Awards Season: Golden Globe Noms Released

The Golden Globe nominations can be weird sometimes due to the fact that they split up movie awards into comedy/musical and drama and also because of the way they combine supporting awards on TV...and also because they are voted on by the foreign press. Sometimes the nominees can make you go..huh? Like this year with Breaking Bad not getting a nomination for Best TV Drama.

But while they aren't perfect, the Globes are still a good barometer to see what will come with the Academy Award nominations. This years nominees are pretty great, especially in the Best Actor - Drama category for film:

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Georege Clooney, "The Descendants"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"
Michael Fassbender, "Shame"
Ryan Gosling, "The Ides of March"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

The rest of the movie nominees:

Best Motion Picture - Drama

"The Descendants"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"The Ides of March"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

"50/50"
"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"Midnight in Paris"
"My Week with Marilyn"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Tilda Swinton, "We Need To Talk About Kevin"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

Jodi Foster, "Carnage"
Charlize Theron, "Young Adult"
Kristen Wiig, "Bridesmaids"
Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn"
Kate Winslet, "Carnage"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Joseph Gordon Levitt, "50/50"
Ryan Gosling, "Crazy Stupid Love"
Brendan Gleeson, "The Guard"
Owen Wilson, "Midnight in Paris"

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Kenneth Branagh, "My Week with Marilyn"
Albert Brooks, "Drive"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Viggo Mortensen, "A Dangerous Method"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

Best Director - Motion Picture

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
George Clooney, "The Ides of March"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

"Midnight in Paris"
"The Ides of March"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Moneyball"

And the TV nominees:

Best Television Series - Drama

"American Horror Story"
"Boardwalk Empire"
"Boss"
"Game of Thrones"
"Homeland"

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

"Enlightened"
"Episodes"
"Glee"
"Modern Family"
"New Girl"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Kelsey Grammer, "Boss"
Jeremy Irons, "The Borgias"
Damian Lewis, "Homeland"

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama

Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Mireille Enos, "The Killing"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Madeline Stowe, "Revenge"
Callie Thorne, "Necessary Roughness"

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Laura Dern, "Enlightened"

Zooey Deschanel, "The New Girl"

Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

Laura Linney, "The Big C"

Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

David Duchovny, "Californication"

Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory"

Thomas Jane, "Hung"

Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes"

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television

"Cinema Verite"

"Downton Abbey"

"The Hour"

"Mildred Pierce"

"Too Big to Fail"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Romola Garai, "The Hour"
Diane Lane, "Cinema Verite"
Elizabeth McGovern, "Downton Abbey"
Emily Watson, "Appropriate Adult"
Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Hugh Bonneville, "Downton Abbey"
Idris Elba, "Luther"
William Hurt, "Too Big To Fail"
Bill Nighy, "Page Eight"
Dominic West, "The Hour"

The 69th Golden Globes will be held on Sunday, Jan. 15.

"Cold Case" Star Kathryn Morris Scores "Moneyball"

Former "Cold Case" lead Kathryn Morris is heating up since switching casting agencies this past April.

In her first move since signing with the Gersh Agency, the actress is in negotiations to star in baseball drama "Moneyball" for Sony Pictures, according to Risky Business.

Morris will play the second wife of the lead character, Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt). She loves baseball as much as her husband, so she understands and shares his passion for the game.

Bennett Miller directs the film, which stars Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Stephen Bishop. The script was written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin and will shoot some scenes at Oakland Colliseum over the summer.

Morris is a solid actress, and I think a role like this could be a breakout part for her. She was always great on "Cold Case" and she also has been solid in supporting roles in “Minority Report,” “Resurrecting the Champ” and “Paycheck.”

The book "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis was fascinating, even for people who aren't baseball fans. With such a great cast and excellent director like Miller in place, "Moneyball" is a project to look forward to.

Filming kicks off in Los Angeles next week.

Darren Aronofsky, Brad Pitt Team For "The Tiger"

After two failed attempts, Brad Pitt and Darren Aronofsky are trying to team again for the adventure thriller "The Tiger" at Focus Features.

According to Cinematical: Once upon a time, Brad Pitt and Darren Aronofsky were lined up to do “The Fountain” together. Pitt dropped out, the project fell apart, and there have always been rumors of hurt feelings.

They were set to do “The Fighter” together until both abandoned it, and were replaced. But now it’s clear that Pitt's Plan B and Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures will produce “The Tiger” and the project is being lined up as a possible starring vehicle for Pitt.

Based on John Vaillant's upcoming non-fiction book, the story takes place on the Siberian plain, where humanity is encroaching on the tigers' habitat -- and one tiger turns on the intruders.

As townspeople are being hunted with an almost supernatural power, a conservationist game warden must face the tiger in a fight to the death. Guillermo Arriaga ("Babel," "21 Grams") will pen the script.

I’ll try not to get my hopes up too high about Aronofsky and Pitt teaming up because based on past events this project will probably be made with someone else starring. Either way, my fingers are still crossed because Aronofsky is brilliant, and Pitt is the type of intelligent, high-profile actor that could work well with him.

Here’s hoping this project comes together.

Brad Pitt, Ryan Reynolds Top Choices for "Gunsmoke"

Brad Pitt is the top contender while Ryan Reynolds is amongst potential backup candidates to star as the lead in a film remake of classic western series "Gunsmoke" at CBS Films, reports The LA Times.

According to the LA Times: The job of Dodge City peacekeeper is proving to be one of the most desirable assignments around.

Several top-flight actors are in the running to play Marshal Matt Dillon, the lead lawman in CBS Films' big-screen adaptation of the classic Western television show "Gunsmoke" that starred James Arness.

Brad Pitt has emerged as a top contender for the role, with Ryan Reynolds also a candidate for the juicy, gunslinging part.

Currently tied with "Law & Order" as the longest running primetime drama in U.S. television history, the series was set in Dodge City, Kansas during the settlement of the American West. The show ran on CBS from 1955 to 1975.

Dillon is the Western hero charged with maintaining law and order in the period Kansas town filled with colorful vagrants, misfits and desperadoes. He carries on in these adventures with the help of town physician Doc Adams and tavern owner Miss Kitty Russell.

In the film version, penned by Gregory Poirier ("National Treasure: Book of Secrets"), Pitt or the other potentials would play the lead role of Marshall Matt Dillon, which Arness memorably played for 20 years. Several other actors are said to be in the mix for the Dillon part, which offers the dual appeal of playing an action hero who also has depth and period cachet.

Pitt would be an excellent choice for this role. He was excellent in the underrated “The Assassination of Jesse James,” so he would be comfortable in the Western scene. Reynolds also would be a great choice. After some recent humorous roles, Reynolds has remade himself as an action lead, preparing to shoot the titular role in "The Green Lantern.”

Either way, the studio is hoping that “Gunsmoke” will be the film that gets audiences excited for Westerns again, which have faded out in recent years.

Pitt Tackles The Economy In "The Big Short"

Paramount Pictures and Plan B have picked up film rights to Michael Lewis' non-fiction tome "The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine" says Variety.

According to Variety: Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B are closing in on a deal to the film rights to “Moneyball” author Michael Lewis’ upcoming Wall Street book, "The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine".

Lewis's book, which comes out in March, chronicles the recent free fall of the American economy (in particular the crippled housing market), seen through the eyes of a large group of characters. It also centers on the various decisions by Wall Street power brokers, banker and mortgage agents that led to the complete collapse of the housing market in the fall of 2008.

Pitt clearly likes Michael Lewis. Pitt was slated to star in Steven Soderbergh’s adaptation of “Moneyball” which stalled out last year and is now in Bennett Miller’s hands. Hopefully this time around the film will actually get made. Pitt will produce and also consider starring.

“The Blind Side”, which is an adaptation of one of Lewis’ books, just got two Oscar nominations, for Best Picture and Best Actress (Sandra Bullock), and his new book just might be a Brad Pitt starring vehicle. I guess it’s a great week to be Michael Lewis.

No production dates have been set.

Matt Damon, Brad Pitt Re-Team For "Happy Feet" Sequel

"Ocean's Eleven" co-stars Matt Damon and Brad Pitt are re-teaming for the "Happy Feet" sequel, reports Movieline.

According to Movieline: “Matt Damon and Brad Pitt haven’t made a movie together since “Ocean’s Thirteen,” but Movieline hears that the two actors have both been cast in an upcoming film directed by George Miller. No, not Miller’s 'Mad Max' reboot starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. I’m warning you, temper your expectations a little.”

“Pitt and Damon will both be voicing characters in Miller’s Happy Feet 2, a 3-D sequel to his 2006 animated film. They’ll be joining original cast members who include Robin Williams and Elijah Wood.”

The pair started doing voice work for the sequel last week but the actors’ roles are unknown at this time.

Sometimes, when big-name actors lend their voices to animated features, things turn out not so great, such as when Robert DeNiro and Will Smith did “Shark Tale,” which in my opinion was a terrible animated film.

But “Happy Feet” actually was pretty good, and I think the addition of Pitt and Damon will be great for the project. I’m sure they both will still look great as penguins, or whatever type of animals they end up voicing.