Apologies for the two week dry spell. I thought I’d be able to update along the way as I trekked out to Ohio to play meet the parents (which, thankfully, couldn’t have gone better), but alas, quick stops in hotels and 10 hour driving days made that much more difficult than I thought it would.
Anyway, I’m back in pocket now with a (relatively) cleared out schedule for the rest of the summer. Nothing much is happening on the western front besides the Seattle film fest. Chad is out of town for the moment and couldn’t put up the box office columns, but it appears “Shrek Forever After” took the top spot for a third-straight week. I don’t imagine anyone has much to say about that, in any case.
Two nuggets dropped today, however. The first involves Julian Schnabel’s “Miral,” which is a heavily anticipated, potential Oscar title for many readers and could be a play for “The Visitor” breakout Hiam Abbas. The Weinstein Company has acquired domestic distribution rights, adding to a stable that already includes Sundance titles “Blue Valentine” and “The Company Men,” as well as “The King’s Speech” and UK hit “Nowhere Boy,” among others. It’ll be interesting to see how that very Sony Classics-esque slate is handled during the season.
Also announced today is the expected title change for “Betty Anne Waters,” which will now be known as “Conviction.” There’s something sterile and frankly boring about that on-the-nose choice, but the film still looks like a potentially baity one regardless of what it’s called.
That’s all for now. Anne and I will be back with another Oscar Talk this Friday and Monday should bring another Off the Carpet column.
Comments
15 responses to “‘Betty’ now ‘Conviction,’ TWC nabs ‘Miral’”
Meet the parents “couldn’t have gone better.”
Wise man, Kris. I’m sure they read the site content. Well played.
But if the dad is anything like Robert De Niro, he could probably still be a human lie detector, even through the inter-web. :)
I can’t say that I’m a fan of the name change. “Conviction” is rather dull, much like Kris said.
What a boring title choice. Ugh.
Worst title ever.
It’s a much better title than Betty Anne Waters.
5-Not really.
“Conviction” = “Invictus.”
I can’t imagine this film being anything other than bland, old-fashioned Oscar bait, but hopefully I’m completely wrong.
At least the title’s a bit sleeker-looking, if also making it sound like an after-school special.
I am pretty excited to hear what remarks Hartigan will have for the A-Team and The Karate Kid.
Speaking English voiced my fears. Hopefully this doesn’t end up like “The Blind Side” or “Invictus”–horrible movies that get Oscar buzz for no other reason than “they had lots of star power.”
Give Hillary Swank another Oscar. That would be par for the course after the Academy gave that awful Bullock performance the gold…
med, Excellent sarcastic note.
Please Academy: See other movies before for being suprised by a Lifetime production of the week with the vastly overrated and mediocre Hilary Swank. Swank deserved another instead Streep, Mirren, Binoche, Winslet, Blanchett, Kidman…
For “Miral”, I hope that would be for a good sign. Hiam Abbas is excellent. She deserved the nomination for The Visitor
@ Xavi, damn straight there. I love Hiam Abbass and hope that Miral will do great things for her come Awards season.
“Conviction” = “Invictus.”
NO. Conviction = Inception.
Burn.
I hope Weinstein doesnt throw Miral under the bus like he did with The Road. Bastard(s)