 Directed By: James Gray
Written By: James Gray and Ric Menello
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard, Dagmara Dominczyk, Angela Sarafyan, Ilia Volok, Antoni Carone, and Kevin Cannon
Synopsis (From IMDB): An innocent immigrant woman is tricked into a life of burlesque and vaudeville until a dazzling magician tries to save her and reunite her with her sister who is being held in the confines of Ellis Island.
Why It Could Succeed:
For starters, I think the title change was a brilliant move by the Weinsteins. Too often indies fall below the radar because of their cryptic titles. “The Immigrant” immediately jumps out and offers a wide range of appeal, as opposed to “Lowlife” which sounds incredibly macabre and enigmatic. Now I happen to find both of those attributes fascinating in film, but I can see why it could be a nightmare for The Weinsteins during the marketing process, trying to ensure they fill as many seats as possible in limited release. Read more on Awards Profile: The Immigrant…
 Directed By: Olivier Dahan
Written By: Arash Amel
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Milo Ventimiglia, Tim Roth, Parker Posey, Frank Langella, Paz Vega, and Derek Jacobi
Synopsis: The story of former Hollywood star Grace Kelly’s crisis of marriage and identity, during a political dispute between Monaco’s Prince Rainier III and France’s Charles De Gaulle, and a looming French invasion of Monaco in the early 1960s.
Read more on Awards Profile: Grace of Monaco…
 Directed By: Kasi Lemmons
Written By: Kasi Lemmons
Starring: Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Tyrese Gibson, Mary J. Blige
Synopsis: (From IMDB) A young teen living with his grandparents falls asleep at church during a Christmastime mass, where he dreams of a black nativity. Read more on Awards Profile: Black Nativity…
 Serena
Written By: Christopher Kyle
Directed By: Susanne Bier
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Rhys Ifans, Toby Jones, Sean Harris, Blake Ritson, Kim Bodnia, Sam Reid, David Dencik, Ana Ularu, Ned Dennehy, Mark O’Neal
Synopsis: In Depression-era North Carolina, the future of George Pemberton’s timber empire becomes complicated when it is learned that his wife, Serena, cannot bear children.
Read more on Awards Profile: Serena…
Categories: Award Profile Tags: Ana Ularu, Awards Profile, Blake Ritson, Bradley Cooper, Christopher Kyle, David Dencik, Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Bodnia, Mark O'Neal, Ned Dennehy, Rhys Ifans, Sam Reid, Sean Harris, Serena, Susanne Bier, Toby Jones
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Written by: Scott Cooper, Brad Ingelsby
Starring: Christian Bale, Zoe Saldana, Woody Harrelson, Willem Defoe, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Sam Shepherd,
Synopsis (courtesy of IMDb): Russell Baze and his younger brother Rodney live in the economically-depressed Rust Belt, and have always dreamed of escaping and finding better lives. But when a cruel twist of fate lands Russell in prison, his brother is lured into one of the most violent and ruthless crime rings in the Northeast – a mistake that will almost cost him everything. Once released, Russell must choose between his own freedom, or risk it all to seek justice for his brother.
Read more on Awards Profile: Out of the Furnace…
 Directed by: David O. Russell
Written by: Eric Singer
Cast: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, Louis C.K., Robert De Niro, Michael Pena, Jack Huston, Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Rohm, Dawn Olivieri, and others…
Synopsis (courtesy of IMDb): The 1970s-set true story of a con artist and his partner in crime, who were forced to work with a federal agent to turn the tables on other cons, mobsters, and politicians – namely, the volatile mayor of impoverished Camden, New Jersey. (formerly the Untitled David O. Russell Abscam Project)
Read more on Awards Profile: American Hustle…
Categories: Award Profile Tags: 2013 releases, Alessandro Nivola, American Hustle, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, David O. Russell, David O. Russell Abscam movie, Eric Singer, Jack Huston, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Michael Pena, Oscar hopeful, Robert De Niro
Directed By: Justin Chadwick
Written By: William Nicholson
Cast: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, and Mark Elderkin
Synopsis: There is no official synopsis released for this film yet, but it is based on the book “Long Walk to Freedom” by South African President Nelson Mandela.
Read more on Awards Profile: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom…
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
Written By: Aaron Guzikowski
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano, Terrence Howard, and Viola Davis
Synopsis: A Boston man kidnaps the person he suspects is behind the disappearance of his young daughter and her best friend.
Read more on Awards Profile: Prisoners…
 Directed By: Luc Besson
Written By: Luc Besson. Based on the Novel by: Tonino Benacquista
Starring: Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, Jon Freda, Dominic Chianese.
Synopsis: (From IMBD.com) The Manzoni family, a notorious mafia clan, is relocated to Normandy, France under the witness protection program, where fitting in soon becomes challenging as their old habits die-hard. Read more on Awards Profile: Malavita…
 Directed By: Ned Benson
Written By: Ned Benson
Cast: James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Ciarán Hinds, William Hurt, Bill Heder, Jess Weixler, Isabelle Huppert, Nina Arianda, and Li Jun Li.
Synopsis (From IMDB): A New York couple’s relationship as told by the husband/A New York couple’s relationship as told by the wife.
Why It Could Succeed:
For starters, the title incorporates the name of one of The Beatles’ most haunting and beautiful songs. Considering the band is often regarded as the greatest in history, devotees of the arts and the Fab Four will be seeking out this independent film solely because of its title. The average Academy voter is also 62, the very same age as those belonging to the “Baby Boom” generation, born between the late 40s and mid 60s. This generation lived and breathed Beatles’ music (just ask my dad!), so you can bet The Academy will amend its conservative stance if The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is worthy enough of partially sharing the name of the cherished track from the band’s “Revolver” album. Read more on Awards Profile: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (His and Hers)…
Directed by: Akiva Goldsman
Written by: Akiva Goldsman, based on the novel by Mark Helprin
Stars: Will Smith, Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Matt Bomer, William Hurt, Kevin Durand
Read more on Awards Profile: Winter’s Tale…
 Written By: Danny Strong and Lee Daniels
Directed By: Lee Daniels
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Alex Pettyfer, John Cusack, Robin Williams, Alan Rickman, James Marsden, Minka Kelly, Lenny Kravitz, Jesse Williams, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Mariah Carey, Oprah Winfrey, Liev Schreiber, Nelsan Ellis, Jane Fonda, Melissa Leo, Terrence Howard, Vanessa Redgrave, Yaya DaCosta, David Oyelowo, Colman Domingo, Alex Manette
Synopsis: A look at the life of Eugene Allen, who served eight presidents as the White House’s head butler from 1952 to 1986, and had a unique front-row seat as political and racial history was made. Read more on Awards Profile: The Butler…
Categories: Award Profile Tags: Alan Rickman, Alex Pettyfer, alexandre desplat, Awards Profile, Colman Domingo, danny strong, David Oyelowo, forest whitaker, James Marsden, Jane Fonda, Jesse Williams, John Cusack, Lee Daniels, Lenny Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, mariah carey, melissa leo, Minka Kelly, Nelsan Ellis, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, Terrence Howard, The Butler, vanessa redgrave, Yaya DaCosta
 Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Written by: Billy Ray
Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, John Magaro, Christopher Stadulis, Max Martini, Michael Chernus, Corey Johnson, Chris Mulkey, Angus MacInnes, David Warshofsky, and Yul Vazquez
Synopsis (courtesy of Coming Soon): Columbia Pictures’ action-thriller “Captain Phillips” stars two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. The film is directed by Oscar® nominee Paul Greengrass, from a screenplay by Billy Ray and based upon the book, “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea,” by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and Michael De Luca.
Read more on Awards Profile: Captain Phillips…
 DIRECTED BY: Alfonso Cuarón
WRITTEN BY: Alfonso Cuarón & Jonas Cuarón
CAST: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
SYNOPSIS (from IMDb): Astronauts attempt to return to earth after debris crashes into their space shuttle, leaving them drifting alone in space.
One of the most anticipated films of the fall is Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity starring Academy Award winners Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. The film is written by Cuarón along with his son Jonas Cuarón and tells the story of surviving astronauts in a damaged space station. With an $80 million dollar budget and said to have stunning visual effects, Cuaron is near the top of the list of potential Director candidates in 2013. Read more on Awards Profile: Gravity…
 Directed By: Bennett Miller
Written By: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman
Cast: Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave
Synopsis: Foxcatcher tells the story about how John du Pont suffered paranoid schizophrenia and killed Olympic wrestler David Shultz in 1997.
Read more on Awards Profile: Foxcatcher…
Categories: Award Profile Tags: Academy Award, Award Profile, Bennett Miller, Channing Tatum, dan futterman, E. Max Frye, Foxcatcher, Mark Ruffalo, sienna miller, Steve Carell, vanessa redgrave
 Directed By: Spike Jonze
Written By: Spike Jonze
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Samantha Morton, Sam Jaeger, Luka Jones, Katherine Boecher
Synopsis (From IMDB): A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly-purchased operating system that’s designed to meet his every need.
Why It Could Succeed:
After directing three highly-respected films that have reached cult status in their own special way, Spike Jonze’s latest effort has fans of his offbeat style salivating at the mouth. Jonze has passionate movie fanboys, critics, and The Academy™ in his corner, so you know all eyes will be fixated on his newest film, which also marks his solo screenwriting debut. It’s hard to believe that Jonze’s only writing contribution has been on Where the Wild Things Are, since his whimsical style of directing has this writer-director energy to it a la Wes Anderson. Longtime collaborator Charlie Kaufman, who wrote the original screenplays for Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, is not working with Jonze on this project, but it’s clear that the revered Oscar-winning screenwriter has influenced Spike Jonze this go-around. Read more on Awards Profile: Her…
Directed By: Joel and Ethan Coen
Written By: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, and F. Murray Abraham
Synopsis: A singer-songwriter navigates New York’s folk music scene during the 1960s.
Read more on Awards Profile: Inside Llewyn Davis…
 Directed by: Spike Lee
Written by: Garon Tsuchiya (manga), Nobuaki Minegishi (manga), Mark Protosevich (screenplay)
Cast: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Samuel L. Jackson, Linda Emond, Hannah Simone, Caitlin Dulany, James Ransone, Taryn Terrell
Synopsis: Joe Doucett (Brolin) is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years before being released by Adrian Pryce (Copley). Hungry for revenge, Doucett is tormented by the path to discovering the truth behind everything that had happened to him. Read more on Awards Profile: Oldboy…
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Written by: Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith (story)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Emma Thompson, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak, Bradley Whitford, Kathy Baker, Ruth Wilson, Victoria Summer
Read more on Awards Profile: Saving Mr. Banks…
 Directed by: Alexander Payne
Written by: Bob Nelson
Cast: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Bob Okenkirk, Stacy Keach, June Squibb
Synopsis (courtesy of IMDb): An aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million dollar Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes prize. Read more on Awards Profile: Nebraska…
Read more on Awards Profile: Nebraska…
 Directed By: John Wells
Written By: Tracy Letts
Cast: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Margo Martindale, Sam Shepard, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ewan McGregor, Juliette Lewis, Abagail Breslin, Dermont Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Misty Upham, Newell Alexander
Synopsis: The Weston family overcomes certain differences when their alcoholic patriarch goes missing. Read more on Awards Profile: August: Osage County…
Categories: Award Profile Tags: Abagail Breslin, August: Osage County, Awards Profile, benedict cumberbatch, Chris Cooper, Dermont Mulroney, Ewan McGregor, John Wells, Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Meryl Streep, Misty Upham, Sam Shepard, the weinstein company, Tracy Letts
 Directed By: Ridley Scott
Written By: Cormac McCarthy
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Dean Norris
Synopsis: A lawyer finds himself in over his head when he gets involved in drug trafficking.
Award Speculation:
It’s so unusual how it seems the internet gets their hands on things even before the studios even do. Cormac McCarthy, the author of “No Country for Old Men” and “The Road,” both of which were adapted into films directed by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen and John Hillcoat respectively. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men (2007) obviously went on to win four Oscars including Best Picture. The Counselor is McCarthy’s first original screenplay that was sold in January 2012 to Nick Wechsler, Paula Mae Schwartz, and Steve Schwartz who were producers on The Road (2010). Nearly two weeks after the selling of the script, three-time Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott was announced to be directing the project. Read more on Awards Profile: The Counselor…
 Directed By: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Written By: Stephen Jefferys
Cast: Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews, Geraldine James, Cas Anvar, Michael Byrne, Juliet Steenson, Laurence Blecher, Douglas Hodge, Charles Edwards
Synopsis: Diana tells the story of the last two years of Princess Diana’s life, including her relationships with heart surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan and Dodi Fayed. Diana will also include her role in the campaign against land mines.
Read more on Awards Profile: Diana…
 Directed By: Steve McQueen
Written By: Steve McQueen and John Ridley
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Quvenzhané Wallis, Scoot McNairy, Garrett Dillahunt, Sarah Paulson, Michael Kenneth Williams, Taran Killiam, Dwight Henry, Adepero Oduye, Bryan Batt, Alfre Woodard
Synopsis: 12 Years a Slave is based on the 1853 autobiography of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped in Washington D.C in 1841 and sold into slavery. He worked on plantations in the state of Louisiana for 12 years before his release. Read more on Awards Profile: 12 Years A Slave…
Categories: Award Profile, Blog Tags: Adepero Oduye, Alfre Woodard, Awards Profile, benedict cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Bryan Batt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dwight Henry, Garrett Dillahunt, John Ridley, Michael Fassbender, Oscar hopeful, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Quvenzhané Wallis, Sarah Paulson, Scoot McNairy, Steve McQueen, Taran Killiam, Twelve Years A Slave
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