“The courage to do the impossible lies in the hearts of men” was the tagline for 2003’s “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” and clearly, some studio exec has taken that notion to heart. 20th Century Studios is looking to restart a big on-the-high-seas action pic and potential franchise. Deadline reports that the studio has assigned “A Monster Calls” screenwriter Patrick Ness to tackle a new “Master & Commander” film. 

READ MORE: Russell Crowe Criticizes “Kids These Days” After Someone Jokes About Falling Asleep During ‘Master & Commander’

However, development is in the early stages, and a director isn’t currently attached to the film.

Continue reading ‘Master & Commander’ Prequel In The Works At 20th Century Studios at The Playlist.

Jake Gyllenhaal seems to be one of the rare actors that are willing to take on any type of project, at any time, no matter how busy his slate. He’s coming off a starring role as the villain Mysterio in last year’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” And in that same year, he also starred in Dan Gilroy’s thriller “Velvet Buzzsaw,” and the kids program “The Sack Lunch Bunch.” Needless to say, Gyllenhaal is a tough actor to pigeon-hole.

Continue reading ‘Snow Blind’: Jake Gyllenhaal To Star In ‘The Guilty’ Director’s Next Film at The Playlist.

Last year we heard that filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, who already made the jump from the steaming hot romance of “Call Me By Your Name” to the beautifully haunting tale of witches in “Suspiria,” was in talks to make the jump to another adaptation of a popular story: “Lord of the Flies.” Now we have news that the project is moving forward and has found a writer in author Patrick Ness.

Continue reading Author Patrick Ness To Pen Screenplay For Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Lord Of The Flies’ at The Playlist.

Prediction based on nominations [Feb. 5]

NOMINEES
1. Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
2. August Wilson, “Fences”
3. Theodore Melfi, Allison Schroeder, “Hidden Figures”
4. Eric Heisserer,, “Arrival”
5. Luke Davies, “Lion”

PREVIOUS CONTENDERS (for historical context)
Ben Affleck, “Live By Night”
Simon Beaufoy, Jean-Christophe Castelli, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk”
Jay Cocks, “Silence”
David Birke, “Elle”
Jeff Nichols, “Loving”
Patrick Ness, “A Monster Calls”
Tom Ford, “Nocturnal Animals”
Todd Kormarnicki, “Sully”
James Schamus, “Indignation”
Whit Stillman, “Love & Friendship”
Seo-Kyung Chung, Chan-wook Park, “The Handmaiden”
Asghar Farhadi, “The Salesman”
David Hare, “Denial”
David Kajganich, “A Bigger Splash”
Justin Marks, “The Jungle Book”

Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture
Director
Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography 
Production Design
Animated Feature Film
Foreign Language Film
Documentary Feature
Original Score
Original Song
Costume Design
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing

Continue reading 2017 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar Predictions at The Playlist.