BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 2/2

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:30:01 -0800

Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro, and Gael Garcia Bernal are reportedly circling Martin Scorsese's next drama Silence, based on the Shusaku Endo novel. - Variety
TNT has renewed Leverage for a second 15-episode season, which should air later this year. - TV.com
Kung Fu Panda swept the Intnl. Animated Film Society's Annie Awards this year, while Wall-E went home empty-handed. - Variety
Meanwhile, Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle won the top award from the Directors Guild of America this year. - AP
And speaking of Slumdog Millionaire, star Dev Patel is joining the cast of M. Night Shyamalan's live-action film The Last Airbender. - ComingSoon
Kristen Johnston is "99.9 percent" going to play Patsy in Fox's Absolutely Fabulous remake pilot, while Kathryn Hahn is on board as Edina. - Entertainment Weekly
Both Faith Hill and Jennifer Hudson recorded their Super Bowl performances in advance. - New York Times
ABC Family has renewed Greek, cut Kyle XY, and picked up three new shows, including the series based on 10 Things I Hate About You. - TV Guide

Directors Guild of America Nominees Cast New Light on Oscar Race

BuzzSugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:29:23 -0800

The Directors Guild of America has announced their nominees for the best director of 2007. The choices are interestingly different from the Golden Globe nominees, casting some doubt on whether the Globes will actually predict the Oscars in this category. DGA president Michael Apted points out that the race this year is wider than last year's: "There’s no big studio blockbuster among them, the way The Departed was last year. It’s a very open year." Check out the competition for DGA's big honor:

Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Sean Penn, Into the Wild
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The most surprising absences here are Joe Wright for Atonement and Ridley Scott for American Gangster, as both are in the running to win the Best Director Golden Globe for two of the most talked-about films of 2007.

Not having seen The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I can't speak to how deserving Julian Schnabel would be of this award, though I must say I'm slightly surprised to see Gilroy and Penn there in place of Wright and Scott. I also personally think Tim Burton continues to be shafted from these award nominations.

What do you think about the DGA's shortlist? Who should win the prize for best director of 2007?

Scorcese Scores at the 2006 Directors Guild Awards

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:35:44 -0800

Last night, the Directors Guild of America announced the winners of its 2006 awards, which recognize everything from daytime dramas to TV commercials. The big news was a big win for Martin Scorsese, who earned the DGA's honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Feature Film for The Departed.

Not only do I think that honor is totally deserved, but it also bodes well for Scorsese's chances of finally taking home an Oscar this year. I was also glad to see some of my favorite TV shows recognized for their directing achievements. To see the rest of the 2006 DGA winners, read more

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television
Walter Hill, "Broken Trail" (AMC)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Night
Jon Cassar, "24" episode "7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m." (Fox)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
Richard Shepard, "Ugly Betty" Pilot (ABC)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety
Rob Marshall, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic" (NBC)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs
Tony Sacco, "Treasure Hunters" episode "Episode #101" (NBC)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials
Jill Mitwell, "One Life To Live" Episode #9779 (ABC)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
Arunas Matelis, Before Flying Back to the Earth (Studio Nominum, Tag/Traum)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
Dante Ariola, Production Company: MJZ

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs
Kenny Ortega, "High School Musical" (Disney Channel)