“Aquaman 2” Producer Opens About Not Removing Amber Heard From Film
WASHINGTON — “Aquaman 2” producer Peter Safran rejected the social media campaign driven by Johnny Depp fans to remove his estranged wife and actor Amber Heard for the DC sequel in the wake of the actors’ tumultuous divorce. Dismissing the social media drive-by Depp’s supporters, Safran explained why the creative team didn’t go with the idea of removing Heard from the movie. “We felt that if it’s [director] James Wan and [star] Jason Momoa, it should be Amber Heard. Heard claimed that Depp had violently attacked her and reported other incidents of domestic violence. Produced by James Wan and Safran, the upcoming film will be written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick.
thewestsidegazette.comOscars surprises, snubs include Glenn Close, ‘Da 5 Bloods’
It’s a rare year when most of the Oscar nomination surprises are good ones, but 2020 was also a rare year for moviegoing and awards campaigns. Here’s our rundown of the snubs and surprises in the 93rd Academy Award nominations. FEMALE DIRECTORS GET THEIR SHOTFor 92 Academy Awards, only 5 women had ever been nominated for best director and never more than one in the same year. This year, the dubious honor goes to Glenn Close for her portrayal of Mamaw in Ron Howard’s adaptation of J.D. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, the film was well received, but seemed like a long shot for the major Oscars categories.
'Nomadland,' 'Rocks' lead more diverse BAFTA nominations
This image released by Altitude shows, from left, Kosar Ali, Ruby Stokes and Bukky Bakray in a scene from "Rocks." Much like previous Academy Awards controversies, last year's nominations by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts were denounced for their all-male directing nominees and all-white acting nominees, a backlash that spawned a #BaftasSoWhite hashtag. The British academy responded with a seven-month review. Also nominated are Lee Isaac Chung for the family drama “Minari” and Thomas Vinterberg for the Danish dark comedy “Another Round.”More films were nominated, too. ___AP's Hilary Fox contributed to this report from London___Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP