona behind to become his own crime-fighter. As a former gymnast, Nightwing's fighting style is also more aerobatic than Batman's. Does this mean he'll make an appearance in the 2017 film?

justice-league-meera

Fans are also speculating that this photo could be Mera, Aquaman's wife and the Queen of Atlantis. Amber Heard has been linked to the role before, though nothing's been confirmed yet.

There's still one hero missing, though. When Warner Bros. announced its five-year plan for the DC Cinematic Universe, they confirmed a Green Lantern film in 2020. But, there's still no official confirmation about either who will play Green Lantern or his role in the upcoming "Justice League" film.

Hopefully, more information will arise soon. We're only weeks away from "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," which will debut Ben Affleck's new Batman and Wonder Woman, with confirmed appearances from a few other members of the Justice League. 

"Batman v Superman" is coming to theaters March 25, while "Justice League - Part 1" will arrive November 17, 2017.

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NOW WATCH: Neil deGrasse Tyson explains how Batman can really beat Superman

A new study shows just how big the diversity problem is in Hollywood

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tessa thompson

Researchers at the University of Southern California have released a new study that highlights just how bad the diversity issue is throughout Hollywood.

While much attention has been focused on the movie industry, with the #OscarsSoWhite campaign surrounding the second consecutive Academy Awards with all-white acting nominees, the USC study, titled “Inclusion or Invisibility? Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity in Entertainment,” shows that the the problem extends to TV, too.

The study found that in TV shows — including broadcast, cable, and streaming services — just 22 percent of TV series creators were female, and women of color over 40 were deemed "largely invisible.”

In movies, only a meager 3.4 percent of film directors were female, and only 7 percent of films had a cast whose balance of race and ethnicity reflected the country's diversity.

The study analyzed characters as well as people who worked behind-the-scenes in 109 films released theatrically in 2014 and 305 TV shows released from September 2014 through August 2015.

hollywood diversity 2 final
And overall, just 28.3 percent of characters with dialogue were from non-white racial/ethnic groups. Half the films and TV shows analyzed had no Asian speaking characters, more than one-fifth of them had no black characters with dialogue, and two percent of speaking characters were identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

hollywood diversity 3 final

hollywood diversity 1 final
“The film industry still functions as a straight, white, boy’s club,” the researchers wrote for their conclusion.

They also came up with solutions for change, which include “target inclusion goals” that are made public (like what the Academy has promised to do with its membership); “alter stereotypical thinking” when casting and writing scripts; and “build inclusive consideration lists” for writers and directors that contain 50% women and 38% people of color.

SEE ALSO: The earliest TV gigs of 11 Oscar-worthy actors

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The director of the Oscar-nominated documentary about the Indonesian genocide, 'The Look of Silence,' on 2 of the film's gut-wrenching scenes

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Following up on his acclaimed first documentary on the Indonesian genocide of 1965, filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer has released a companion feature, "The Look of Silence," which is competing for Best Documentary at Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony.

Oppenheimer's first piece, "The Act of Killing," also Oscar-nominated, was screened before some members of Congress and helped Oppenheimer win a coveted MacArthur "genius" award.

In fall 1965, six army generals were killed in an attempted coup of the Indonesian government. As a result, some 500,000 to 1 million people were killed over five months in an anti-communist purge of the alleged perpetrators.

"The Look of Silence" follows its main character, Adi, an optometrist, as he helps and confronts the men who allegedly killed his brother some 50 years ago.

Here, the director talks about two pivotal scenes in the film.

Producer, Editor: Josh Wolff

Cinematography: David Fang

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Shootouts and drug cartels: Oscar-nominated Director of 'Cartel Land' on the blurring of good and evil among Mexican and American vigilantes

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A decision could come as early as this week as to whether Mexican drug kingpin, Joaquín Guzmán, known as El Chapo, will be extradited to the United States for trial.

Since 2007, Mexico's drug war has resulted in the murder of more than 100,000 of Mexico's citizens and brought an influx of violence and drugs into the United States.

"Cartel Land," nominated for a 2016 Academy Award for best documentary, sheds light on a less well-known part of the story: the existence of vigilante groups on both sides of the border to combat the cartels. 

The film, directed by Matthew Heinemen, focuses on the leaders of both vigilante groups, including a Mexican doctor who has lost faith in his government's ability to fight the drug lords.

As Heinemen explains, and the documentary reveals, initial assumptions about right and wrong and good and evil prove far too simplistic for this complex war.

Produced and edited by Josh WolffCinematography by David Fang. 

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A top Hollywood agent reveals why actresses are really paid less

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Hollywood is currently navigating its way through two major issues at the moment: the lack of diversity representation industry-wide, as highlighted by the Oscars, and the gender wage gap.

As the Oscars take place Sunday, with a second consecutive year of all-white acting nominees, diversity is front and center in conversations. And a recent USC study showed the hard data on how lacking in diversity the movies and TV shows we consume really are.

But the gender wage gap is also making headlines.

Cosmopolitan talked to a female agent from a top talent agency about the reasons actresses get paid less than their male counterparts in general.

The agent, who asked to stay anonymous, broke down the common practice of negotiating deals — agreeing on “points” like percentage of box office and how many first-class tickets the talent gets to travel to set — and said that in her experience, women are more willing to go below their "quote," or the amount they previously made.

According to the agent, women need to get their quotes up, and the only way to do that is “they need to hold out for things and hold out for more money,” she said.

The agent admits that if male actors don’t get their quote, they often walk away from a project. But actresses are more willing to take a role below their quote because they believe the filmmakers will just cast someone else.

In the case of Jennifer Lawrence, who was paid less than her male costars in “American Hustle,” the agent believes the issue wasn’t her negotiating skills but how actresses are perceived in the industry.

“The deeper issue is how much she and women are valued as a whole,” the agent said. “It's like, ‘Oh, well, we can always just get another actress.’ [Whereas] with Leonardo DiCaprio you think, There's no one like him. But Jennifer Lawrence, you just get someone else.”

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To fix this deeper problem of not valuing women, the agent argues, female roles need to improve. The agent believes there are too few significant parts for women so they essentially have to say yes to cookie-cutter roles in which they play the mother of the star or wife of the star.

“The real issue is women don't have the luxury to hold out,” the agent said. “Because if they hold out, then what are they going to do? Are they going to not work for the rest of the year? If they don't work for the rest of the year, they're not in demand.”

"We need to have female directors as 50 percent of who directs our eight movies this year,” the agent said. “If you're a studio and you say that, that will make a difference. Otherwise nothing will change.”

SEE ALSO: Hillary Clinton responded to Stephen Colbert's joke about her trustworthiness

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14 stunt doubles behind the biggest movies this year

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This year will be a big one at theaters with "Batman v Superman,""Captain America: Civil War," and "X-Men: Apocalypse."

These films are anticipated not just for the stars taking on legendary comic book roles like Jared Leto as The Joker or Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman's first big screen appearance, but also because of the huge action sequences.  

While the movies draw crowds, they wouldn't be possible without the dedicated and highly-trained stunt people who train in gymnastics, martial arts, and parkour to prepare for roles.

From the doubles for Ben Affleck to Chris Evans, these are the people who take the death-defying risks while making our favorite stars look good.

 

Renae Moneymaker frequently doubles for Jessica Lawrence. Moneymaker was featured "X-Men: Apocalypse,""X-Men: Days of Future Past" and doubled for Lawrence in "The Hunger Games" franchise.

Source: IMDB



Her sister Heidi Moneymaker doubles for Scarlet Johansson as Black Widow. She says her and Johansson work in sync to create a "seamless pattern of movement."

Source: IMDB



Nicknamed "spider" for his love of parkour, Albert Valladares is Superman's stunt double in the upcoming "Batman v Superman." His interest in stunt work began as a teenager where he would perform wrestling moves with friends in his backyard.

Source: IMDB



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Amazon Studios paid a staggering figure for Woody Allen's next film

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After partnering with Sony Pictures Classics on eight movies, Woody Allen has opted for a younger distributor for the next.

Amazon Studios, which was launched just six years ago and has been on a buying spree over the past six weeks, acquired North American rights sight unseen to the untitled movie with Steve Carell, Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively and Kristen Stewart. The deal, which sources peg at a huge $15 million upfront (more than $20 million with prints-and-advertising costs), sent shock waves through the indie film world. By comparison, SPC paid $5 million for Allen's last outing, “Irrational Man.”

Whether the move was irrational or savvy is being hotly debated within indie film circles.

"It's not crazy after the $10 million they paid for ‘Manchester by the Sea,’” said a rival distributor, referring to Amazon's big buy at Sundance, one of its seven festival pickups. But for Allen, 80, it's something of a leap into the unknown. Since teaming with SPC's awards-season gurus Tom Bernard and Michael Barker, the writer-director has enjoyed a career bounce, with the eight films having earned 10 Oscar nominations and two wins — one for Allen’s original screenplay for “Midnight in Paris” and the other a best actress win for Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine.”

"Amazon made us an offer we couldn't refuse, and we have a responsibility to our investors," says the film's producer Letty Aronson. "Woody wishes SPC could be the subdistributor for this film, but apparently they would not."

But a source says Allen himself was most exposed after the film went over budget (he put in his own money to finish it). Still, another source says he wanted a change. After all, “Irrational Man” was poorly received by audiences, earning just $4 million domestically. And as further enticement, Amazon, which already is working with Allen on his first TV series, committed to an aggressive theatrical release with a theatrical distributor to be determined. (Amazon is currently partnered with such companies as Bleecker Street and Roadside Attractions to release its films). Seasoned indie veteran Bob Berney, the former CEO of Picturehouse, will oversee all aspects of the film’s marketing and distribution.

As for Bernard, there are no hard feelings: "We've got a great relationship with Woody, and we look forward to seeing his next film."

SEE ALSO: 14 stunt doubles behind the biggest movies this year

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RANKED: The 21 best heist movies ever

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There's something about a good heist movie that makes a moviegoing experience perfect. From the high stakes to the top-shelf actors and directors who seem to gravitate to the genre, when it's done right, it can be a thrilling cinematic experience.

With this week's "Triple 9" about dirty cops involved in, yes, a heist (starring Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, Kate Winslet, and Casey Affleck), we thought it would be a good time to look back on classics in the genre. 

Here are the 21 best heist movies of all time, ranked.

SEE ALSO: The earliest TV gigs of 11 Oscar-worthy actors

21. "A Fish Called Wanda"

John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin play a bumbling group who commit a robbery of very pricey diamonds (and then try to con one another out of the loot). Cleese and Palin are at top form and Kline's portrayal of a cocky American earned him an Oscar win for best supporting actor.  



20. “Mission: Impossible”

Though Tom Cruise's first time playing Ethan Hunt showed off all of the fun spy aspects of the franchise, it also had a very elaborate heist element. Hunt breaking into CIA headquarters to steal the "NOC" list is a highlight of the film.



19. “Bottle Rocket”

For Wes Anderson's directorial debut, he cast then-unknown brothers Luke and Owen Wilson as friends who plan the heist of a factory only for things to go horribly wrong.



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There will be an R-rated version of 'Batman v Superman' that doesn't pull any punches

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When you get the Blu-ray for "Batman v Superman," make sure you pick up the right edition.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has given the director's cut of the film an R rating.

Fan site Stitch Kingdom first spotted a release from the rating administration which rates the "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition" R for "sequences of violence."

The theatrical version of the film, which will be in theaters March 25, is rated PG-13 for "for intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality."

The reason that matters is because that may not have been the case had Fox's R-rated Marvel movie "Deadpool" failed to overperform at the box office. 

The Ryan Reynolds' blockbuster has made over $497 million worldwide since its debut President's Day weekend.

In the past, R-rated superhero haven't faired as well as "Deadpool" at theaters. 2009's "Watchmen," made on an estimtated $130 million budget, grossed $185 million worldwide. Maybe studios were adapting the wrong R-rated pictures.

And while we were never going to get an R-rated "Batman v Superman" movie in theaters (these two titans are two of the most popular superheroes worldwide, and, unlike Deadpool, revered by children), this extended edit of the film offers a little something extra for adult fans of the comic characters. DC already puts out a more mature line of straight-to-video animated features throughout the year, so it makes sense to do the same with its live-action films.

This will probably be the start of a trend where we'll see edgier R-rated content on extended material, or, even theatrical cuts in the months and years to come, especially when many suggest we're approaching superhero fatigue

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Why fans had to wait 7 years to see one of the darkest 'Batman' stories get turned into a movie

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Later this year, DC Entertainment will release an animated movie based on one of the darkest Batman storylines — 1988's graphic novel, "The Killing Joke.

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If you're a Batman fan, the announcement last July was a big deal. 

Artist Bruce Timm, one of the minds behind the beloved and Emmy-winning "Batman: The Animated Series"— the version of the Bat most millennials grew up with — will be back as an executive producer, and he won't be alone. The film will also reunite Batman and Joker voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill (yes, that Mark Hamill).

Joker - Mark Hamill

The story itself depicts the Joker abuse Barbara Gordon/Batgirl before leaving her paralyzed. 

Earlier this week, film site /film spotted an Instagram from DC animator Phil Bourassa, which has since been deleted, sharing a sketch of how the Joker will look in the adaptation. Bourassa revealed he first started work on the project back in 2009. However, the project was scrapped after the poor box-office performance of R-rated superhero film "The Watchmen."

Here's a screenshot we captured of the Instagram:

joker killing joker instagram

"In 2009, I started working on an animated adaptation of The Killing Joke under the supervision of legendary Animation artist Bruce Timm," writes Bourassa. "Two weeks into the project we were told to stop development because Watchmen had underperformed at the box office and WB had seemingly lost faith in R rated superhero movies."

"Happy to say that you guys are gonna finally get your animated Killing Joke adaptation in 2016," he continues. "Apparently enough money has been made from superhero movies and adaptations of comics of every stripe that it now transcends the previously assumed limitations of the genre. It's a good time to be a comic geek!"

"Watchmen," released in 2009, grossed $185 million worldwide. Bourassa's reference to R-rated superhero movies comes on the heels of Fox's R-rated "Deadpool" movie grossing nearly $500 million worldwide since its February 12 release. 

Since then, the MPAA announced an R rating for an extended edition of "Batman v Superman." It looks like we're going to start seeing more and more mature comic adaptations. So, yes, it is an exciting time to "be a comic geek." 

The animated "Killing Joke" adaptation is set to debut at San Diego Comic-Con in July and should be released on digital and Blu-ray later this year.

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The writer of apocalyptic political satire 'Idiocracy' thinks the movie has 'become a documentary'

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In the 2006 cult comedy directed by “Silicon Valley” creator Mike Judge, “Idiocracy,” Luke Wilson plays an “average American” who, after being part of a government experiment, wakes up five centuries later to find that society is incredibly dumb and he’s suddenly the smartest person alive.

One of the film’s highlights is actor Terry Crews playing President Camacho — a foul-mouthed brute introduced as a former “porn star and five-time ultimate smackdown wrestling champion.”

Well, with the 2016 presidential election being filled with strange happenings, topped by Donald Trump’s run for the Republican nomination becoming more likely, the screenwriter of “Idiocracy,” Etan Cohen, couldn’t help but make the connection to his own imaginary future. He sent out this tweet on Wednesday:

When a follower playfully tweeted back to him, “Didn’t you kind of, though?” Cohen replied:

Cohen isn’t the only one from the film making the comparison. Crews embodied his Camacho character last month when he tweeted this:

Here’s hoping an increase in energy drinks and the arrival of Costco universities don’t happen in the next four to eight years.

SEE ALSO: These mysterious new "Game of Thrones" season 6 posters tease possible deaths

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Review: Disney's 'Zootopia' is a must-see that rivals the greatness of 'Inside Out'

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Walt Disney Animation Studios has been doing very well recently flexing its muscles alongside the other animation house Disney distributes, and the generally agreed-upon favorite: Pixar.

“Frozen” showed it can bring in the crowds like Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise, and now Disney Studio’s newest release, “Zootopia,” proves it can also make a family-friendly tale with a strong message, like Pixar’s “WALL-E” or “Inside Out.”

Animated movies have always had deep-seated morals behind them, whether overcoming fears or learning to be yourself. But recently the messages have been louder and more relevant to contemporary society. There’s the commentary on caring for the environment in “WALL-E” and now “Zootopia" takes on issues of identity and race.

“Zootopia” is set in a world where both prey and predator live in harmony. And not just that, the animals have evolved to have human characteristics and live in a metropolis, called Zootopia. But from the start, you can tell that directors Byron Howard (“Tangled”), Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph”), and co-director Jared Bush are going to be driving home thoughts on our own world.

We get to know a bunny named Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) as a youngster who has big ambitions to be a “bunny cop.” Though her parents try to make her understand that having big dreams is not healthy and that she should concentrate on staying home on the farm.

zootopiaThis makes sense when Judy tries to help out a few small animals being bullied by a large fox, and gets beaten up by the fox.

Yes, this is a Disney movie.

Fast-forward 15 years, and we see Judy training to be a cop, a small bunny among large tigers and elephants. She graduates top in her class and is stationed at the epicenter of Zootopia, a melting pot of species large and small.

But before Judy heads off to the big city, her father gives her fox repellent. After offering “fatherly advice” about why foxes can’t be trusted, she reluctantly takes the spray and heads off.

The moment seems meaningless and silly. But in fact, it’s the basis of the whole movie.

“Zootopia” is as much a commentary on race and bigotry as it is a fun romp through an imaginary world.

As the story evolves, finding Judy in search of a missing otter with the help of a shifty fox named Nick (Jason Bateman), this topical exploration bubbles to the surface.

zootopia 3First a tiger cop says Judy is so cute, and Judy retorts that only bunnies can call other bunnies that. Then Judy explains to the media that the reason a handful of predators have gone “savage” is due to what’s in their DNA. In essence, because their ancestors were killers, it’s safe to assume they must be as well.

This dive into the topic of stereotypes and the harm they cause is a triumph by Disney that hopefully encourages parents and their children to have discussions while heading back home from the theater. (Parents will certainly have to engage in a talk about Nick’s flashback scene.)

Yes, movies should be escapism, and “Zootopia” is filled with incredible computer animation, very funny jokes, and wonderful characters. But it also helps young people today to have some reality seep into the content they endlessly consume.

What’s great is that “Zootopia” isn’t scared to raise issues, even highly sensitive ones. Hopefully we all keep away from knee-jerk reactions concerning "why" a cartoon is doing this and instead absorb it and educate.

If you haven’t noticed, your dad’s Disney cartoons are long gone.

“Zootopia” opens March 4.

SEE ALSO: How Disney characters from its latest movie gets made into toys

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How this 'Game of Thrones' actress became an iconic character in the next X-Men movie

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Sophie Turner starred on HBO's hit "Game of Thrones" before she even hit puberty. 

Now, the fiery redhead best known as Sansa Stark will swap her corset for superpowers as she takes on another iconic role, that of Jean Grey in "X-Men: Apocalypse."

The movie arrives in theaters May 27. Until then, let's take a look back at Turner's rise to fame.

Sophie Turner started going to drama class at age three, which she says was "so [my mother] could have a cup of coffee for an hour."

Throwback to mini us @elliejjohnson 😝😳😘

A photo posted by Sophie Turner (@sophiet) on Feb 24, 2014 at 10:56am PST

 

Source: The Telegraph



A grade school drama teacher recommended she audition for HBO's upcoming fantasy-drama, "Game of Thrones."

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Here's one of four incredibly cute auditions the 12-year-old gave.



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RANKED: The 10 worst movies to win the best picture Oscar — and what should have won

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Winning the best picture Oscar at the Academy Awards doesn't just say that a movie is regarded by Hollywood as the top achievement in the medium for the year; it cements a movie with past winners that have gone on to become classics such as "The Godfather,""Lawrence of Arabia," and "On the Waterfront."

But the Academy voters don't always get it right. Tucked away in the 89 years of Oscar ceremonies are best picture winners that quickly vanish from the zeitgeist, never to be heard from again. That's often because they weren't as good as originally thought.

Here we look back on the 10 most disappointing best picture winners and choose the nominees that should have won:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 12 greatest movies to win the best picture Oscar

10. "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956)

Based on the Jules Verne novel, this film used all of Hollywood's resources (a $6 million budget in the 1950s was far from cheap) to create a sprawling look at the world, but the story of a super-rich English gentleman Phileas Fogg (David Niven) who attempts to win his wager to navigate the globe is silly and far from memorable. 



SHOULD HAVE WON: "The Ten Commandments"

Cecil B. DeMille's final directing effort still holds strong today. With its all-star cast, particularly the incredible performance by Charlton Heston as Moses (he didn't even get an Oscar nomination for the role), and its remarkable effects for that era, it's a movie that should have been recognized with the top prize.  



9. "Ordinary People" (1980)

The late 1970s and early 1980s were when the melodrama was at its zenith in movie theaters, and "Ordinary People" came around at the perfect time. The film didn't just win best picture — it also achieved best director for Robert Redford and best actor for Timothy Hutton. Granted, the film has explosive performances in it, but there needs to be more than great acting to win best picture.



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