Sundance Review: 'Z for Zachariah' starring Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Chris Pine

In 2012 Craig Zobel's impressive but difficult to endure directorial debut Compliance looked with dim-colored glasses at the ways power can be used to control others. His follow-up, the sci-fi flavored Z for Zachariah also looks at authority, albeit a much higher one, and how one's faith can be manipulated by others to achieve their ends, but also how we use it to lie to ourselves about our own desires.

Only three characters occupy space in this intimate but gripping thriller set in the wake of a disaster that has destroyed the human population and rendered much of the planet uninhabitable.  Margot Robbie trades in the glamorous characters we're accustomed to seeing her in for the role of Ann, the lone survivor in a pocket of unaffected land. More than capable of surviving on her own, although her trusty dog is by her side, Ann hunts and farms to eke out a meager, lonely existence.  That changes when she encounters Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the first human she's seen in ages and a lifeline out of her despair. It's clear he's been in much the same boat, and after an accident leaves him sick with radiation poisoning the two set aside their mutual mistrust to take care of one another.

Anytime two lonely people are placed in such close proximity the spark of romance is probable, but it's inevitable given the extreme nature of their circumstances.  And while Zobel slowly builds to that passion through their work to build a sustainable life, he's more interested in the ideological differences that could derail everything.  She's driven by the power of her religious convictions, believing to the core of her being that God has done all of this for a reason. Loomis, while not an outright atheist, is a scientist who has no qualms about tearing down her father's old church to build a power source to survive a harsh winter. While there are no pointed, heated debates, the film is too elegantly constructed for that,  it's never far out of mind as new temptations creep into their lives. The arrival of a shady but charming drifter named Caleb (Chris Pine) awakens the passion in Ann, while also providing her an outlet to express her faith. Naturally it doesn't please Loomis to nearly the same degree, and soon the pressure builds between both men as they subtly one-up each other to win Ann's love.

Rich with themes of jealousy, contempt, and lust, Z for Zachariah explores the internal conflict between the needs of the flesh and of the soul. It's a powerful follow-up for Zobel, and he's proving to be a director capable of pulling the best from his actors. It's refreshing to see Robbie in a complicated, vanity-free role like this as she was already getting pigeonholed as a screen vixen. As Ann she gets to show a vulnerability we've yet to see from her before, and at this point one has to recognize how integral she's been to the success of every film she's been in. Ejiofor is simply amazing once again, and perhaps has the most complicated, wide-ranging role to play. Once again Ejiofor is placed in the role of a man forced to endure hardships, both great and small, for a chance to live the life he imagined. Pine's role is less defined than the others but its good to see him outside of a larger ensemble for once.

While predicting which films will go on to greater things outside of the festival is always tricky, Z for Zachariah is a masterfully done film of deep complexity that everyone would be wise to seek out.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Chiwetel Ejiofor Eyes 'Doctor Strange' Role

Marvel already has one Oscar nominee headlining Doctor Strange, so why not add one more? According to THR, 12 Years a Slave's Chiwetel Ejiofor is being sought for a lead role in the film, joining star Benedict Cumberbatch.

Talks with Ejiofor are said to be pretty early on, and it's unclear what role he would take. Would he be a villain? Possibly someone like Dormammu? Or maybe Baron Mordo? It could be anybody, but landing an actor of Ejiofor's stature would be another huge feather in Marvel's cap. He's in Park City right now for the premiere of Z for Zachariah  and is bound to get asked about it, so stay tuned. If I see him I'll bumrush him with the question myself.

Directed by Scott Derrickson, Doctor Strange opens November 4th 2016.

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Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sebastian Stan Join 'The Martian'; Nathalie Emmanuel Boards 'The Scorch Trials'

Wow. Ridley Scott may be putting the finishing touches on his epic Exodus: Gods and Kings, but he's sure finding time to give his next film an impressive cast. Oscar-nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor and Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Sebastian have joined the cast of The Martian, with Mackenzie Davis (What If) confirmed after being rumored some weeks back. They join a terrific ensemble that includes Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, and Sean Bean in telling the story of an astronaut stranded on Mars who must stay alive long enough to be rescued. [EW]

Game of Thrones' Nathalie Emmanuel, who plays Daenerys' handmaiden Missandei on the HBO series,  is the latest to come aboard The Maze Runner sequel, The Scorch Trials. She'll play Harriet, the leader of a group of girls who escaped from another maze. Wes Ball returns to direct with Dylan O'Brien, Will Poulter, and Kaya Scodelario coming back to star. Emmanuel will also be seen in next year's Fast & Furious 7. [THR]

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Chiwetel Ejifor to Star in Prison Drama 'Marching Powder'

12 Years a Slave's Chiwetel Ejiofor may not have landed a role in Star Wars: Episode VII  as some hoped, but he's keeping plenty busy with other projects. A few weeks ago he agreed to star in the long-developing remake of The Secret In Their Eyes, and of course he's part of John Hillcoat's remarkable Triple Nine cast. And while rumors he might play a villain in the next James Bond film haven't panned out (not yet anyway), it frees up time for Ejiofor to star in a project designed specifically for him.

Ejiofor will star in Marching Powder, based on the memoir written by Rusty Young and Thomas McFadden about their time inside an unusual San Pedro prison. The role of McFadden will go to Ejiofor, playing the convicted English drug trafficker who basically ran the South American prison which consisted of shops, restaurants, families living inside with the inmates, luxury suites, cocaine labs, and more. Young was an Australian journalist who paid a bribe to get inside and share a cell with McFadden after hearing of his life inside the prison, with the two forming a friendship in one of the weirdest prison stories ever.

This one is very early on as New Regency only just acquired the rights, so there is no writer or director attached. Still, it's good to see that Hollywood finally sees Ejiofor as an actor who can carry a film rather than just making him part of an ensemble. [Deadline]

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Chiwetel Ejiofor and Gwyneth Paltrow to Headline 'The Secret In Their Eyes' Remake

Four years ago Juan Jose Campanella's Argentinian thriller The Secret In Their Eyes took home the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film, and it was richly deserved. The heavily thematic, haunting film combined elements of romance, mystery, and politics to make for an unforgettable experience, and so it was no surprise when word surface that Billy Ray (Shattered Glass, Breach) was planning to remake it. Other than Denzel Washington briefly flirting with the lead role some three years ago nothing ever came of it, but the project is very much alive and with two big stars coming aboard.

Oscar winners Chiwetel Ejiofor and and Gwyneth Paltrow are set to star in the film, with Billy Ray still writing and directing. The original story followed a judicial agent and a judge as they attempt to unearth the truth about a long-unsolved murder case. The new film will tweak the formula a little bit by having Ejiofor as an MI-5 agent who goes to work for the Boston FBI to solve the murder, discovering a shocking truth that sheds new light on the past.

The project is being shopped at Cannes and with those stars aboard it should have no problem lining up buyers. Here's hoping they can somehow replicate the intense soccer stadium scene from the first film. [THR]

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Chiwetel Ejiofor Could Be Next Bond Villain; Two Bond Girls Sought

After years of many people saying Chiwetel Ejiofor was a future star, he finally made it last year with his Oscar-nominated performance in 12 Years a Slave. And that has opened up a lot of doors, especially with rumors that he could be in the next Star Wars film. But now a new opportunity could be on the horizon, one that would see him join the long-running James Bond franchise.

According to Variety, Sony and MGM are eying Ejiofor as the main villain in Bond 24. It doesn't seem as if any offers have been made yet, but he is their top choice assuming any scheduling problems can be ironed out. It wouldn't be his first time as a bad guy, either, as he stalked the Firefly crew in Serenity and challenged Clive Owen in Children of Men. He'd certainly be a worthy successor to the excellent Javier Bardem in Skyfall. I've got mixed emotions about this, only because a small part of me thought Ejiofor would make a pretty good Bond down the line, and this would likely disqualify him.

And with casting on the upswing, the search for two Bond girls has begun, one British and one Scandinavian. According to Aftonbladet, via our friends over at Bleeding Cool, Ida Engvoll and Disa Östrand have already tested for the roles. Neither has been in anything of note here in the States, but a look at their photos gives a pretty good idea why they may be in consideration.

Sam Mendes is back to direct Bond 24 from a John Logan script, with Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Whishaw all returning. Look for it to open on November 6th 2015. 

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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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'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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Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, and Michael B. Jordan in Talks for 'Triple Nine'

Whatever criticisms one may have regarding John Hillcoat's Lawless, or any of his prior films for that matter, one thing he's always been able to do is piece together a great cast. He's slowly but steadily been doing the same for his long-brewing cop thriller, Triple Nine, and last summer we saw Charlie Hunnam come in to replace Shia LaBeouf, with Cate Blanchett and Christoph Waltz coming aboard. Now there's been some more shuffling at the top, but it also brings along two potential Oscar contenders.

Charlie Hunnam has now left the film, to be replaced by Casey Affleck who has had one heck of a year with Ain't them Bodies Saints and Out of the Furnace. He may be joined by Fruitvale Station star Michael B. Jordan and Chiwetel Ejiofor of 12 Years a Slave, both figuring pretty heavily in the Best Actor race. The Black List-approved script by Matt Cook will have Affleck as a young and honorable LA cop who is marked for death by his crooked colleagues in order to distract from a heist they're planning. Jordan will play a good cop working with Affleck to infiltrate the group, while Ejiofor is a criminal behind the heist.

Sweet casting all around, and with Nick Cave likely to hook Hillcoat up with another fantastic score there's every reason to think Triple Nine will be something special. Filming is expected to begin next year.  [TheWrap]

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'12 Years A Slave' Wins Big at DC's WAFCA Awards

The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association, of which we are proud members, revealed their winners of the 12th annual WAFCA Awards, and the critics of the Nation's Capital heaped their praise upon Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave. The slavery won a staggering six awards, the most in the group's history, claiming Best Film, Best Actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Ensemble, and continuing Lupita Nyong'o's surge with a win for Best Supporting Actress.

A consensus continues to build around Cate Blanchett's jittery performance in Blue Jasmine, adding to the three Best Actress victories she scored over the weekend. One of the rare losses for 12 Years A Slave came in the Best Director category where Alfonso Cuaron won for his staggering sci-fi epic, Gravity, which also gave cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki another award to place on his mantle. The group chose Disney's Frozen over the somewhat polarizing The Wind Rises for Best Animated Feature, and Oscar-favorite Jared Leto won for his transformative performance in Dallas Buyers Club. The inaugural Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington DC was given to Lee Daniels' The Butler, earning the acclaimed historical drama its only victory. 

The full list of winners is below.

Best Film:
12 Years a Slave

Best Director:
Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)

Best Actor:
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Supporting Actor:
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress:
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Best Acting Ensemble:
12 Years a Slave

Best Youth Performance:
Tye Sheridan (Mud)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
John Ridley (12 Years a Slave)

Best Original Screenplay:
Spike Jonze (Her)

Best Animated Feature:
Frozen

Best Documentary:
Blackfish

Best Foreign Language Film:
The Broken Circle Breakdown

Best Art Direction:
Production Designer: Catherine Martin, Set Decorator: Beverley Dunn (The Great Gatsby)

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, A.M.C. (Gravity)

Best Editing:
Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger (Gravity)

Best Original Score:
Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
Lee Daniels' The Butler

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Cate Blanchett Sweeps New York, Boston, and Los Angeles Film Critics Awards

While it's almost always foolish to start prognosticating for the Oscars based on critics group awards, that has especially been true over the last few days. No one film has emerged as a dominant force, and that continues today as the Los Angeles Film Critics, New York Film Critics Online, and Boston Society of Film Critics announced their top honors.

Steve McQueen's moving historical drama 12 Years A Slave took Best Picture from NY and Boston, while LA did their own thing and went with a tie between Spike Jonze's Her (not surprising, really) and Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity. LA was wrought with indecision, actually, delivering ties for Best Director between Cuaron and Jonze; Best Actress for Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine and Adele Exarchopoulos for Blue is the Warmest Color; and another tie with James Franco winning for Spring Breakers and Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club.  Blanchett would clean up by taking home the award from NY and Boston, as well. So much for any talk of her losing steam. Chiwetel Ejiofor was honored with Best Actor by NY and Boston, while LA showed Bruce Dern some love for Nebraska.

Lupita Nyong'o continues to look like the heavy favorite for Best Supporting Actress with LA and and NY adding to her tally, while Boston went with Nebraska's June Squibb. What you won't find is much mention of American Hustle or The Wolf of Wall Street, with the former only winning NY's Best Ensemble Film category and producer Megan Ellison taking LA's New Generation award. Boston clearly fell in love with Nicole Holofcener's Enough Said, approving of her screenplay while also giving the late James Gandolfini a posthumous Best Supporting Actor win. The Best Documentary category may be moving towards a showdown between The Act of Killing and Sarah Polley's Stories We Tell. While 'Stories' edged out 'Killing' in LA, it was the latter that came out victorious in Boston and NY.

The full list of winners for all three groups is below. The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association will reveal their awards tomorrow at 8am. Follow the announcements with Twitter #WAFCAAwards13

New York Film Critics Online
Best Picture: “12 Years a Slave”
Director: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Ensemble Cast: “American Hustle”
Breakthrough Performance: Adele Exarchopoulos, “Blue Is the Warmest Color”
Best Screenplay: Spike Jonze, “Her”
Best Debut Director: Ryan Coogler, “Fruitvale Station”
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Gravity”
Best Use of Music: “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Best Foreign Language Film: "Blue is the Warmest Color"
Best Documentary: "The Act of Killing"
Best Animated Feature: "The Wind Rises"

Boston Society of Film Critics
Best Picture: “12 Years a Slave”
Best Director: Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Best Supporting Actor: James Gandolfini, “Enough Said”
Best Supporting Actress: June Squibb, “Nebraska”
Best Ensemble Cast: “Nebraska”
Best Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener, “Enough Said”
Best Documentary: “The Act of Killing”
Best Animated Film: “The Wind Rises”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Wadjda”
Best New Filmmaker: Ryan Coogler, “Fruitvale Station”
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Gravity”
Best Editing: Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill, “Rush”
Best Use of Music in a Film: “Inside Llewyn Davis”

 Los Angeles Film Critics

Picture: “Gravity” and “Her” (tie)
Director: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
Actor: Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”
Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine,” and Adele Exarchopoulos, “Blue Is the Warmest Color” (tie)
Supporting actor: James Franco, “Spring Breakers,” and Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
Supporting actress: Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Screenplay: Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, “Before Midnight”
Foreign-language film: “Blue Is the Warmest Color”
Documentary/nonfiction film: “Stories We Tell”
Animation: “Ernest & Celestine”
Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Gravity”
New Generation: Megan Ellison
Film editing: Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger, “Gravity”
Production design: K.K. Barrett, “Her”
Music score: T Bone Burnett, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Douglas E. Edwards Independent/Experimental Film/Video Award: “Cabinets of Wonder: Films and a Performance by Charlotte Pryce”
Special citation: The creative team of “12 Years a Slave”
Legacy of Cinema Award: Criterion Collection

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Is Chiwetel Ejiofor Headed to 'Star Wars: Episode VII'?

All but a sure thing to earn a Best Actor nomination (and likely victory) for 12 Years A Slave, Chiwetel Ejiofor is finally receiving the attention many people have felt he's long deserved. Sci-fi fans have been familiar with him for a long time, as he played the sword-wielding villain in Joss Whedon's Serenity, and he had a co-starring role in Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men. And if the latest rumors are true it's a genre he'll be returning to, albeit in a galaxy far far away.

A story out of the U.K. Times has Ejiofor spotted in the offices of J.J. Abrams, which in today's "break the news first facts be damned" world of movie journalism means he's been cast in Star Wars: Episode VII. At least that's how the folks over at Jedi News take it to mean, as they've run with it to boast the headline "Star Wars Episode VII: Chiwetel Ejiofor Cast in Episode VII" with the promise that more information will be revealed later today. We'll see about that. 

When asked directly about Ejiofor, Abrams gave one of his usual non-answers....

He looks at me, dead-eyed. “I can’t discuss casting,” he says. “But he’s a very talented gentleman.”

Yes, he is very talented, which is why Abrams could be approaching him for any number of Bad Robot projects totally unrelated to Star Wars. At the same time, considering all of the bad press about rewrites and possible delays it stands to reason that Abrams' focus is squarely on Star Wars right now. And this isn't the first time Ejiofor has been connected to the film, with reports he had read for a role surfacing some months ago. So maybe this Ejiofor rumor turns out to be true, or it goes down the rumor rabbit hole like all of those stories about Benedict Cumberbatch playing a Sith lord.  Maybe Lucasfilm surprises us and confirms both? On a side note, am I the only one who thinks Ejiofor's soulful, butt-kicking turn in Redbelt was the perfect primer for playing a Jedi? 

Star Wars: Episode VII is set to open summer 2015.

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Chiwetel Ejiofor Wants More than Survival in New '12 Years A Slave' Clip

Steve McQueen's stirring slavery drama 12 Years A Slave was always going to be an Oscar favorite, but after winning the People's Choice Award in Toronto and amassing a number of glowing reviews, the film has moved into the pole position. With its release coming up, Fox Searchlight is looking to capitalize on the solid word-of-mouth by unveiling a brand new clip.

Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as the real-life Solomon Northrup, a free black man who is scammed by a phony ad and forced into slavery. This new scene gives us a glimpse at the heartache he feels at all that he's lost, from his freedom to his family, and his unwillingness to simply roll over and let it happen. Ejiofor is predictably excellent, but it's also worth noting the physical transformtion undergone by Michael K. Williams, playing a fellow captive who has clearly felt the effects of slavery for a very long time.

Also starring Paul Dano, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender, Dwight Henry, Quvenzhane Wallis, and Paul Giamatti, 12 Years A Slave opens in limited release October 18th before going wide November 1st.

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First Clip from Steve McQueen's '12 Years A Slave' Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor

Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave was probably considered the frontrunner in the Best Picture race already, but with Grace of Monaco, Foxcatcher, and possibly The Wolf of Wall Street moving into 2014, its prospects are even greater. The reviews out of Telluride and Toronto have been nothing short of phenomenal, and now we're getting just a taste of what they were all raving about.

The first clip has been released and it features star Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northrop, a free black man tricked by a phony job offer and kidnapped into twelve years of slavery. This footage isn't one that I remember from the novel, taking place before he is captured, shopping with his wife in a white man's store. The scene takes a poignant turn as Northrup is reminded that his situation is one not afforded to most blacks. It also serves as an ominous precursor to the trials that await him.

12 Years A Slave opens on October 18th and stars Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ruth Negga, Quvenzhane Wallis, Sarah Paulson, Scoot McNairy, Garrett Dillahunt, Alfre Woodard, Dwight Henry, and Michael K. Williams. Check out a few new images below, as well.

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Amanda Seyfried, Chris Pine, and Chiwetel Ejiofor to star in 'Z for Zachariah'

After establishing himself as an author of fairly mature children's books with Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH(later adapted as The Secret of NIMH), Robert Conley (pen name Robert O'Brien) took to writing novels intended for adults. That led to his deeply disturbing, haunting 1974 post-apocalyptic novel Z for Zachariah, published posthumously by his wife and daughter. Remarkably, other than a fairly pedestrian 1984 BBC adaptation, it's never been brought to the big screen. But that's about to change, as Craig Zobel (Compliance) became attached to direct a Tobey Maguire-produced adaptation last summer, and now his cast is starting to come together.

The underrated Chiwetel Ejiofor (Redbelt), Amanda Seyfried, and Chris Pine are the first three to sign on to the psychological thriller. Seyfried will play Ann Borden, who believes she is the lone survivor of a devastating nuclear event. That turns out not to be the case, however, as she soon encounters Professor Loomis (Ejiofor), which leads to a weird love/hate relationship. The novel basically follows only these two characters, so it's interesting that Pine has supposedly been cast as another survivor. It's possible that Nissar Modi's screenplay is going to tweak the story a little bit.

It's another big move for Pine, who can already be seen saving the universe in Star Trek Into Darkness, and is eying a major role opposite Johnny Depp in Into the Woods. Filming on Z for Zachariah begins this August, and you can listen to Zobel briefly discuss it here.

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