"The hardest thing about being a dad in this business... the best way for me to be a good dad is not to talk about him. I'm so sorry. I realise that you guys are the people to talk to about babies... Thanks for understanding." Scottish actor JAMES MCAVOY is determined to keep his baby son, with wife ANNE-MARIE DUFF, out of the spotlight.
'I feel like I've been blasted to infinity and beyond,' director Lee Unkrich says.
By Terri Schwartz
"Toy Story 3"
Photo: Disney/Pixar
Pixar and Disney continued to set the standard for quality animation with this year's "Toy Story 3," and so it was no surprise when the film was nominated for five Academy Awards Tuesday morning (January 25): Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, Original Song, Achievement in Sound Editing and Adapted Screenplay. It's the second year in a row that a Pixar/Disney film has been nominated in both the Best Picture and Best Animated Feature categories, and director Lee Unkrich is feeling the love.
"It's an incredible honor to be nominated by the Academy. When we began making the first 'Toy Story' nearly 16 years ago, we never could have imagined the journey on which these films, and these characters, would take us," he said in a statement. "For 'Toy Story 3' to be recognized by the Academy as not only one of the best animated films of the year, but also as one of the 10 best pictures of the year, is both humbling and overwhelming. I'm speechless — I feel like I've been blasted to infinity and beyond."
MTV News caught up with Unkrich on the phone to talk to him about the nomination, which he called "completely mind-blowing." He said he was so prepped for the nominations announcement this morning that he set his alarm and watched the live stream of the announcements with his wife and 13-year-old daughter.
Unkrich said he was disappointed that the Best Animated Feature was limited to only three films, because there were many other great animated films this year that weren't acknowledged.
" 'Tangled' didn't get nominated and I was really rooting for them, they really deserved to be in there. And I'm disappointed for those guys because they made a really beautiful film that was definitely Oscar-worthy," Unkrich said.
This is the first time a "Toy Story" film has been nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar because the first two installments were released in 1995 and 1999, and the category was not created until 2001. The "Toy Story" films have never won an Oscar before. At least "Toy Story 3" seems like a shoo-in for Best Animated Feature.
It's also the second time a "Toy Story" film has been nominated for its screenplay. The first "Toy Story" was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, with Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow, John Lasseter, Pete Docter and Joe Ranft getting story and writing credits. For "Toy Story 3," it is Oscar-winner Michael Arndt who is credited with writing the screenplay for the film, and he couldn't be more pleased. Considering it's only his second writing credit (after "Little Miss Sunshine"), he certainly has a right to be.
"I've spent my whole life being inspired and moved by the work of the screenwriters of the Academy, so to be recognized by the Writers Branch this morning is deeply gratifying and profoundly humbling," Arndt said in a statement. "While I wish I could hog all the credit for myself, I would have gone nowhere and done nothing without the collective brilliance of the entire creative community at Pixar, who have always maintained that 'story comes first' and who are crazy enough to actually believe it."
In addition to the four nominations for "Toy Story 3," the Pixar short that premiered before the film, "Day & Night," also received a nomination, for Best Animated Short. This is director Teddy Newton's second directing credit. He is best known for his voice acting in Pixar films (he was Chatter Telephone in "Toy Story 3").
"I thank the Academy for this extraordinary recognition. Creating 'Day & Night' with the high-quality team of artists and technicians within Pixar was truly a non-stop sensation of positive energy for me. I was constantly amazed by the crew's fortitude to push through challenges and inspire each other with their ingenuity," Newton said in a statement.
Check out everything we've got on "Toy Story 3."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related Photos
Singapore is often viewed as a lightweight when it comes to world cinema.
Censored, marginalized and unpopular with local audiences, Singaporean films have struggled to make an impact.
But one filmmaker is bucking that perception: Boo Junfeng, young, talented and unafraid to tackle issues such as human rights, homosexuality and national identity.
One of the most promising directors to emerge from Singapore in recent years, the 27 year-old's first feature film, "Sandcastle" (2010), was shown at Cannes International Film Festival. His short films, "Un Retrato De Familia" (2004), "Katong Fugue" (2007), "Tanjong Rhu" (2008), "Keluar Baris" (2008) and "Bedok Jetty" (2008) have screened at various film festivals around the world.
America Ferrera Julie Berry Samaire Armstrong Christina Ricci Cristina Dumitru
Soft Cell Beyoncé Jamie Chung Melissa Howard Angela Marcello
Maria Bello Tina Fey Michael Michele Nicole Richie Autumn Reeser
Here?s one for all you iPhoneography fanatics who can?t get enough of the ?TiltShift Generator? app.
Vimeo user Joerg Daiber takes things to the next level with this very cool ?Toy Thailand? tiltshift video, which features shots of Bangkok, Phuket and Railay.
Website Technorati.com featured the video on its site this week, offering an explanation of the popular technique used by photographers and videographers to make the subjects of their art look small and toy-like.
Tamie Sheffield Maria Sharapova Whitney Able Jenny McCarthy Reese Witherspoon
Amanda Marcum Majandra Delfino Jessica Alba Uma Thurman Tila Tequila
'We're developing a true superstar in Willow,' Jay says in a statement announcing the project.
By Aly Semigran
Jay-Z
Photo: Rob Loud/ Getty Images
When Jay-Z sampled "It's a Hard Knock Life" from the classic Broadway show-turned-movie musical "Annie," who would have guessed it was simply a sneak preview of bigger things to come? It's been announced that Jay has teamed up with Overbrook Entertainment, a film production company whose partners include Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Lassiter and Ken Stovitz.
One of the first projects on the Jay-Z/Overbook agenda will, in fact, be remaking "Annie." After rumors hit the Net about the possibility of the update, Variety confirmed Wednesday (January 26) that Sony will bring the reimagining of the musical about a spirited orphan to the big screen.
Will and Jada plan to make a family affair out of this latest endeavor as their daughter, 10-year-old Willow Smith (who scored a massive hit last year with the infectious "Whip My Hair"), will play the coveted lead role.
In a statement, Jay-Z said of the group's latest venture, "The Overbrook Entertainment family and I have a unified vision," adding, "We're developing a true superstar in Willow."
Willow's rising star (the pint-size singer recently tweeted, "Are you excited for my album?! It's coming soon........VERY soon!!") prompted Columbia Pictures President Doug Belgrad to state, "The time is right to bring back 'Annie' to the big screen. We're true believers in Willow's talent and believe she will be perfect in this role."
Of course, this isn't the first time Jay, Lassiter and the Smiths have teamed up, as the power foursome worked as co-producers on the Tony-nominated Broadway show "Fela!" Nor is it the first time Overbrook (which has pulled in a staggering $2.5 billion in revenue) will make a film featuring one of the Smiths' children. In addition to releasing Will Smith's blockbuster movies including "Hitch" and "Hancock," their son Jaden Smith starred in Overbrook's "The Pursuit of Happyness" and, most recently, a remake of "The Karate Kid."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related ArtistsTatiana Zavialova Monica Potter Joanne Montanez Jennifer Sky Ehrinn Cummings
'I'm excited to see it in action,' the ex-'Spider-Man' star says about the outfit Andrew Garfield will wear in the upcoming prequel.
By Terri Schwartz with reporting by Eric Ditzian
Tobey Maguire
Photo: George Pimentel/ Getty Images
PARK CITY, Utah — Ever since Andrew Garfield was announced to star as Spider-Man in Marc Webb's big-screen reboot of the Marvel superhero franchise, all eyes have been turned to Tobey Maguire to see what his response would be. It's not so much that Garfield replaced Maguire as Peter Parker as that Sony, who produces the films, decided that the series would be better served if it followed the teenage version of Parker through his transition — you know, to tap into the "Twilight" teen audience. And thus, the yet-untitled "Spider-Man" prequel was born.
But there never has been any hard feelings between the two Spideys, at least publicly. The first picture of Garfield as Spider-Man hit the Internet on January 13, and it showed a different take on the famed suit than the one Maguire donned in the three Sam Raimi films. MTV recently caught up with Maguire at the Sundance Film Festival, and the former "Spider-Man" star said he has seen the new suit and liked what he saw.
"I thought it looked cool," revealed Maguire. "I mean, I think they did a great job with the design of it, and I'm excited to see it in action."
It's not the first time Maguire has voiced his approval of the "Spider-Man" prequel. During a December interview with BBC News, Garfield admitted that Maguire had reached out to him to congratulate him on the role and give him his backing.
"He sent me a lovely message through a mutual friend," said Garfield. "He gave me his support, and it meant a great deal, of course, because part of the reason I love and have continued to love this character was because of his portrayal. To step into those shoes is no mean feat. It was generous of him to reach out and say something, so I'm thankful."
The "Spider-Man" prequel is filming right now, and is set to be released on July 3, 2012.
Check out everything we've got on "Spider-Man."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies -- updated around the clock -- visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosVirginie Ledoyen Monica Keena Aubrey O\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Day Mía Maestro Soft Cell
If she wasn?t trying to win China?s first ever Grand Slam singles title in tennis, Li Na could do well as a stand-up comedian.
Interviewed on court after advancing to the quarter-finals in one of the sport?s most hallowed arenas, Li runs off the one-liners with the same hard flat punch as her winners on the court.
Asked if her husband and new coach Jiang Shan has made her a better player this year, she quips in fluent English, ?I?m a better person this year.?
Tatiana Zavialova Monica Potter Joanne Montanez Jennifer Sky Ehrinn Cummings
Marley Shelton Leeann Tweeden America Ferrera Julie Berry Samaire Armstrong
Aaliyah Simone Mütherthies Zoe Saldana Aisha Tyler Brittany Lee
If she wasn?t trying to win China?s first ever Grand Slam singles title in tennis, Li Na could do well as a stand-up comedian.
Interviewed on court after advancing to the quarter-finals in one of the sport?s most hallowed arenas, Li runs off the one-liners with the same hard flat punch as her winners on the court.
Asked if her husband and new coach Jiang Shan has made her a better player this year, she quips in fluent English, ?I?m a better person this year.?
Shakira Summer Glau Anna Friel Megan Ewing Izabella Scorupco
