“Shape Of Water” Leads 2018 Oscar Nominations

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By Creative Media Times

The Shape of Water. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)


Guillermo del Toro’s lavish romantic fantasy “The Shape of Water” dominated 2018 Oscar nominations, earning 13 nods including best picture, best director and best actress for star Sally Hawkins, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday morning.

Not far behind were “Dunkirk” with eight nominations, and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” with seven.

This year, nine films were nominated for best picture, with Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, Darkest Hour, Get Out, Phantom Thread and The Post completing the list.

Set against the backdrop of Cold War-era, “The Shape of Water” tells the story of mute woman Elisa, who falls in love with a captured humanoid-amphibian creature housed at a high-security government laboratory where she works as a janitor.

Equal parts fantasy and romance, ‘Water’ continues director del Toro’s fascination with monsters and elements of dark fantasy in a historical setting similarly seen in Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), the director’s last major awards contender.

The 90th Academy Awards will air on March 4th at ABC with Jimmy Kimmel serving as host.

Here’s the full list of Oscar Nominees 2018:

BEST PICTURE

Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

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Introducing Marvel’s Young Guns 2018

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Celebrating the industry’s top artists to watch

Marvel is proud to announce the next generation of talented artists for this year’s Young Guns program! These six artists have proven they are some of the best in the industry, and their incredible art has consistently been admired by comic book fans from around the world.

Originally launched in 2004, the Young Guns program spotlights the best and brightest early-career artists in the comic book industry. Previous Young Guns have left their mark through some of Marvel’s greatest heroes, with alumni like Jim Cheung, Steve McNiven, Leinil Yu, Daniel Acuña, David Marquez, Sara Pichelli, and many more drawing some of Marvel’s biggest events and launching groundbreaking new series.

“I still clearly remember the launch of Marvel’s original Young Guns campaign over a decade ago, crafted as an innovative way to recognize and promote the upcoming artists we believed in – and knew would one day be superstars!” said C.B. Cebulski, editor-in-chief of Marvel. “From its inception, Young Guns has always been about living up to Marvel’s long legacy of identifying and hiring unique and groundbreaking talent to give our fans the best looking comics on the stands. And here we go again! Introducing the class of 2018, six artists poised for greatness, whose art will grace the pages of some of the coolest comics of the year!”

Today, Marvel is proud to continue its Young Guns tradition with 2018’s newest inductees:

  • Pepe Larraz, artist on Avengers: No Surrender
  • Javier Garron, artist on a secret upcoming project
  • Marco Checchetto, artist on Old Man Hawkeye
  • Aaron Kuder, artist on Infinity Countdown
  • Mike Del Mundo, artist on a secret upcoming project
  • Russell Dauterman, artist on Mighty Thor

In addition to their regular series, each of the Young Guns will create a special limited exclusive variant cover for six new books including Avengers #678, X-Men Red #1, Marvel Two-in-One #3, Doctor Strange: Damnation #1, Black Panther #170, and Amazing Spider-Man #797! These variants will be given to select retailers and be made available to fans worldwide through Televisa in Mexico and Panini in Europe, Russia, South America and other markets.More exciting new projects and series from Young Guns 2018 will be announced in the coming months. Welcome to Marvel’s Young Guns 2018.

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‘Three Billboards’ Lead Screen Actors Guild Awards

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By Creative Media Times

Fox Searchlight Pictures


The Screen Actors Guild Awards provided some clarity on one has been one of the more unpredictable awards season Sunday night, giving its top awards to “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” including best ensemble, best actress for Frances McDormand and best supporting actor for Sam Rockwell.

Martin McDonagh’s film about about a woman avenging the murder of her daughter beats out “Lady Bird,” “Mudbound,” “Get Out” and “The Big Sick” for the top ensemble prize, which bodes well for its Oscar prospects.

Meanwhile, in a repeat of Golden Globe Awards wins earlier this month, Gary Oldman won best actor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour,” while Allison Janney took supporting actress for her portrayal of Tonya Harding’s mom in “I, Tonya.”

For tv performances, “This Is Us,” “Big Little Lies,” and “Veep” led the night with two wins each. “This Is Us” won best drama series, while Sterling K. Brown took home best drama series actor. Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgard, who portray a couple in an abusive marriage won their first SAG Awards trophies for HBO’s “Big Little Lies.”

The Screen Actors Guild Awards is presented by SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), an labor union representing approximately 160,000 film and television actors, journalists, radio personalities, recording artists, singers, voice actors, and other media professionals worldwide. SAG Awards is The only televised awards shows to exclusively honor performers, focusing on both individual performances as acting ensemble.

See the complete list of winners below:

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Marvel Announces Exclusive Agreement with Kelly Thompson

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The acclaimed writer of Hawkeye and Rogue & Gambit joins the House of Ideas for new and exciting projects

Marvel Entertainment is excited to announce that writer Kelly Thompson will bring her creativity and captivating storytelling to Marvel in an exclusive agreement.

Thompson’s run of Hawkeye, which wraps up this March, has received critical acclaim thanks to the sharp characterization of its female-led protagonist Kate Bishop. Along with the series being spotlighted in several “Best Of” lists, including CBR’s “Best Comics of 2017,” Wired’s “6 Best Comics of 2017,” and IGN’s “Best of 2017 Nominees,” Thompson has been heralded by Vox as “one of the best new talents in comic books” and has a resume at Marvel that includes acclaimed books such as Captain Marvel & The Carol Corps and Journey To Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma.

Currently, Thompson is writing the mini-series Rogue & Gambit, which has drawn rave reviews and excitement from X-Men fans and new readers alike. With more fun surprises in store for the future, she will continue to bring her talents to both fan-favorite characters and well-known Marvel heroes going forward.

“Marvel was truly my first love. So to be here today, not only writing for Marvel but ‘going exclusive’ with them, is the definition of a dream come true,” said Thompson. “I remember visiting Disney World as a teen and being so consumed by an issue of X-Men that was due to come out that I was checking newsstands like a girl possessed until I located it. So yeah, this is everything I always wanted.”
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Def Leppard’s Entire Discography Now Available On Streaming

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By Armando

Phonogram (Europe)
Mercury (US and Japan)

They may be a couple of steps behind the streaming landscape but on Friday, Def Leppard is finally ready to get rocked as the classic catalog of the band is now available for streaming, the English rock band announced on it’s website and social media.

“It’s officially #DefLeppardDay! For the first time EVER stream & download our entire catalog globally.” the band posted on Twitter. The band’s catalog is now available for streaming and download on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Pandora and many other digital platforms.

Def Leppard is one of the world’s best-selling artists, having sold more than 100 million records. In 1987, they released their fourth album which would become their best-selling album to date “Hysteria.” The album spawned seven hit singles including their lone chart topper, the power ballad “Love Bites.” They remain one of the only five rock bands with two original studio albums that sold over 10 million in the U.S.

The band’s sentiments about streaming platform wasn’t always a positive one. They were one of the major artists opposed to streaming and were on holdout for a long time. Back in 20015, lead singer Joe Elliott remained ambivalent about the streaming format. “When you get on Spotify, it’s very insular. Which the whole industry has become. Everybody is on headphones now. It’s just Zombieland, and we’re all guilty of it,” says Elliott in an interview with Maxim.

Since then, a lot has changed with the band. As noted by Billboard, the band was at odds with former label Mercury Records over licensing and compensation, but later resolved their digital song rights with Universal Records.

The streaming space have also seen the likes of the Beatles and Prince finally embracing the platform in recent years.

The announcement couldn’t be more perfect as the band is set to co-headline a North American tour with another 1980s staple Journey this coming summer.

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Lara Croft Fights To Survive In “Tomb Raider” Trailer

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By Creative Media Times

Warner Bros. Pictures


Warner Bros. has released the second trailer for its upcoming action-adventure film “Tomb Raider,” giving audiences a closer look at Alicia Vikander’s athletic video game heroine Lara Croft getting down to business in her run for survival.

Unlike the previous trailer, the new footage shows more focus on the character’s legacy, her family and her past while looking for answers about the death of her father.

Vikander has taken on action films in the past with “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” and “Jason Bourne,” as well as the science fiction thriller “Ex Machina” which won her nominations at the Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for Best Supporting Actress. The Swedish actress received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the painter Gerda Wegener in The Danish Girl.

Directed by Norwegian filmmaker Roar Uthaug, the film also features Daniel Wu, Walton Goggins, Hannah John-Kamen as Sophie, Antonio Aakeel and Dominic West.

A reboot of the film franchise that originally starred Angeline Jolie as Lara, Tomb Raider is set to be released in March 16, 2018.

Here is Tomb Raider’s full synopsis:

Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death.

Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.

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New Trailer For Jason Momoa’s Latest “Braven”

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By Creative Media Times

Saban Films


Momoa is back to being a tough guy in the latest action-packed trailer for “Braven.”

The trailer shows Joe Braven (Momoa) and his father (Stephen Lang) go to their remote hunting cabin during a presumably relaxing getaway with his family. But things went bad fast when they found out that drugs were hidden by traffickers in the cabin.

When the heavily armed bad guys descent upon the cabin, it is now up to Braven to stand his ground and defend his family in any way possible.

The film seem like a good old fashioned action-thriller filled with shootouts, fistfights and Momoa’s axe throwing prowess, elements that has come to define Momoa career lately.

Directed by Lin Oeding, from the script by Mike Nilon and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, “Braven” is scheduled for release February 2, 2018. Momoa produced the film with Nilon, Brian Mendoza and Molly Hassell. Also in the film are Garret Dillahunt, Jill Wagner and Brendan Fletcher.

The actor is going to have a hectic 2018. The former Game of Thrones actor is set to appear later this year in what may be the biggest project of his career, director James Wan’s Aquaman, based on the DC Comics character of the same name.

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DCEU’s “Flashpoint” Has Found Its Director

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By Creative Media Times

DC . WB


The guys responsible for writing the screenplay of last summer’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” will now be directing DCEU’s “Flashpoint.” John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are set to direct the Flash stand alone film, Variety is reporting.

Ezra Miller will be reprising his role in Warner Bros.’ “Justice League” released last November and will play it Barry Allen incarnation.

The report also mentioned Ben Affleck to have been offered to direct the film but passed on the opportunity. Affleck played Batman in the DC Extended Universe, including 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad.” Affleck was originally set to return in Flashpoint. Though Justice League portrayed Batman as somewhat a mentor to Flash, it is unclear if Affleck’s character will still be used in Flashpoint at all.

Other directors once attached to helm the film were Rick Famuyiwa, Robert Zemeckis, Matthew Vaughn, and Sam Raimi.

In addition to “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, Daley and Goldstein have penned Horrible Bosses and 2015’s Vacation which they also directed for Warner Bros., home studio of DCEU and “Flashpoint.” They recently completed action black comedy “Game Night,” set for release later next month.

“Flashpoint” production start date has not yet been announced, and the film currently does not have a release date.

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Marvel Welcomes Artist David Baldeon To DOMINO

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Marvel’s femme fatale returns to comic books this spring – and so does superstar comic writer Gail Simone. DOMINO will unleash her risqué, hard-core action on the Marvel Universe in an all-new story, and Marvel can now announce the full creative team that will help to bring the soldier of fortune to life.

Joining Simone in crafting Domino’s journey is rising star David Baldeon (Spirits of Vengeance, Nova), who will bring his unique style to the pages of Simone’s story.

“I am so very thrilled to be a part of Team Domino! I am a fan of Gail’s work, and I’ve been wanting to work with her for a long time now. The fact that it is with a character like Domino is the icing on the cake!” said Baldeon. “She’s strong, she’s tough, she´s fun and she´s thrilling, and hopefully the art will bring through all of that. We’ve given her a new, sleek look that plays on all of her strengths, her history, and who she is as a character. Plus, this book is a completely different animal from my previous work style-wise, and therefore a chance to go into new grounds. This is going to be an exciting ride!”

“Since Marvel first asked me to write Domino, I knew there was one element that attracted me SO MUCH to her, but for some reason, I couldn’t quite name the exact word,” added Simone. “Was it stubbornness? Snarkiness? Other characters have those traits, too, but with Domino, there was this THING that represents her, but the word escaped me, and it was vexing. Wonderful editor Chris Robinson had someone in mind for the book, bless him! We immediately started getting the sketches and designs from David Baldeon Gonzalez, and I knew instantly the concept I had been trying to name, because he drew it right into her eyes. It’s MISCHIEF. Domino has a sense of mischief, of high-stakes play, even in the roughest times. She’s lethal and she KNOWS it.”

With Simone’s excitement and Baldeon’s explosive design, DOMINO’s creative team is officially ready to blast off this April.

“That really sealed the deal for me,” continued Simone. “David was our guy and I could not be happier. He draws gorgeous people doing dirty deeds, and it’s just exactly the roller-coaster ride I had hoped for. He’s adding so much heart and fire. I just love him.”

With gunplay and glitz galore, DOMINO brings you action, adventure, and antics like you’ve never seen before. Join Gail Simone and David Baldeon this spring when DOMINO hits your local comic shop.

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Kendrick Lamar and SZA Release Their First Single for Black Panther

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Eric Gasa

Top Dawg – Aftermath –
Interscope

Kendrick Lamar and SZA have both had a great 2017; Lamar, fresh off the success of his record DAMN, and six wins at the VMAs now has a sneaker line in tow, while labelmate SZA celebrates five Grammy nominations for her first mainstream success, the sultry R&B release, CTRL. The pair jet-sets into 2018 with an even greater start as the musical genius behind one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Black Panther.

Lamar’s label, Top Dawg Entertainment announced that it would be overseeing the soundtrack with the help of director Ryan Coogler.

“I’m truly honored to contribute my knowledge of producing sound and writing music alongside Ryan and Marvel’s vision,” said Lamar in a press release.
Coogler is best known for his award-winning 2015 movie, Creed which pitted Michael B. Jordan in a dramatic take on the Rocky series. Black Panther, much like Creed, flips the script for black audiences with an exclusively African-American cast and fresh take on the Marvel Universe.

The film wears its cultural heritage on its sleeve, starring Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, battling for the future of Wakanda against Creed’s Michael B. Jordan. Capes and hammers have been traded out for African aesthetics and costumes designed by Ruth Carter. Forest Whitaker, Angela Basset, and Lupita Nyong’o also share their names among the credits.

Of course, topping the project are the towering hip-hop singles from Lamar and SZA. The first salvo from the soundtrack, “All The Stars” is a bumping anthem for the silver screen. Dark, synth-y, and nocturnal, the song sounds like a single from SZA’s own CTRL; her voice pierces the veil with the thump of a drum machine while Lamar unloads a verse fit for a superhero: “Tell me what you gonna do to me/ Confrontation ain’t nothing new to me/ You can bring a bullet, bring a sword, bring a morgue/ But you can’t bring the truth to me.”

SZA’s elastic voice floats, sashays, and sails throughout the chorus, “All the stars are closer, all the stars are closer,” she sings. At its core, “All The Stars” is a song about love and determination.

Even if Black Panther doesn’t live up to they hype, despite already beating Captain America: Civil War as the most preordered Marvel film ever, it’s sure to have the greatest sound of any superhero movie out there.

As Black Panther pounces on the bad guys he’ll have hip-hop greatness at his back.

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