Hannah Beachler already has one Oscar thanks to her incredible world-building in Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther.” She may soon be in the running for a second after helping conceive the Mayan-influenced Talokan civilization in the follow-up, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” A process that involved countless hours of research and a year of prep work.

READ MORE: ‘Wakanda Forever’: Ruth Carter on fashioning Namor’s undersea costumes and the new Black Panther armor [Interview]

During our conversation, Beachler reveals just how much consideration went into imagining an underwater world influenced by classic Mayan architecture.

Continue reading ‘Wakanda Forever’: Hannah Beachler On Creating Namor’s Talokan World at The Playlist.

There were two awards ceremonies on Saturday night. Not only did the ACE guild give out their annual editing honors, but their colleagues in the production design world, the Art Directors Guild, handed out the 2022 ADG Awards. And the big winners? “Nightmare Alley,” “Dune” and “Squid Game.”

READ MORE: Oscars 2022: “The Power of the Dog” leads with 12 nominations [Full List]

Both Tamara Deverell (“Nightmare Alley”) and Patrice Vermette (“Dune”) are up for the Oscar for Best Production Design.

Continue reading ‘Nightmare Alley,’ ‘Dune’ & ‘WandaVision’ Among 2022 ADG Awards Winners at The Playlist.

As usual, the Art Directors Guild spread the love among numerous films, programs, commercials, and music videos with the announcement of the 2022 ADG Awards nominations. “The French Dispatch,” “Cruella,” “Nightmare Alley,” “Licorice Pizza,” “West Side Story” and “Dune” were among the films nominated. “Foundation,” “Loki,” “Squid Game,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Yellowstone” and “The White Lotus” made the cut among the television categories.

READ MORE: Ethan Tobman: Designing for “Free Guy,” Taylor Swift and “Pam & Tommy” [Interview]

There were no obvious snubs on the TV side, but it was somewhat eyebrow-raising that neither “Belfast” and “The Power of the Dog,” the two Best Picture frontrunners, were not among the nominees.

Continue reading ‘French Dispatch,’ ‘Cruella,’ ‘Foundation’ Among 2022 ADG Awards Nominees at The Playlist.

One of the pleasures of awards season is when it shines a light on new talents.  In the case of “The Favourite” we knew of director Yorgos Lanthimos, legendary costume designer Sandy Powell and even long respected cinematographer Robbie Ryan.  Fiona Crombie?  Well, she’s now made her mark on the global film stage with her first Oscar nomination for Production Design.

READ MORE: “Black Panther,” “The Favourite” lead 2019 ADG Awards winners

Crombie has actually had a banner few months.  

Continue reading Fiona Crombie On Being A Shapeshifter & Building A ‘Favourite’ World [Interview] at The Playlist.

Production designers rarely get the credit they deserve. That is, of course, unless they are building fantastical new worlds or recreating eras long gone by. Sometimes the best work actually goes under the radar intentionally.  Sometimes you’re supposed to believe an actor is performing on a real-life location when they are not. And, surprise, thanks to Ethan Tobman‘s efforts that’s exactly what you’ll experience watching Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carell in Felix Van Groeningen’s “Beautiful Boy.”

READ MORE: Timothée Chalamet on the honesty of “Beautiful Boy” and his excitement over “Dune”

“I never want to wake an audience up from a dream,” Tobman says.

Continue reading Meet The Designer Who Went From ‘Lemonade’ & ‘Room’ To ‘Beautiful Boy’ at The Playlist.

Friday night, the American Cinema Editors awarded their year-end awards and Saturday night the Art Directors Guild had their say.  “The Shape of Water,” “Logan” and “Blade Runner 2049” were the big film winners at the ADG Awards, making the former and the later the presumptive frontrunners for the Best Production Design Oscar.  While not nominated for the Academy Award, “Logan” was the biggest surprise winner as it beat out “Downsizing” and “Get Out” in the ADG Contemporary Film category. 

Continue reading ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ ‘Shape of Water’ And ‘Black Mirror’ Top 2018 ADG Awards at The Playlist.

[Updated Feb. 4]

Winner predictions
1. “Blade Runner 2049”
2. “The Shape of Water”
3. “Dunkirk”
4. “Darkest Hour”
5. “Beauty and the Beast”

Current predictions:

Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Director
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography
Production Design
Original Score
Best Song
Costumes
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing
Documentary
Foreign Language Film
Animated Feature Film
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects

Continue reading 2018 Best Production Design Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

Over the past 17 years, Dan Hennah has had quite a career working as either the art director or production designer on most of Peter Jackson‘s films. Their memorable collaboration on “King Kong” as well as the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies have rewarded him with five Oscar nominations including a win for “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.”  Now, Hennah and co-production designer Ra Vincent have brought their talents to Taiki Waititi’s “Thor: Ragnarok”, which is arguably one of Marvel Studios’ most critically acclaimed films and a surefire blockbuster following its $121 million domestic opening this past weekend.

Continue reading Discover The Secrets Behind ‘Thor: Ragnarok’s’ Jack Kirby Inspired Production Design at The Playlist.

The Art Directors Guild of America announced the 21st Annual Excellence In Production Design Awards nominations this morning, and the biggest surprise had to be the tie in two categories.

Both the Period Film and Variety, Reality or Competition Series categories have six nominees due to a tie in the nominating voting process. Even with that extra slot in the former and the guild’s three film categories (Period, Fantasy and Contemporary), there were still some notable snubs.

Continue reading ‘Jackie,’ ‘Rogue One,’ ‘The Crown’ And ‘Game of Thrones’ Earn Key Art Directors Guild Awards Nods at The Playlist.