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Zoe Saldana Makes History with Her Oscar Win for Emilia Pérez

March 3, 2025, 10:31 am

Zoe Saldana has played some of the most recognizable characters in film, from the blue-skinned Neytiri in Avatar to the green-skinned Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy. However, on Oscar night, she took center stage as herself, celebrating a role that allowed her to fully embrace her Afro-Latina identity.

“I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hard-working hands,” Saldana declared in her acceptance speech. “I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. And I know I will not be the last.”

Her performance in Emilia Pérez earned her a historic win. She joined the select group of actors who have won Oscars for non-English performances, alongside stars like Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari). What makes her victory even more remarkable is that she became the first performer in 25 years to win an acting Oscar for a film nominated in the Best International Feature category—following Roberto Benigni’s win for Life is Beautiful.

A Role That Changed Her Career

In Emilia Pérez, Saldana portrays Rita Castro, a struggling lawyer who becomes entangled in the dangerous world of crime. She is hired by a feared drug lord to help him undergo gender-affirming surgery. That drug lord later transitions into Emilia Pérez, played by Karla Sofía Gascón—the first openly transgender actor to receive an Oscar nomination.

Saldana’s role required more than legal drama. She had to display exceptional versatility—acting, singing, and even rapping. One of the film’s most powerful moments occurs when her character, Rita, exposes Mexico’s elite at a lavish gala, performing a bold rap to El Mal.

Despite working in Hollywood for decades, Saldana had never acted in Spanish before. “The opportunity never really came,” she told Elle magazine. French director Jacques Audiard initially wrote Rita’s role for a Mexican man but later revised it to align with Saldana’s background. This change marked a major shift in her career.

From Sci-Fi Icon to Oscar Winner

Saldana has built her career starring in some of the highest-grossing films of all time. She has been a key figure in Avatar, Star Trek, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with four of her films surpassing $2 billion at the global box office. However, she had long sought a different kind of challenge.

“I was very much like, ‘Well, that’s okay, I’m going to dance to the beat of my own drum and I’ll go to space and I’ll be green and I’ll be blue and I’ll do all those things,'” she explained. “Then 15 years go by, and I’m yearning for that reconnection.”

That desire led her to Emilia Pérez, a film that combined music, crime, and social issues in a way that mainstream Hollywood rarely attempts. Her dedication to the project paid off, as she dominated the awards season. Before winning the Oscar, she had already taken home a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Critics Choice Award, and a SAG Award.

A Controversial Journey to the Oscars

Saldana’s road to Oscar night was not without controversy. Old tweets from her co-star Gascón resurfaced, sparking criticism. Additionally, some questioned whether her performance should have been nominated for Best Actress rather than Best Supporting Actress, given her significant screen time.

Despite the debates, Saldana handled the situation with poise. “I’ve never been questioned about where I come from or judged by how I speak or what my pronouns are,” she said at the SAG Awards. “I believe that everybody has the right to be who they are, and Emilia Pérez is about truth and love.”

Director Jacques Audiard also addressed the controversy, acknowledging that Gascón’s past comments “hurt others” but emphasizing that Saldana’s performance was extraordinary and deserved recognition.

What’s Next for Zoe Saldana?

Now an Oscar winner, Saldana joins the ranks of actors who have successfully transitioned from major franchises to critically acclaimed independent films. However, she isn’t stepping away from blockbuster cinema just yet.

She is set to lend her voice to Pixar’s upcoming animated film Elio, which will premiere in June. Additionally, she will reprise her role as Neytiri in James Cameron’s next Avatar installment, scheduled for release this December.

Saldana’s journey has been one of transformation, both professionally and personally. From training as a young ballet dancer in the Dominican Republic to becoming a sci-fi superstar and now an Oscar-winning actress, her career is a testament to resilience and evolution. As she tearfully dedicated her award to her grandmother on stage, she made it clear that this moment was not just about her, but about those who came before her and those who will follow in her footsteps.

Oscar 2025: Nominations to be Announced Today, Where to Watch in India

January 23, 2025, 5:11 pm

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the 2025 Oscar nominations today, January 23, at 7:00 PM IST. The announcement was postponed several times from January 17 due to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.

Live Streaming of Oscar Nomination

The live streaming of the announcement will be conducted by actor-writer-comedians Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang. The ceremony will feature Sennott and Yang at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, announcing the 24 Oscar categories nominees. The event will be broadcast globally through Oscar.com, Oscars.org, as well as other channels from the Academy’s official digital releases. Viewers can catch the presentation on ABC’s Good Morning America and stream it on ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu.

Several Los Angeles wildfires created a delay.

The original date for the nomination announcement was January 17. The Academy, however, pushed the announcement to January 19 due to wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles. The fires were very destructive and reached several Oscar voters, compelling the Academy to change its schedule. Due to the ongoing wildfire, the voting period was extended to January 17 and finally, the date for announcing was shifted to January 23. Moreover, because of these ongoing disruptions, the Oscar Nominees Luncheon is canceled but despite these delays, the ceremony of Oscars is going to be held.

Although the announcement of the nominations was delayed, the 97th Academy Awards are still to take place as planned on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Conan O’Brien will be the host of this much-awaited celebration of cinema achievement.

The Academy has quickly moved to fit the changes occasioned by the unexpected delays, and with the new date for the nominations, the excitement about this year’s Oscars is already building.

Laapataa Ladies Debuts In Japan After Selection As India’s Official Oscar Entry

October 5, 2024, 12:52 pm

Kiran Rao’s directorial Laapataa Ladies continues its unstoppable journey, garnering praise as it travels from one film festival to another. The film, which won the hearts of Indian audiences—an impressive feat for small, slice-of-life movies—has now expanded its reach with a release in Japan.

Laapataa Ladies Makes Its Debut in Japan

Produced by Aamir Khan, Laapataa Ladies hit theaters in Japan on October 4. After its successful run on the big screen and on OTT platforms in India, the film is poised to attract a new audience abroad. Its release in Japan follows several accolades, including winning the Best Film Critics’ Choice Award at the 2024 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) and being selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2025.

Laapataa Ladies Oscar Entry

Starring Sparsh Srivastava, Nitanshi Goel, and Pratibha Ranta in lead roles, Laapataa Ladies was chosen as India’s official submission for the 97th Academy Awards. The film competed against 29 others, including Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Ranbir Kapoor, as well as the National Award-winning Malayalam film Aattam.

Reflecting on this recognition, Kiran Rao expressed her gratitude: “I am deeply honored and beyond delighted that our film Laapataa Ladies has been chosen as India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. This recognition is a testament to the tireless work of my entire team, whose dedication and passion brought this story to life. Cinema has always been a powerful medium to connect hearts, transcend boundaries, and ignite meaningful conversations. I hope that this film will resonate with audiences across the world, just as it has in India.”

Harry Potter fame Dame Maggie Smith Passes Away at 89

September 27, 2024, 7:24 pm

Dame Maggie Smith, the renowned actress celebrated for her exceptional talent, passed away on Friday at the age of 89 in a London hospital. Smith, who won an Academy Award for her role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), gained renewed acclaim in the 21st century for her roles as the dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.

Smith’s sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, confirmed her passing in a statement, expressing their devastation at the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. “She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss,” they said through publicist Clair Dobbs.

Legacy as a Preeminent British Actress

Frequently regarded as one of the foremost British actresses of her generation alongside luminaries such as Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench, Smith’s illustrious career was marked by numerous accolades. In addition to her Oscar for best actress, she won a BAFTA award for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She also received a supporting actress Oscar for her performance in California Suite (1978), further solidifying her status as a cinematic icon.

“I had an angel in Christopher Nolan”: Anne Hathaway post her Oscar win

March 26, 2024, 11:01 am

Anne Hathaway has described filmmaker Christopher Nolan as an “angel” in her life, as she graces her first solo Vanity Fair cover. She addressed the 2013 viral phenomenon of ‘Hathahate,’ which portrayed her identity as “toxic” following her Oscar win for the musical ‘Les Miserables’, and shared how Nolan supported her despite the online criticism, Variety reported.

“A lot of people wouldn’t give me roles because they were so concerned about how toxic my identity had become online. I had an angel in Christopher Nolan, who did not care about that and gave me one of the most beautiful roles I’ve had in one of the best films that I’ve been a part of,” she recalled.

Hathaway highlighted her role as NASA scientist D. Amelia Brand in Nolan’s 2014 space epic ‘Interstellar’. She had previously worked with Nolan as Selina Kyle in 2012’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, which earned her acclaim months before her Oscar campaign for ‘Les Miserables’ generated internet scorn.

“I don’t know if he knew that he was backing me at the time, but it had that effect. And my career did not lose momentum the way it could have if he hadn’t backed me,” Hathaway added.

“Humiliation is such a rough thing to go through. The key is to not let it close you down. You have to stay bold, and it can be hard because you’re like, ‘If I stay safe, if I hug the middle, if I don’t draw too much attention to myself, it won’t hurt.’ But if you want to do that, don’t be an actor. You’re a tightrope walker. You’re a daredevil. You’re asking people to invest their time and their money and their attention and their care into you. So you have to give them something worth all of those things. And if it’s not costing you anything, what are you really offering?” she continued.

In the coming months, Hathaway will be seen in *The Idea of You*.

Oscar 2024 Nominations: Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ leads the way with 3 nominations

January 24, 2024, 1:27 pm

Oscar voters lined up behind a classic studio blockbuster on Tuesday, giving 13 nominations to Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer,’ the most of any movie, and setting up the long-awaited coronation of Nolan as Hollywood’s leading filmmaker. It was a shift from recent years, when the academy fixated on unconventional art films unseen by most Americans.

Christopher Nolan’s latest hit ‘Oppenheimer’ has grabbed 13 nominations for Oscar 2024. This has marked the ever-deserving coronation of Nolan as Hollywood’ leading filmmaker. ‘Oppenheimer’ is a epic biographical thriller film which was released on November 22, 2023.

Christopher Nolan has never won the best picture and despite five nominations, the director has never won an Oscar. On Tuesday, Nolan earned his second directing nomination, the initial one being in 2018 for the intricate film “Dunkirk.” Additionally, he secured a nomination for his screenplay ‘Oppenheimer.’

The anticipation for recognition of “Oppenheimer” from Universal Pictures was met as expected. However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences brought surprises to other major categories.

Despite expectations, “Barbie” faced disappointments with no directing nomination for Greta Gerwig and no best actress nomination for Margot Robbie. On a positive note, “Barbie” (Warner Bros.) unexpectedly secured a spot in the supporting actress category, with America Ferrera earning her first nomination for her role as a stressed mother. The film received eight nominations overall, including best picture and the adapted screenplay by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach.

Colman Domingo’s lead performance in “Rustin” was acknowledged, portraying a brilliant yet flawed political organizer, while seven-time nominee and one-time winner Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) was excluded from the best actor race. In the supporting actor category, Sterling K. Brown received his first nomination for his role as a disruptive cosmetic surgeon in “American Fiction,” while Willem Dafoe (“Poor Things”) missed out on a nomination.

Here are the key points to note:

“Poor Things,” a reimagining of the Frankenstein story from Searchlight Pictures, received the second-highest number of nominations, with a total of 11, including one for best picture.
The best picture category included smaller, character-driven films like “American Fiction,” a satire on racial stereotypes; “Anatomy of a Fall,” a legal drama set in the French Alps; “The Holdovers,” a bittersweet period comedy at an American prep school; “Maestro,” a divisive black-and-white exploration of Leonard Bernstein’s personal life; “Past Lives,” a romance partly filmed in Korean; and “The Zone of Interest,” set during the Holocaust in the shadow of Auschwitz.
“Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” rounded out the best picture category.
Best actor contenders included Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”), Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”), and Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”).
Best actress nominees were Annette Bening (“Nyad”), Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”), and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”).
Best supporting actor nominees included Robert De Niro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”), Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”), and Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”).
Best supporting actress nominees were Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”), Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Jodie Foster (“Nyad”), and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”).
The best director category included French filmmaker Justine Triet for “Anatomy of a Fall,” along with Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Glazer, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Martin Scorsese.
Disney received 20 nominations, the most from any company, while technology companies dominated, with Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon’s MGM division collecting several nods.
The 96th Academy Awards will be broadcast on March 10, with hopes of increased viewership fueled by the popularity of “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie.”

After a challenging year for the movie industry due to strikes by writers and actors, ballots were cast from over 90 countries, and the Oscars will be broadcast on ABC. Last year’s Oscars saw improved viewership, reaching about 19 million, compared to the significantly lower 10.4 million for the pandemic-altered edition in 2021. The anticipation is that the success of “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” at the box office will contribute to higher viewership for this year’s telecast.

‘Summer of ’42’ Oscar-nominated screenwriter dies at 95

January 4, 2024, 12:18 pm

Herman Raucher, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter for the coming-of-age drama ‘Summer of ’42’ has died at the age of 95. He took his last breath on Thursday at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut, as informed by his daughter, Jenny Raucher.

Raucher, who initiated his career in the realm of live television, authored screenplays for two Anthony Newley films: Sweet November (1968), helmed by Robert Ellis Miller and featuring Sandy Dennis, and Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969), where Joan Collins also starred.

In crafting the script for Ode to Billy Joe (1976), a romantic drama with Robby Benson and Glynis O’Connor directed by Max Baer Jr., Raucher drew inspiration from Bobbie Gentry’s 1967 hit song.

While Summer of ’42 (1971), directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Jennifer O’Neill, Gary Grimes, and Jerry Houser, was still in postproduction, Raucher was urged to write a book to promote the Warner Bros. film. The resulting book, completed in a “stream of consciousness” in three or four weeks, became a national best-seller even before the film hit theaters. Both the book and the film recount events from Raucher’s own life at the age of 14 during a summer in Nantucket.

Describing that time, Raucher reminisced, “There were no cars. There were ferryboats.” He recalled how people would leave wagons on the ferryboats, and he befriended an older woman by helping carry her bags.

Raucher gained recognition with the groundbreaking and racially charged Watermelon Man (1970), directed by Melvin Van Peebles. The film featured Godfrey Cambridge as a white bigot who wakes up one morning in his suburban house transformed into a black man.

Born on April 13, 1928, and raised in Brooklyn, Raucher attended Erasmus High School and NYU. He commenced his writing career with one-hour dramas for prestigious network anthology series, including Studio One, Goodyear Playhouse, and The Alcoa Hour. He also worked for Walt Disney during the company’s transition from animated to live-action projects, landing a job after the inauguration of Disneyland in 1955.

Raucher remained a creative director and board member at various New York advertising agencies before focusing on his writing. His works included the 1962 Broadway comedy Harold, six novels such as A Glimpse of Tiger, There Should Have Been Castles, and Maynard’s House. He authored the Summer of ’42 sequel, Class of ’44, and co-wrote The Other Side of Midnight with Sidney Sheldon.

Despite successes in film, television, and stage, Raucher expressed a strong affinity for novels. His daughter highlighted, “Despite his successes on both the big and small screen as well as the stage, Raucher always felt most at home with novels, the one medium in which no one could change as much as a comma without his approval, a condition to which every writer aspires but very few achieve.”

Survived by his grandchildren Samantha and Jamie, along with another daughter, Jacqueline, Raucher’s wife Mary Kathryn, a Broadway dancer and a student of George Balanchine at the School of American Ballet, passed away in 2002.

Andrew Garfield’s funny reaction to Jimmy Kimmel’s Oscars monologue goes viral

March 13, 2023, 7:37 am

Actor Andrew Garfield’s presence at Oscars 2023 has garnered netizens’ attention.
He arrived at the Dolby Theatre wearing a black suit that he paired with a bow and white shirt. However, it was his reaction to host Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue that caught more attention than his red carpet look. Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at the now-infamous moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during last year’s Academy Awards in his opening monologue, Page Six reported.
“We know this is a special night for you. We want you to have fun. We want you to feel safe … and, most importantly, we want me to feel safe,” Kimmel, 55, told the star-studded audience.
“So, we have strict policies in place: If anyone in this theatre commits an act of violence at any point in this show, you will be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and permitted to give a 19-minute-long speech,” he continued, referencing the Academy’s controversial decision not to kick Smith out of the auditorium in the wake of his actions — and then honor him for “King Richard” moments after the incident.
“If anything unpredictable or violent happens during this ceremony, just do what you did last year — nothing,” the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host quipped. “Sit there and do absolutely nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug.”
He continued, “And if any of you get mad at a joke and you decide you want to come up here and get jiggy with it, it’s not going to be easy. There are a few of my friends you’re going to have to get through first.”
Kimmel went on to call out his impressive backup, including Michael B. Jordan, “The “Mandalorian” star Pedro Pascal and “Spider-Man” actor Andrew Garfield.
Andrew hilariously reacted to Kimmel’s monologue, evoking funny comments from social media users.
Take a look

Isn’t he the cutest?

Megastar Ram Charan boasts Indian cinema in the west

March 1, 2023, 4:22 pm

Mega Power Star Ram Charan who is in the US currently for the Oscars, Hollywood Critics Awards has been on a talk show spree for the audience in the west.

Donning a casual brown and white outfit, looked dashing and dapper as usual, Ram Charan attended the KTLA Entertainments’s morning show in conversation with Sam Rubin.

The actor expressed his joy and pride that, after 85 years, Indian film is now receiving the recognition it deserves from the west and how eager he is to entertain audiences from all over the world.
Ram Charan mentioned about Naatu Naatu as the most beautiful song and how his knees still wobble thinking about the rehearsal.The international star commented for the movie, “It’s about the friendship of these two people. A little portion of it is on the resistance against oppression in India. I believe it touched many person’s sentiments in many ways.

Ram Charan attributed this success to his director SS Rajamouli and speaking of the most awaited Oscars, Ram Charan said, “I just wanted to be a guest in the show and now being nominated, I can’t wait to take that lady back home with our team.”

Kashmir Files shortlisted for Oscars; Kantara receives 2 Oscar qualifications

January 10, 2023, 12:36 pm

Bollywood movie The Kashmir Files has been shortlisted for Oscar 2023 with Indian films “RRR”, “Gangubai Kathiawadi” and “Kantara”. Taking to Twitter Vivek Agnihotri tweeted, “BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: #TheKashmirFiles has been shortlisted for #Oscars2023 in the first list of
@TheAcademy. It’s one of the 5 films from India. I wish all of them the very best. A great year for Indian cinema.”

Mason Lee to lead upcoming ‘Bruce Lee’ biopic

December 1, 2022, 11:39 am

Bruce Lee’s son, Mason Lee, has been cast in the iconic role in the big-screen biopic being directed by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee about the legendary martial artist-actor.

The planned biopic for Sony’s 3000 Pictures is being written by Dan Futterman, according to The Hollywood Reporter, an American digital and print publication. Mason played Teddy in “The Hangover Part 2.” He was the adolescent whom the movie’s protagonists attempted to save as they tried to piece together what had occurred during a chaotic night in Bangkok.

Mason most recently starred in “Stand by Me,” “Limbo,” and “Who Killed Cock Robin (Mu Ji Zhe)” before making an appearance in his father’s 2016 drama “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.”

Lawrence Grey, Shannon Lee, Ang Lee, Ben Everard, and Brian Bell will produce “Bruce Lee.” For Sony, Marisa Paiva and Elizabeth Gabler will oversee the project.

Bruce Lee is a lifelong passion project for Ang Lee and a deeply emotional drama that depicts the triumphs and difficulties of one of the most important real-life action heroes of our time, according to Gabler, who collaborated with Ang Lee on “Life of Pi,” in a statement.

Ang Lee is a seasoned filmmaker who has received multiple Academy Award nominations and wins for his films, including four for “Life of Pi,” three for “Brokeback Mountain,” and two for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” Additionally, his movies have had success at the box office.