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Tag: Benedict Cumberbatch

  • Oscars unveils stellar line-up of presenters

    Oscars unveils stellar line-up of presenters

    MUMBAI: This year’s Oscars will see a stellar line-up of presenters. 

     

    From Josh Hutcherson, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana, Octavia Spencer, Marion Cotillard, Benedict Cumberbatch, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey to Lupita Nyong’o, the who’s who of Hollywood will take to the stage to present various awards this year.

     

    Cotillard, Cumberbatch, Streep, Winfrey and Witherspoon have all been nominated for the Oscars this year. Cotillard is nominated for Actress in a Leading Role for Two Days, One Night. She previously won an Oscar in this category for La Vie en Rose (2007). On the other hand, Cumberbatch is nominated for Actor in a Leading Role for The Imitation Game.

     

    Streep earned a record 19th acting nomination this year for her supporting role in Into the Woods. She previously took home Oscars for her lead performances in Sophie’s Choice (1982) and The Iron Lady (2011), and her supporting performance in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). Streep’s previous Best Actress nominations were for The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981), Silkwood (1983), Out of Africa (1985), Ironweed (1987), A Cry in the Dark (1988), Postcards from the Edge (1990), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), One True Thing (1998), Music of the Heart (1999), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Doubt (2008), Julie & Julia (2009) and August: Osage County (2013). She also received Best Supporting Actress nominations for The Deer Hunter (1978) and Adaptation (2002).

     

    Winfrey is nominated for Best Picture as one of the producers of Selma. She was previously nominated for Actress in a Supporting Role for The Color Purple (1985). She received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2011.

     

    Witherspoon is nominated for Actress in a Leading Role for Wild. She previously won an Oscar in this category for the 2005 movie Walk the Line.

     

    Additionally, last year’s Oscar winners Blanchett, Leto, McConaughey and Nyong’o will also be seen presenting awards this year. “The great tradition of having the previous year’s Oscar-winning best actors and actresses in all four categories happily continues this year with the amazing quartet of Cate, Jared, Matthew and Lupita. We’re thrilled to have them back,” said show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

     

    Blanchett has been nominated for six Oscars and has won two, including last year’s award for Blue Jasmine. Her previous win was for Actress in a Supporting Role for the 2004 film The Aviator. Blanchett also received leading actress nominations for Elizabeth (1998) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), and supporting actress nominations for Notes on a Scandal (2006) and I’m Not There (2007).

     

    Last year, Leto won the Oscar for Actor in a Supporting Role and McConaughey for Actor in a Leading Role, both for Dallas Buyer’s Club. Nyong’o took home the Oscar for Actress in a Supporting Role for 12 Years a Slave.

     

    The Oscars will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and will be held on 22 February.

  • ‘The Imitation Game’ wins best picture at Capri Hollywood Fest

    ‘The Imitation Game’ wins best picture at Capri Hollywood Fest

    MUMBAI: The 19th annual Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival, wrapped up in Italy and honoured the best of Hollywood movies released in 2014. The Imitation Game, distributed by the Weinstein Company, won the best picture. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing, and is directed by Morten Tyldum, with a screenplay by Graham Moore. Tyldum scooped the best director award for the film which is loosely based on the biography Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges.

     

    Speaking about the award ceremony, Capri festival producer, Pascal Vicedomini said, “This year, Capri Hollywood was able to present the best of this cinematic season, many of which are contenders for year-end honors including the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs and the Academy Awards.”

     

    The best actor award went to Timothy Spall for the movie, Mr. Turner and there was a tie between Jennifer Aniston (Cake) and Amy Adams (Big Eyes) for Best Actress.

     

    Birdman received the Visionary Award while Boyhood picked up the Family Awary trophy.  Disney’s Big Hero 6 drew the Animated Movie of the Year prize.

  • Benedict Cumberbatch to receive Variety Award

    Benedict Cumberbatch to receive Variety Award

    NEW DELHI: Renowned British actor Benedict Cumberbatch will receive The Variety Award the Moet British Independent Film Awards at the ceremony on 7 December at Old Billingsgate.

     

    The recipient of The Variety Award was announced today by Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson, joint Directors.

     

    The Variety Award recognises a director, actor, writer or producer who has helped to bring the international spotlight on the UK.  The Variety Award was bestowed upon Paul Greengrass last year and has previously been awarded to Jude Law, Kenneth Branagh, Liam Neeson, Sir Michael Caine, Daniel Craig, Dame Helen Mirren and Richard Curtis to name a few.

     

    The news coincides with the release of his latest film, The Imitation Game which is nominated for four Moet British Independent Film Awards: Best British Independent Film, Best Screenplay for Graham Moore; Best Actress for Keira Knightley and Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch.

     

    Cumberbatch commented: “I am delighted to receive this prestigious award and would like to thank Variety and The Moet British Independent Film Awards for this incredible honour. It is made even more special by the recognition of The Imitation Game in this year’s nominations, a film I am very proud to be a part of.”

     

    Cumberbatch is best known for playing the title role of Sherlock Holmes in Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ stunning adaption of the Conan Doyle books. It is a role that has earned him international acclaim and several awards including an Emmy as Best Actor in 2014.

     

    Benedict is currently filming The Hollow Crown II for BBC and Neal Street Productions, in which he plays the legendary Richard III for director Dominic Cooper and alongside Dame Judi Dench.

     

    Now in its 17th year, the Awards were created by Raindance in 1998 and set out to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking, to honour new talent, and to promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.

     

    Previous winners of the prestigious Best British Independent Film Award include Slumdog Millionaire. 

  • Benedict Cumberbatch gets engaged !

    Benedict Cumberbatch gets engaged !

    MUMBAI: The Imitation Game actor, Benedict Cumberbatch announced his engagement to Sophie Hunter, a theater actress and director, via a paid-for announcement in The Times newspaper’s classified section.

     

    The ad read:

     

    MR B.T. CUMBERBATCH AND MISS S.I. HUNTER

     

    The engagement is announced between Benedict, son of Wanda and Timothy Cumberbatch of London, and Sophie, daughter of Katharine Hunter of Edinburgh and Charles Hunter of London,” read the classified.

     

    According to media reports, a wedding date has not been set yet.

     

    The couple met while shooting the thriller Burlesque Fairytales in 2009. Cumberbatch and Hunter were only confirmed as a couple five months ago, after being photographed together at the French Open.

     

    Cumberbatch’s engagement comes two years after his breakup with fashion designer Anna Jones and four year after his longest relationship (10 years) with actress and screenwriter Olivia Poulet that ended in 2010.

     

    Hunter, has had some small roles in films, including Vanity Fair, and won a Samuel Beckett award for her play The Terrific Electrice, which she wrote and directed. She’s since staged productions of Ghosts (Henrik Ibsen), and The Magic Flute (Mozart). She also constructed an installation, Lucretia, inspired by Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia.

  • Benedict Cumberbatch to play Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’

    Benedict Cumberbatch to play Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’

    MUMBAI: After months of speculations, the Sherlock famed Benedict Cumberbatch is the final choice for the titular role in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, according to media reports.

     

    Slated for release on 8 July 2016, the feature will be directed by Scott Derrickson. Cumberbatch will play Dr Stephen Strange, a former neurosurgeon who, after losing the use of his hands, turns to the mystic arts and the occult. He will serve as the Sorcerer Supreme — the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats.

     

    Doctor Strange made his first appearance in the Marvel Universe in 1963, and was first created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in the pages of Strange Tales No 110. He has also been a longtime member of superhero teams like Avengers, and wielded a significant influence as a member of the Illuminati, which included the likes of Professor X, Mister Fantastic, and Iron Man.

     

    For the past few months, some of big Hollywood names have been linked to the role including Joaquin Phoenix, Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Tom Hardy, Justin Theroux, Ethan Hawke and Keanu Reeves.

     

    Marvel also plans to release the third Captain America movie along with the feature.

     

    In addition to his well-received ‘Sherlock’ series, for which he won an Emmy this year, he’s earned a great deal of Oscar buzz for his performance as cyberpioneer Alan Turing for The Imitation Game.

  • ‘The Imitation Game’ wins People’s Choice Award at TIFF

    ‘The Imitation Game’ wins People’s Choice Award at TIFF

    MUMBAI: Benedict Cumberbatch starrer The Imitation Game won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), marking the end of the 11-day movie marathon.

     

    Set for a 21 November release in US, the biopic portrays Cumberbatch as mathematician Alan Turing, who led the effort to break the Enigma code during World War II and was later persecuted by the government for his homosexuality. Directed by Morten Tyldum, the movie also stars Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Allen Leech and Matthew Beard.

     

    The film beat the first runner-up Learning to Drive — a dramedy about the unlikely friendship between Patricia Clarkson’s newly separated book editor and her driving instructor.

     

    Sponsored by Grolsch and decided by TIFF audiences, The People’s Choice Award for a feature film, is the most prestigious prize of the festival. Previous winners include 12 Years a Slave, Silver Linings Playbook, The King’s Speech and Slumdog Millionaire.

     

    Meanwhile, the people’s choice award in the genre-driven Midnight Madness section went to New Zealand comedy maestros Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement for their vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. Maxime Giroux’s Felix and Meira took the Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film and Jeffrey St. Jules won the prize for best first Canadian feature film for Bang Bang Baby.

     

    The People’s Choice Award for documentaries went to Hajooj Kuka’s Beats of the Antonov, a film that promotes peace, love and cultural expression amid the tribal wars that have afflicted Sudan for decades.

  • ’12 Years a Slave’ set to release in India on 31 January

    ’12 Years a Slave’ set to release in India on 31 January

    MUMBAI: PVR Pictures, one of the largest independent distributor of Hollywood movies in India, is all set to bring the much awaited drama 12 Years a slave to India. Based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup, the movie stars award winning actors Chiwetel Ejifor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano and features a special appearance by Brad Pitt. The historical drama is directed by Steve Mcqueen (Hunger) and brings on board Brad Pitt as producer.

     

    Set in the 1900’s. 12 Years a Slave is the poignant story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, who is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty at the hands of a malevolent slave owner, as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

     

    Commenting on the release of the movie, PVR Pictures president Kamal Gianchandani said, “12 Years a Slave is meaningful cinema and acting prowess at its best. The movie handles sensitive subjects of slavery and racial discrimination beautifully winning accolades at across film festivals and award ceremonies. We are proud to bring the movie for our Indian audiences who are certain to appreciate good cinema.” 

     

    12 Years a Slave has won Golden Globe award for the Best Picture Drama and has received nine Oscar nominations.

     

    Release Date in India – 31 January, 2013

    Director – Steve McQueen

    Writers – Matt Whitely

    Producer – Mark Hulme & Marcos A. Rodriguezs

    Starring – Chiwetel Ejifor, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Brad Pitt

  • BBC Worldwide signs a deal with AXN India

    BBC Worldwide signs a deal with AXN India

    MUMBAI:  BBC Worldwide in India today announced a deal with AXN India providing the broadcaster with more than 60 hours of BBC’s factual entertainment and drama programmes. Titles comprise of four series of Top Gear, two series of Orphan Black and three series Sherlock. The deal includes the presale of Top Gear (series 21 & 22), Orphan Black (series two), and Sherlock (series three). All programmes will be seen exclusively on AXN India throughout India and its subcontinent.

     

    BBC Worldwide Asia, SVP and GM and content lead Myleeta Aga commented:  “This new acquisition by AXN is the largest we’ve had with the broadcaster to date.  I’m very excited that viewers in India will now have access to some of the most popular and high quality drama and factual entertainment programmes that have come from BBC in the past year or so. Top Gear is the world’s largest and most popular motoring programme and is the ‘most watched factual programme’ in the world, according to the Guinness World Records. Sherlock has won multiple awards and catapulted its stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Watson) to international stardom. The first series of Orphan Black has received critical acclaim, won a number of accolades and has made a break-out star of Tatiana Maslany.”

     

    Talking about their association with BBC Worldwide, AXN India programming head Arpit Mankar, said: “We are very happy to extend our relationship with BBC. The first of our BBC acquired programmes, Sherlock (series one) will premiere on AXN India on 4 November on the Mon-Thu 9.30 pm time band.  We are confident that the series will be well received by our audiences; so much so that we’ve already ordered Sherlock series three even while it’s in production. Top Gear has innumerable fans in India and we are happy to now be the home of the latest series of Top Gear in India. Orphan Black has received such great reviews that we’ve acquired both series’ – even though series two is still being shot. The thriller is bound to take viewers by surprise!”

     

    Top Gear (series 20) started airing in mid October every Friday 9 pm while Sherlock (series one) will launch on November 4. Orphan Black is set to premiere first and exclusively on AXN this December.

  • 12 Years a Slave wins Peoples Choice Award

    12 Years a Slave wins Peoples Choice Award

    MUMBAI: The movie directed by Steve McQueen has been awarded the People’s Choice Awards at the Toronto International Film Festival of 2013. The movie stars Chiwetel Ejiofor with Michael Fassenbender and Benedict Cumberbatch.

    The story revolves around an 1853 true memoir of a free black man sold into slavery. Previous wins have been Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech. The movie is now expected to make rounds at the Oscars as well.

    Fox Searchlight will start showing the movie from 18 October. It debuted at Telluride Film Festival and has newcomer Lupita Nyong’o. Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Bill Pohlad are among the producers. The screenplay is done by John Ridley while Fox Searchlight and Regency Enterprises will be distributing it.
    Philomena won the runner up while Prisoners was second runner up.

  • Suraj Sharma nominated for BAFTA’s Rising Star award

    Suraj Sharma nominated for BAFTA’s Rising Star award

    MUMBAI: Suraj Sharma‘s brilliant performance of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi Patel) in his debut film Life of Pi has got him recognition as an actor and has been nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star award this year.

     

    Suraj joins the likes of British actresses Juno Temple, Andrea Riseborough, Elizabeth Olsen and Alicia Vikander who are also in the running for the award recognising new talent in the film industry.

     

    The 19-year old Suraj is the only male nominee on the shortlist, selected by a judging panel that included Sherlock Holmes actor Benedict Cumberbatch and director Kevin Macdonald.

     

    Suraj had no prior acting experience whatsoever, and auditioned only because he was there with his younger brother who had asked him to come along. He was one of the 3,000 actors to audition for the role of Pi Patel.

     

    Since filming Life of Pi, Sharma has returned to studying philosophy at St. Stephen‘s college Delhi University, and intends to continue working in film making in some capacity.

     

    The award is voted for by the public and the winner will be announced on 10 February.

     

    Earlier winners of BAFTA awards include James McAvoy, Tom Hardy, Eva Green, Shia LaBeouf and Kristen Stewart.