My Publicist Note Book

Black Panther , which grossed $1.35 billion in its first foray into theaters beginning last February and was 2018’s highest-grossing film in the U.S., is returning the big screen next month for a one-week engagement at 250 AMC Theatres locations. Disney said the return February 1-7 will mark the start of Black History Month — and tickets will be free. As part of the initiative, the company said it also is giving a $1.5 million grant to support the United Negro College Fund. “ Black Panther  is groundbreaking for many reasons, including the rich diversity of voices behind its success,” Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger said in a release announcing the news. “The story also showcases the power of knowledge to change the world for the better, and the importance of ensuring everyone has access to it.” Disney and AMC said there will be two showings per day at each theater — there at 25 in California, six in New York, for example — and after all tickets are sc...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the nominations for the 91st Academy Awards Tuesday morning. Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross presented at the ceremony. The 91st Oscars will be held Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Academy has yet to find a replacement host for Kevin Hart. 26.54 million people watched the Oscars in the US last year. What are your thoughts on the nominations? Comment below. Best Picture BlacKkKlansman Black Panther Bohemian Rhapsody The Favourite Green Book Roma A Star Is Born Vice Best Director Alfonso Cuaron ( Roma ) Yorgos Lanthimos ( The Favourite ) Spike Lee ( BlacKkKlansman ) Adam McKay ( Vice ) Pawel Pawlikowski ( Cold War ) Best Actress Yalitza Aparicio ( Roma ) Glenn Close ( The Wife ) Olivia Colman ( The Favourite ) Lady Gaga ( A Star Is Born ) Melissa McCa...

Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross have been tapped to announce the nominations for the 2019 Academy Awards on Tuesday. The countdown to the Academy Awards is well underway. We are days away from the Academy announcing their nominees for the 2019 Oscars -- which means we have a little more than one month until Hollywood's biggest night. But before our newest class of Oscar winners are anointed, they first must have the honor of being nominated, and if you're hoping to tune in to see who earns that coveted nod, we've put together a handy guide on the who, what and where. Who's Announcing the Nominees?   The Academy has enlisted Kumail Nanjiani (himself a Best Original Screenplay nominee in 2018 for  The Big Sick ) and Tracee Ellis Ross to present this year's nominees, taking over for 2018's hosts with the most, Andy Serkis and Tiffany Haddish.  What Time Does It Start?   The nominees will be announced live on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 8:20 a.m. ET / ...

LOS ANGELES — Oscar voters showered the neo-musical “La La Land” with 14 nominations on Tuesday, a tie with “Titanic” and “All About Eve” for the most in Academy Award history. But the academy also moved past two #OscarsSoWhite years by honoring six black actors — a record — and including diverse films like “Moonlight,” “Fences” and “Hidden Figures” in the best picture race. [  The list of nominees  ] Nine movies will compete for Hollywood’s top prize, including several box-office hits. Joining “La La Land” and “Moonlight” (eight nominations total), “Fences” (four), and “Hidden Figures” (three) in the best picture race were “Arrival,” a science-fiction thriller; the cops-and-robbers drama “Hell or High Water”; the subtitled tear-jerker “Lion”; “Manchester by the Sea,” about a mournful New England handyman; and “Hacksaw Ridge,” Mel Gibson’s true story of World War II heroism. INTERACTIVE FEATURE 2017 Oscar Ballot See this year’s Oscar nominees and make...