All Oscar charts have been updated. But first, look how starry the shorts are!

by Nathaniel R

After the shortlist announcement we had to cram in some  quick research on the shorts categories. Live action short might prove rather starry because one of the ten stars Tilda Swinton (The Human Voice) and another stars Oscar Isaac and Alia Shawkat (The Letter Room). Most of the filmmakers behind this years 30 finalist shorts (across the 3 categories) would be receiving their first nominations but there are a few previous Oscar players in the mix too:  Skye Fitzgerald (Hunger Ward, doc short), Pedro Almodovar (The Human Voice, live action short), Max Lang (Snail and the Whale, animated short) 

We'll discuss each category in its own post as we approach the Academy's nomination ballot week (which is still almost a month away if you can believe it!) but in the meantime all the charts are freshly updated...

INDEX | PICTURE | DIRECTOR

ACTRESS | ACTOR | SUPP' ACTRESS | SUPP' ACTOR | 
SCREENPLAYS | VISUAL | SOUND | 
ANIMATED & DOCUMENTARY | INTERNATIONAL FEATURE 

Link Bonanza

• The Guardian interviews Anya Taylor-Joy on her passion for acting, Emma, and The Queens Gambit
• AV Club Oscar Isaac to play Solid Snake in the film adaptation of video game Metal Gear Solid
• Atlantic a wonderful interview with David Fincher about grievances with Hollywood, the death of midbudget movies, and Mank

After the jump our streaming future, Catherine O'Hara, rising Egyptian cinema, MTV Movie Awards, new Christmas albums, and more...

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Showbiz History: Oscar-nominated sequels and 'the Death of Queen Jane'

We announced on twitter that we were going to quit these history posts because of lack of return on investment -- people just dont seem that into them. And then some people complained because they love them. So, hmmm. Perhaps we'll rejigger the concept to make them much less time consuming or chalk it up to too niche even for TFE. Anyway, one last one?

4 random things that happened on this day, December 6th, in film history

1945 The Bells of St Marys premieres. Here's a trivia note you might not know about. This was the first sequel ever nominated for Best Picture...

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Tweetweek in the Park with George

We haven't done a tweet round up in so long! So here you go. Some showbiz-related tweets this month that amused us or made us think or were just too special in some way not to share. 

Damn I hope Kevin Bacon doesn't get Covid. That contact tracing would be insane..

— Stevie- the F and U are silent . (@StevieOakley) October 11, 2020

this is such a serve pic.twitter.com/pLWVl8dDTy

— Dan (@kingdeficit) October 14, 2020

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Say No to the Blue Face - Jonathan Majors joins Ant-Man 3

by Ben Miller

Comic book movies can attract some high-class talent, and it looks like Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors is the latest to join the fray. Deadline is reporting Majors will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man 3. The third installment of Marvel’s most light-hearted franchise isn’t expected to come out until 2022, but Majors will join Ant-Man vets Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas, alongside director Peyton Reed.  It is unknown whether TFE-pfavorite Michelle Pfeiffer will return...

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