Lupita Nyong'o to Produce and Star in Romance 'Americanah'

The wild ride that has been Lupita Nyong'o's career isn't ending any time soon, not with the 12 Years A Slave Oscar-winner landing a role in Star Wars: Episode VII. It came at a time when some were questioning whether she was a "one hit wonder", but the reality is Nyong'o is more than just a talented actress. She also has plenty of experience behind the camera, directing the 2009 documentary, In My Genes. Being Hollywood's "It girl" can be fleeting, and so it's a smart move that Nyong'o is developing her own projects.

Nyong'o and Brad Pitt's Plan B label have picked up the rights to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's acclaimed novel Americanah, with plans for her to produce and star. The story follows the "epic love story of young Nigerians, Ifemelu and Obinze; a romance that spans continents, visas, phone cards, and breakups, while exploring the cruelties and the humor of both the modern immigrant experience and the difficulty of finding your way home." The book was named one of the 10 best book of 2013 and won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Adiche also wrote Half of a Yellow Sun, which was recently adapted into a film starring Nyong'o's 12 Years A Slave co-star, Chiwetel Ejiofor.

With Nyong'o busy in a galaxy far far away it may be awhile before this gets moving.

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Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie Officially Join 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

Long before the official Star Wars: Episode VII casting came down, Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o was rumored for a role. So it was a little surprising when she wasn't part of the first wave of announcements, even though she never seemed to be completely out of the mix. Now it looks like the ink is dry on her deal because LucasFilm has revealed she is now part of the cast, along with Game of Thrones star, Gwendoline Christie.


Previous speculation had Nyong'o possibly playing the mixed-race daughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi but it remains to be seen what she'll actually be up to. Christie plays Brienne of Tarth on the hit HBO series, and this marks her second big screen franchise this year as she recently came aboard The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. Considering how awesome and imposing she is wielding a sword on Game of Thrones I'll be pissed if she doesn't get at least one lightsaber duel.

Star Wars: Episode VII is filming now for release December 18th 2015.

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Rachel McAdams and Lupita Nyong'o Sought for Boxing Drama, 'Southpaw'

The previous problems faced by long-developing boxing drama Southpaw are well-documented. It began as a project for Eminem to star in, and has a few directors circling it. But the film began to pick up steam when Jake Gyllenhaal was confirmed for the lead role and Antoine Fuqua, who had been on board before, settling in to the director's chair. And now it's time to start putting the rest of the cast together.

Deadline reports that Rachel McAdams is being eyed for the female lead with Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o (still kind of in the mix for a Star Wars role) in a supporting role. Conceived by Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy), the story follows a leftie welterweight boxer who must overcome adversity to fight his way to the title. At the same time he'll try to win back the love of his daughter. Forest Whitaker is set to play Gyllenhaal's trainer, with Nyong'o as a social worker caring for his child.

We'll see where this goes, but first Richard Wenk (The Equalizer) needs to finish rewriting the script. 

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Lupita Nyong'o and Scarlett Johansson in Talks for Disney's 'The Jungle Book'

There are some people I know whose entire day seems to revolve around posting glamorous pictures of Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o on Facebook. And to be fair, they have plenty of snaps to pick from as she seems to be mugging for the camera everywhere. Admittedly, she's extremely gorgeous and very talented, so much so that People magazine just named her the most beautiful person in the world. And now her day has gotten even better as she and Scarlett Johansson are now in talks for Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book.

The live-action/CGI adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic children's book already has Idris Elba set to voice Shere Khan, and now Nyong'o will play Rakcha the wolf with Johansson voicing Kaa the snake. No word on who will take on the lead role of the orphan, Mowgli, who is raised by a jungle of animals. Johansson continues to stick close to projects Favreau is directing. She made her Marvel debut in his Iron Man 2, and has a small role in Chef which opens next month.

Disney has set The Jungle Book for October 29th 2015, and they'll be racing to beat out the version Warner Bros. is putting together.  [THR]

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Lupita Nyong'o Has Met for 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Role

Not so long ago it looked like Star Wars: Episode VII would largely be focused on a female lead. That has faded into the background a little since JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan took over writing the script. Of all the actors who have reportedly met for a role in the film, only Saoirse Ronan stands out as a prominent female, and she basically turned the gig down. But there's another name we can add to the list: Oscar-winner and Hollywood's new favorite gal, Lupita Nyong'o.

The new first surfaced at Latino Review, who seem all but certain the 12 Years a Slave break-out is close to signing, and then confirmed to certain extent by THR. The latter trade says she met with Abrams recently, possibly for the role of a distant relative of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which a Caucasian actress won't be sought for. So far there are no other actors confirmed although Adam Driver looks like a sure bet as a villain. John Boyega, Jesse Plemons, Ed Speelers, and Matthew James Thomas and Ray Fisher are up for the male lead.

Nyong'o, who followed-up 12 Years a Slave with a tiny role in Non-Stop, is also up for the courtroom thriller, The Whole Truth. The film stars Daniel Craig, Renee Zellwegger, and has Frozen River's Courtney Hunt directing.

Jumping into a major franchise is a pretty good way for Nyong'o to capitalize on her Oscar win and solidify her career. 

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2014 Oscars: 'Gravity' Wins 7, '12 Years A Slave' Makes History with Best Picture Win

And that's a wrap, true believers. The awards season came to close tonight with the 86th Academy Awards, and it was a show with a few surprises, a lot of lulls in energy, and a spotty G-rated performance by host Ellen Degeneres. Between the jokes about pizza, a slew of "hero" montages, and live musical acts there was just enough time for Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity to emerge the big winner.

Gravity entered the night tied with American Hustle with ten nominations, and Cuaron's deep space thriller dominated with seven total victories, including Best Director and most of the technical awards. On the other hand, American Hustle was left completely shut out, a rare feat for such a high-profile film with nominees in every major acting category.  Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave made history by taking home Best Picture, making it the first film from a black director to earn the prize. Lupita Nyong'o was victorious for Best Supporting Actress and John Ridley earned a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay. 

Completing an amazing career 180, Matthew McConaughey defeated a competitive group to win Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club, while his co-star Jared Leto won Best Supporting Actor. 2004's Mystic River was the last time Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor victors came from the same film.  Cate Blanchett did as expected and won Best Actress for Blue Jasmine, while there was a bit of a surprise when Spike Jonze earned Best Original Screenplay for Her.  Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby also performed well, winning two Oscars for Costume and Production Design.

The full list of winners is below:

Best Picture: "12 Years a Slave."

Actor: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club."

Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine."

Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club."

Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave."

Directing: Alfonso Cuaron, "Gravity."

Foreign Language Film: "The Great Beauty," Italy.

Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, "12 Years a Slave."

Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, "Her."

Animated Feature Film: "Frozen."

Production Design: "The Great Gatsby."

Cinematography: "Gravity."

Sound Mixing: "Gravity."

Sound Editing: "Gravity."

Original Score: "Gravity," Steven Price.

Original Song: "Let It Go" from "Frozen."

Costume: "The Great Gatsby."

Makeup and Hairstyling: "Dallas Buyers Club."

Animated Short Film: "Mr. Hublot."

Documentary Feature: "20 Feet from Stardom."

Documentary (short subject): "The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life."

Film Editing: "Gravity."

Live Action Short Film: "Helium."

Visual Effects: "Gravity."

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Indie Spirit Awards: '12 Years A Slave' Wins 5 Including Best Picture, Best Director

The final pit stop on the overlong road to the Academy Awards was tonight's Independent Spirit Awards (although these are no longer true indies, let's be honest), held in Los Angeles, and it was a night that belonged to Steve McQueen and 12 Years a Slave. The historical drama led all with five big wins, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong'o. This should give it a great deal of push heading into tomorrow's Oscars.

As for the other major awards, Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto won the top male acting awards for Dallas Buyers Club, and that's very likely to continue on through tomorrow. Cate Blanchett racked up yet another Best Actress win for Cate Blanchett, and Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station was recognized as the Best First Feature.

The full list of winners is below:

 BEST FEATURE:
WINNER: "12 Years A Slave"
"All Is Lost"
"Frances Ha"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Nebraska"

BEST LEAD FEMALE:
WINNER: Cate Blanchett - "Blue Jasmine"
Julie Delpy - "Before Midnight"
Gaby Hoffman - "Crystal Fairy"
Brie Larson - "Short Term 12"
Shailene Woodley - "The Spectacular Now"

BEST LEAD MALE:
Bruce Dern - "Nebraska"
Chiwetel Ejiofor - "12 Years A Slave"
Oscar Isaac - "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Michael B. Jordan - "Fruitvale Station"
WINNER: Matthew McConaughey - "Dallas Buyers Club"
Robert Redford - "All Is Lost"

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE:
Melonie Diaz - "Fruitvale Station"
Sally Hawkins - "Blue Jasmine" 
WINNER: Lupita N'Yongo - "12 Years A Slave"
Yolanda Ross - "Go For Sisters"
June Squibb - "Nebraska"

BEST SUPPORTING MALE:
Michael Fassbender - "12 Years A Slave"
Will Forte - "Nebraska"
James Gandolfini - "Enough Said"
WINNER: Jared Leto - "Dallas Buyers Club"
Keith Stanfield - "Short Term 12"

BEST DIRECTOR:
Shane Carruth - "Upstream Color"
J.C. Chandor - "All Is Lost"
WINNER: Steve McQueen - "12 Years A Slave"
Jeff Nichols - "Mud"
Alexander Payne - "Nebraska"

BEST FIRST FEATURE:
"Blue Caprice"
"Concussion"
WINNER: "Fruitvale Station"
"Una Noche"
"Wadjda"

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD:
"Computer Chess"
"Crystal Fairy"
"Museum Hours"
"Pit Stop"
WINNER: "This Is Martin Bonner"

BEST SCREENPLAY:
Woody Allen - "Blue Jasmine"
Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater - "Before Midnight"
Nicole Holofcener - "Enough Said"
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber - "The Spectacular Now"
WINNER: John Ridley - "12 Years A Slave"

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY:
Lake Bell - "In A World"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - "Don Jon"
WINNER: Bob Nelson - "Nebraska"
Jill Soloway - "Afternoon Delight"
Michael Starburry - "The Inevitable Defeat Of Mister & Pete"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
WINNER: Sean Bobbitt - "12 Years A Slave"
Benoit Debie - "Spring Breakers"
Bruno Delbonnel - "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Frank G. Demarco - "All Is Lost"
Matthias Grunsky - "Computer Chess"

BEST EDITING:
Shane Carruth & David Lowery - "Upstream Color"
Jem Cohen & Marc Vives - "Museum Hours"
Jennifer Lame - "Frances Ha"
Cindy Lee - "Una Noche"
WINNER: Nat Sanders - "Short Term 12"

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM:
"A Touch Of Sin"
WINNER: "Blue Is The Warmest Color"
"Gloria"
"The Great Beauty"
"The Hunt"

BEST DOCUMENTARY
"The Act Of Killing"
"After Tiller"
"Gideon's Army"
"The Square"
WINNER: "Twenty Feet From Stardom"

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
WINNER: Toby Halbrooks & James M. Johnson
Jacob Jaffke
Andrea Roa
Ferderick Thornton

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARDS:
Kalyanee Mam - "A River Changes Course"
WINNER: Jason Osder - "Let The Fire Burn"
Stephanie Spray & Pancho Valez - "Manakamana"

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARDS:
Aaron Douglas Johnston - "My Sisters' Quinceanera"
WINNER: Shaka King - "Newlyweeds"
Madeleine Olnek - "The Foxy Merkins"

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
"Mud"

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2014 Oscar Predictions: 'Gravity', 'American Hustle', '12 Years A Slave' Vie for Gold

In just a few short days it'll be the 86th Academy Awards, when Hollywood will (mostly) put all of the lobbying and horse-trading behind them and honor the best movies of the prior year. Actually, they'll honor the best movies that had the best marketing campaigns and threw the best parties with the most awesome swag, but that's a discussion for another day. This year we're basically looking at a three film race to take everything: American Hustle, Gravity, and 12 Years A Slave. They've cleaned up on the overlong awards drive leading up to this point, and there's little reason to think that will end now. A few surprises could bubble up in the acting categories, though, thanks to Matthew McConaughey who seems especially tough to keep down.  The same can't be said for Robert Redford, Emma Thompson, or Tom Hanks, who were expected to be contenders but couldn't quite cross the finish line.

Enough jabbering. Here are my picks for who will win, the dark horse, who should win, and in some cases what was criminally left out of the discussion. Feel free to come back here when all is said and done to mock my wild misfires, of which there usually many.

Best Picture
Well, here's where everything will come to a head. A few weeks ago one would have said this was Gravity or 12 Years a Slave's award to win, but the late release of American Hustle was a brilliant bit of chess. Ignore those other six movies on the list; they're only here to bump up Blu-Ray sales. The popular theory is that 12 Years a Slave will win here, with Alfonso Cuaron getting his due in the Best Director category. But I say screw that; Cuaron takes both in a shocker.

Who Will Win: Gravity
Who Should Win: 12 Years A Slave
The Dark Horse: American Hustle
Shoulda Been a Contender: Short Term 12

Best Director
What Steve McQueen was able to accomplish with 12 Years a Slave is truly extraordinary, but nothing compares to the groundbreaking technical achievements of Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity. And let's face it, most people would rather feel like they're in space than at the end of Michael Fassbender's whip. Regardless of who takes it they'll be making history, either as the first African-American or Latino Best Director winner. Again, the only other nominee with any glimmer of hope is David O. Russell for American Hustle, but that was more of an actors' showcase.

Who Will and Should Win: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
The Dark Horse: David O. Russell, American Hustle
Shoulda Been a Contender:  Spike Jonze, Her

Best Actor
Wow, no other category is quite as competitive as the Best Actor field, so much so that Tom Hanks, Robert Redford, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael B. Jordan and Oscar Isaac couldn't get in despite many finding them deserving. A few months ago this seemed like a shoe-in for Chiwetel Ejiofor's powerful turn in 12 Years a Slave, but after a string of victories it's looking like Matthew McConaughey may have the edge for Dallas Buyers Club. Matthew McConaughey, Oscar-winner. Yeah, wrap your head around that one. Still, I think Ejiofor edges him out, but just barely. A lot of love out there for Bruce Dern and Nebraska but a long career does not a great actor make, in my opinion. Christian Bale's hair and gut were impressive, but American Hustlebelonged to the ladies. Leonardo DiCaprio dropped a ton of F-Bombs in what I think was his finest performance in a string of great ones, and any other year he would easily take it.

Who Will and Should Win: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
The Dark Horse: Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Shoulda Been a Contender: Robert Redford, All is Lost

Best Actress
Probably by default or something, Cate Blanchett seems to be the favorite here for her vastly overrated, modulation-free performance in Blue Jasmine. Despite the presence of Meryl Streep in the mediocre August: Osage County, the only one who may stir things up is Amy Adams for American Hustle. Like Blanchett, she was the best thing about the film she was in, however the difference is that American Hustle is a good film with a tremendous cast, making Adams' performance all the more impressive. Blue Jasmine is a subpar effort stashed with stand-up comedians from Woody Allen, who just so happens to be embroiled in an ugly controversy, the kind of controversy that could keep voters from supporting his film.

Who Will Win: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Who Should Win: Amy Adams, American Hustle
Shoulda Been a Contender: Brie Larson, Short Term 12

Best Supporting Actor
If there's one sure-fire lead pipe lock it's that Jared Leto is walking away with some gold this weekend. He's dominated the award season for his transformative performance in Dallas Buyers Club, with the only losses coming when he wasn't even nominated, like at the BAFTAs. If Matthew McConaughey can also sure a win it'll be the first time since Mystic Riverthat Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor victors came from the same movie. There's a lot of love out there for Jonah Hill to get the win he didn't get for Moneyball, and Barkhad Abdi's debut performance in Captain Phillips is a great Cinderella story, but neither has a chance this year.

Who Will and Should Win: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
The Dark Horse: Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Shoulda Been a Contender: James Franco, Spring Breakers

Best Supporting Actress
Ding ding ding! In this corner we have Lupita Nyong'o, the Kenyan beauty who turned heads with her heartbreaking performance in 12 Years a Slave, her first major acting role. And in this corner is the defending champion and Hollywood darling, Jennifer Lawrence, the firecracker of American Hustle. Really, there are no other contenders in this fight, and the momentum seems to be behind Lawrence after big wins at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. It's probably hers to lose, but the campaign for Nyong'o has been fierce and persistent. She's been in front of every darn camera on the west coast and attended every awards ceremony big or small, and that definitely has an effect. This one is almost too close to call, but my money is on Lawrence going 2-for-2.

Who Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Who Should Win: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Shoulda Been a Contender: Octavia Spencer or Melonie Diaz, Fruitvale Station

Best Animated Feature
The world loves legendary animator, Hayao Miyazaki, and his sterling biopic The Wind Rises has more than enough fans to drown out any detractors, but this is Disney's award to win for the Frozen. A beloved smash at the box office with a soundtrack that has parents and kids singing "Let it Go" at the top of their lungs, Frozen would be Disney Animation's first win in this category since...ever. Kind of crazy, huh?

Who Will Win: Frozen
Who Should Win: The Wind Rises

Best Adapted Screenplay
Who Will Win: 12 Years a Slave, John Ridley
Who Should Win: The Wolf of Wall Street, Terence Winter
The Dark Horse: Before Midnight, Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Shoulda Been a Contender: Short Term 12, Destin Daniel Cretton

Best Original Screenplay
Who Will Win: American Hustle, Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Who Should Win:  Her, Spike Jonze

Best Foreign Language Film
Who Will Win: The Broken Circle Breakdown
Who Should Win: The Hunt
Shoulda Been a Contender: The Past

Best Documentary Feature
Who Will Win: The Square
Who Should win: The Act of Killing
Shoulda Been a Contender: Stories We Tell

Best Cinematography
Who Will and Should Win: Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki
The Dark Horse: Inside Llewyn Davis, Bruno Delbonnel
Shoulda Been a Contender: 12 Years a Slave, Sean Bobbitt

Best Production Design
Who Will Win: Gravity
Who Should Win: The Great Gatsby

Best Costume Design
Who Will Win: American Hustle
Who Should Win: The Great Gatsby

Best Film Editing
Who Will and Should Win: Gravity

Best Make-Up & Hairstyling
Who Will Win: Dallas Buyers Club
The Dark Horse: Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

Best Original Score
Who Will Win: Gravity, Steven Price
Who Should Win: Her,  William Butler and Owen Pallett
Shoulda Been a Contender: Short Term 12, Joel P. West

Best Original Song
Who Will Win: "Let It Go, Frozen
Who Should Win: "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, Despicable Me 2

Best Sound Editing
Who Will Win: Gravity

Best Sound Mixing
Who Will Win: Gravity
Shoulda Been a Contender: Rush

Best Visual Effects
Who Will and Should Win: Gravity

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Review: 'Non-Stop' Starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore

Ever since Liam Neeson sorta ditched being a serious dramatic actor in favor of playing a grizzled old bad-ass in Taken, it's been hard not to begin every critique referencing the actioner. And for very good reason, as every film has Neeson sinking further into his tough guy persona in variations of the Taken model: "Taken with wolves" (The Grey), "Taken with amnesia"(Unknown), and now it's Taken on the friendly skies with Non-Stop, which reunites Neeson with Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra.

"Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride", one character says to Neeson's character fairly early on in the film, and it might as well be plastered on the posters, too. This is the sort of creaky action flick that practically begs the audience to ignore the many plot contrivances and sketchy genre tropes, and just have fun watching Neeson beat up bad guys at 30,000 feet. And that would be perfectly fine if Non-Stop lived up to its title with never-ending cheesy thrills, but there's not enough action to distract from a plot that never takes off.

Neeson plays federal air marshal Bill Marks, and when we first meet him he looks like he's been going to the same school as Denzel Washington's character in Flight. He's a chain-smoking drunkard who has just gulped down some liquid courage before waltzing past security to make his flight, where he'll presumably protect all of the passengers on board. In his undercover role he has brief, occasionally testy encounters with those on board, but since he stopped to help the angelic little girl flying alone we know he also has a heart of mush. Julianne Moore plays a chatty woman who maneuvers her way into a window seat next to him and proceeds to help calm his jittery nerves.

But jittery nerves are soon the least of his worries as he begins receiving ominous text messages on a secure network line. The anonymous sender threatens to kill someone on the plane every 20 minutes unless a massive sum of money is transferred into an account. As the bodies start piling up, everybody turns into a suspect, and anybody of vaguely foreign heritage or even the tiniest accent is a potential villain. It's probably a good idea to keep an eye on the talkative chick with the red hair. The red herrings are thrown out as haphazardly as the twists and turns, which never make a lick of sense.  There's some fun to be had with Neeson's increasingly frazzled performance as Marks goes from hero splashed all over the news as a terrorist, and of course his bosses don't believe a word he has to say in defense. Cue up the fighter plans hoping to prevent a potential 9/11 terrorist scenario!

And speaking of 9/11, the film makes an extremely ill-advised connection to the tragedy that can't be elaborated upon here for fear of spoiling key plot points. But suffice it to say it's an issue that is way too complex for a movie like this to handle and the half-baked way it's treated is rather insulting. What keeps the film marginally entertaining is the cast, who all seem to recognize exactly what kind of movie they're taking part in. Neeson is surrounded by a vibrant and very game supporting cast, led by Moore who seems to be relishing her role as Marks' mysteriously over-eager new friend. Nate Parker, Corey Stoll, Scoot McNairy, and Michelle Dockery play their parts as possible suspects nicely, but it's distracting to see Oscar-nominee Lupita Nyong'o here with barely a word to say.

Collet-Serra has a nice rapport going with Neeson, which may be why they've already got a third pairing on the way. The director makes good use of space, taking advantage of the claustrophobic atmosphere for the rare displays of violence. If Wesley Snipes taught us anything in Passenger 57 (besides always betting on black!), it's that fighting in an airplane aisle is a real pain, and it's even worse in the bathroom. He shows a real eye for choreography with some dazzling sequences that keep this mostly single-set film from becoming stagnant visually.  Inconsistent pacing becomes an issue, probably due to the army of screenwriters trying to wedge in as many clichés as possible. A film like Non-Stop was never going to be perfect, but it should stick the landing and be exciting in the process. Non-Stop hits turbulence early on and never truly levels out, making for one bumpy ride.

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'12 Years a Slave' Wins Best Picture at the 2014 Critics' Choice Awards

The 19th annual Critics' Choice Awards aired live last night, January 16, on The CW Network and was hosted by Whose Line is it Anyway? host Aisha Tyler. The awards are voted on by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (of which our own Travis Hopson is a voting member). The top honor this year went to 12 Years a Slave for Best Picture. Lupita Nyong'o also picked up an award for Best Supporting Actress.  

Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto both picked up Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, for their work in Dallas Buyers Club while Amy Adams and Leonardo DiCaprio won Best Actor and Actress in a Comedy. Surprisingly, Lone Survivor got two awards, one for Best Action Movie and another for Mark Wahlberg who took home the award for Best Actor in an Action Movie. It beat out competitors Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel. 

To see the complete all the winners, check out the list below! The winners are asterisked and highlighted in bold.  

BEST PICTURE
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Saving Mr. Banks
*12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ACTOR
Christian Bale – American Hustle
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
*Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford – All Is Lost

BEST ACTRESS
*Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Brie Larson – Short Term 12
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks

BEST SUPPORTING ACTORBarkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl – Rush
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
*Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Scarlett Johansson – Her
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
*Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
June Squibb – Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey – Lee Daniels’ The Butler        

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Asa Butterfield – Ender’s Game
*Adele Exarchopoulos – Blue Is the Warmest Color
Liam James – The Way Way Back
Sophie Nelisse – The Book Thief
Tye Sheridan – Mud

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
*American Hustle
August: Osage County
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Nebraska
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST DIRECTOR
*Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
Spike Jonze – Her
Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
David O. Russell – American Hustle
Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Eric Singer and David O. Russell – American Hustle
Woody Allen – Blue Jasmine
*Spike Jonze – Her
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – Inside Llewyn Davis
Bob Nelson – Nebraska

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Tracy Letts – August: Osage County
Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke – Before Midnight
Billy Ray – Captain Phillips
Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope – Philomena
*John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave
Terence Winter – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
*Emmanuel Lubezki – Gravity
Bruno Delbonnel – Inside Llewyn Davis
Phedon Papamichael – Nebraska
Roger Deakins – Prisoners
Sean Bobbitt – 12 Years a Slave

BEST ART DIRECTION
Andy Nicholson (Production Designer), Rosie Goodwin (Set Decorator) – Gravity
*Catherine Martin (Production Designer), Beverley Dunn (Set Decorator) – The Great Gatsby
K.K. Barrett (Production Designer), Gene Serdena (Set Decorator) – Her
Dan Hennah (Production Designer), Ra Vincent (Set Decorator) – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Adam Stockhausen (Production Designer), Alice Baker (Set Decorator) – 12 Years a Slave

BEST EDITING
Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers – American Hustle
Christopher Rouse – Captain Phillips
*Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger – Gravity
Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill – Rush
Joe Walker – 12 Years a Slave
Thelma Schoonmaker – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Michael Wilkinson – American Hustle
*Catherine Martin – The Great Gatsby
Bob Buck, Lesley Burkes-Harding, Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Daniel Orlandi – Saving Mr. Banks
Patricia Norris – 12 Years a Slave

BEST MAKEUP
*American Hustle
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Rush
12 Years a Slave

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
*Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
Pacific Rim
Star Trek into Darkness

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
*Frozen
Monsters University
The Wind Rises

BEST ACTION MOVIE
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Iron Man 3
*Lone Survivor
Rush
Star Trek into Darkness

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Henry Cavill – Man of Steel
Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man 3
Brad Pitt – World War Z
*Mark Wahlberg – Lone Survivor

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
*Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Evangeline Lilly – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Gwyneth Paltrow – Iron Man 3

BEST COMEDY
*American Hustle
Enough Said
The Heat
This Is the End
The Way Way Back
The World’s End

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Christian Bale – American Hustle
*Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Simon Pegg – The World’s End
Sam Rockwell – The Way Way Back

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
*Amy Adams – American Hustle
Sandra Bullock – The Heat
Greta Gerwig – Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Enough Said
Melissa McCarthy – The Heat

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
The Conjuring
*Gravity
Star Trek into Darkness
World War Z

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
*Blue Is the Warmest Color
The Great Beauty
The Hunt
The Past
Wadjda

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Act of Killing
Blackfish
Stories We Tell
Tim’s Vermeer
*20 Feet from Stardom

BEST SONG
Atlas – Coldplay – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Happy – Pharrell Williams – Despicable Me 2
*Let It Go – Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez – Frozen
Ordinary Love – U2 – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Please Mr. Kennedy – Justin Timberlake/Oscar Isaac/Adam Driver – Inside Llewyn Davis
Young and Beautiful – Lana Del Rey – The Great Gatsby

BEST SCORE
*Steven Price – Gravity
Arcade Fire – Her
Thomas Newman – Saving Mr. Banks
Hans Zimmer – 12 Years a Slave

Joel Siegel Award
*Forest Whitaker

Louis XIII Genius Award
*Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater for trilogy Before Sunrise, Before Sunsetand Before Midnight

Hollywood's Hottest Star
*Benedict Cumberbatch

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'12 Years A Slave' Named Best Picture by Black Film Critics Circle

The Black Film Critics Circle, of which I am a voting member, has named Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave the Best Picture of the Year, honoring the slavery drama with six total victories including one for Best Director. Chiwetel Ejiofor took home Best Actor for his performance while co-star Lupita Nyong'o won for Best Supporting Actress, continuing a streak that has the film surging as Academy Award nominations loom. In a somewhat surprising (but welcome in my opinion) move, Brie Larson won Best Actress for the indie drama Short Term 12, while Jared Leto continues to build steam for Dallas Buyers Club, winning Best Supporting Actor.

The full list of winners is below:

Best Picture – “12 Years a Slave”
Best Director – Steve McQueen for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actor – Chiwetel Ejiofor for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actress – Brie Larson for “Short Term 12”
Best Supporting Actor – Jared Leto for “Dallas Buyers Club”
Best Supporting Actress – Lupita Nyong’o for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Original Screenplay – David O. Russell and Eric Singer for “American Hustle”
Best Adapted Screenplay – John Ridley for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Documentary – “20 Feet from Stardom”
Best Animated Film – “Frozen”
Best Cinematography – “Gravity”
Best Foreign Film – “Blue is the Warmest Color”
Best Ensemble – “12 Years a Slave”

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