Dec
18
2008

Consumers said “Gimme Gimme Gimme” to Mamma Mia! The Movie, the most successful film musical of all time worldwide, as first day domestic DVD and Blu-ray™ consumer spend totaled over $30 million. Universal Studios Home Entertainment sold over 2.25 million units of the Golden Globe® -nominated blockbuster on December 16, 2008. An unprecedented worldwide box office phenomenon, Mamma Mia! The Movie has already been proclaimed the fastest selling DVD of all time in the U.K. after first-day sales reached 1.6 million units, surpassing the previous decade-long record holder Titanic on November 24, 2008 by over a half-million units, or 50 percent of total sales.

Dec
18
2008

Congratulations to Meryl for receiving a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination as Best Actress for “Doubt” – and a second nod as part of the ensemble in the Best Ensemble category. All four members of the “Doubt” cast have received individual nominations, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Best Supporting Actor and Amy Adams and Viola Davis as Best Supporting Actresses, making “Doubt” the leading picture with 5 nominations! The SAG Awards will be handed out during a live broadcast on January 25, 2009.

Dec
11
2008

Congratulations to Meryl Streep for receiving not one but two nominations for the Golden Globe. She’s nominated as Best Actress in a Drama for “Doubt”, alongside Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long) and Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road) – and as Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for “Mamma Mia”, alongside Rebecca Hall (Vicky Christina Barcelona), Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky), Frances McDormand (Burn After Reading) and Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey). Meryl’s two films are prominently featured at this year’s Golden Globes with “Doubt” receiving a total of 5 nominations for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams and Viola Davis), Best Supporting Actor (Philip Seymor Hoffman) and Best Screenplay (John Patrick Shanley) – and “Mamma Mia” with 2 nominations for Best Picture Muscial/Comedy and Best Actress. The Golden Globes will be handed out in a ceremony on January 11, 2009.

Dec
11
2008

With the announcement of the 66th Annual Golden Globe Award nominations and Meryl receiving not one but two nominations, the actress surpassed Jack Lemmon’s count of 22 nominations and is now, besides holding the record for most Oscar nominations, the actor with the most Golden Globe nominations of all time with a total of 23 nominations.

Dec
09
2008

Meryl Streep has received a Critics Choice Award nomination as Best Actress for “Doubt”. The film was able to score five more nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Philip Seymor Hoffman), Best Supporting Actress (Viola Davis), Best Ensemble and Best Writer. Winners will be revealed at the 14th annual Critics’ Choice Awards ceremony on January 8, 2009 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, broadcast live on VH1 Television Network.

Dec
04
2008

The cast of “Doubt” has been awarded by the National Board of Review in the Best Ensemble category. Further, Viola Davis received an honour for the Breakthroguh Performance by an Actress. Also, earlier today Meryl received a Grammy nomination as the starring singer on the “Mamma Mia” soundtrack, in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media category. A full list of all Grammy nominees can be found here.

Nov
13
2008

According to Variety, Meryl Streep is purring over “Dewey,” a fact-based film about a stray cat’s impact on the town of Spencer, Iowa. The project has landed at New Line Cinema. Streep is attached to star in the adaptation of the Vicki Myron book “Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World.” Pamela Gray will pen the script. Streep intends to play the author, who works at the library and observed the impact that a kitten had on the townsfolk once it became the library mascot after wandering in through the after-hours book return slot on a cold night.Temple Hill Entertainment partners Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey are setting the film at New Line, where the duo have a first-look deal. Bowen and Godfrey will produce, and IPG’s Jerry Kalajian and Temple Hill’s Pete Harris will be involved in producing capacities.

Oct
30
2008

The film has made £66,995,224 in the UK, beating Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Casino Royale moves down a place to number three with the top 10 completed by other Harry films, The Full Monty, Bridget Jones’ Diary and Love Actually. Worldwide, the film is already one of the most profitable movies ever, recently crossing the $500m box office mark. The film, based on the 1975 ABBA hit song and the musical stage play, stars Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan. Universal Pictures International president David Kosse told The Hollywood Reporter: “Since its release in July we’ve seen people around the world coming back to see the film again and again.” Last month it was reported that the financial crisis had resulted in the best summer cinema attendance in almost 40 years. Mamma Mia! was widely credited with helping make it the best for British cinema admissions since 1972. “Mamma Mia! has really tapped into the public’s desire for feelgood escapism. An absolute phenomenon.”

Oct
25
2008

“Doubt,” John Patrick Shanley’s adaptation of his Broadway play starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep, has been drafted to serve as the opening-night film of AFI Fest 2008, screening Thursday at ArcLight Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome. It replaces “The Soloist,” which was pulled when its release was postponed until March 13. The festival will screen an unfinished version of “Doubt,” which opens theatrically Dec. 12. “The movie is still being finished, but we were so excited to show ‘Doubt’ and help our friends at AFI Fest and the American Film Institute at the same time. We couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity,” Miramax president Daniel Battsek said. “We are grateful to Miramax Films and producers Scott Rudin and Mark Roybal for providing AFI the honor of premiering this highly anticipated, unfinished version of ‘Doubt.’ There is no doubt that bringing together Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams in concert with the extraordinary talents of writer-director John Patrick Shanley promises an evening that will celebrate the finest in American film,” AFI Fest artistic director Rose Kuo said. AFI Fest runs Thursday through Nov. 9.

Oct
16
2008

According to Variety, Universal is setting Steve Martin to join Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin in the untitled romantic comedy that Nancy Meyers wrote and will direct in February. Meyers is producing with Scott Rudin. Martin and Baldwin will play rivals for the affection of a woman (Streep). Meyers set up the project at U after making her two previous films at Columbia in “Something’s Gotta Give” and “The Holiday.” Universal acquired foreign on the latter, and the film performed more strongly overseas than it did domestically. Martin is reteaming with Meyers, who co-wrote and produced both of the “Father of the Bride” films in which Martin starred for Disney.