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The universe of Avatar: The Last Airbender is expanding again. For a while now, original series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino have been working on a series of animated projects. The first will be an animated film that catches up with the heroes of the show years after the ending. Today at CinemaCon, the new title was revealed: The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.

The original show follows Aang as he comes to accept his responsibility as the Avatar, the only person in this fantasy world who can wield all four elements: air, earth, fire and water. By the end, Aang and his friends have helped defeat the tyrannical Fire Nation, and all while Aang is a young teenager of about 13 or 14. What happens after that?

That's what The Legend of Aang will explore. We do actually have some insight into Aang's future thanks to the sequel series The Legend of Korra,...

This week, 20th Century Studios dropped a bombshell by revealing new details about Avatar: Fire and Ash, the upcoming third movie in James Cameron's landmark science fiction saga. Set on the lush alien moon of Pandora, the Avatar movies tell the tale of the nature-attuned Na'vi aliens, who clash with the humans of Earth eager to strip-mine their lush planet for resources.

The third Avatar movie is slated for release this December, and it will introduce a slew of new characters and factions. The other day, we got our first glimpse at Peylak (David Thewlis), the chieftain of the Tlalim Clan (also known as the Wind Traders), who ride around Pandora on giant jellyfish creatures. We also got to see a new war machine for the human forces of the Rda, along with teases for the Mangkwan Ash Clan, a group of intense Na'vi who serve as one of...

Love or hate the Avatar movies, it's hard to deny that seeing Pandora on screen has become quite the spectacle. From lush jungles to blue skies and, in 2022's The Way of Water, sweeping oceans, the planet is visually breathtaking.

However, when Avatar: Fire and Ash takes us to the home of the Mangkwan Clan (a.k.a. the Ash Clan), we'll explore the Ash Village, a location that's vastly different to what we've grown used to seeing in these movies.

That's evident from the newly released concept art below and, in an interview with Empire Online (via SFFGazette.com), production designer Dylan Cole explained, "[The Mangkwan] had a natural disaster befall them, and that sort of helped shape their culture. So much of the world of Pandora is rich and vibrant and full of life - this is just the exact opposite."

"They used to live not too dissimilarly to the Omatikaya from Avatar 1," he teased,...

Three years after the success of Avatar: The Way of Water, and 16 years since the release of the first installment, James Cameron will premiere Avatar: Fire and Ash later this year. Ahead of the new film's premiere, a brand-new look teases a new location.

The upcoming third installment will be the final one on Pandora, with the upcoming two installments, 2029's Avatar 4 and 2031's Avatar 5, set to take place on Earth. There is still a long way to go, and the new film will further explore Pandora. In new images released via Empire, the critically acclaimed filmmaker proves not all's green and tropical on Pandora.

Related'It's a Tricky Thing': James Cameron Teases Avatar 3's Risky 'Brave Choices'

Director James Cameron says Avatar 3 will take audiences to "places they won't expect".

The third installment will take the characters on more exploring. If the second film saw Jake Sully...

Avatar: Fire and Ash will be exploring uncharted territory once more, but this time audiences will become familiar with a part of Pandora not as full of life as they've become accustomed to. As the title suggests, a new group of Na'vi will be introduced into the mix that will further explore the frontiers of the planet. However, unlike previous depictions of Na'vi, the Ash People, known as the Mangkwan Clan, will serve as new antagonists for the Sully family. Of course, not everything is black-and-white in Avatar, so prepare to learn about a tragic part of Na'vi history that will take center place in the upcoming sequel, as revealed in the newly-released concept art.

Empire unveiled a new image of the Ash Village (see below), a barren land that has been subject to a devastating natural disaster. The concept art is eerie, a completely opposite approach to the typical...

Despite the epic-sized length of both "Avatar" movies to this point, we've barely even scratched the surface of what the paradise moon of Pandora has to offer. The original record-breaking 2009 film "Avatar" mostly took place in the tropical jungles of Neytiri's (Zoe Saldaña) clan, while the highly-anticipated sequel "The Way of Water" shifted the action considerably and explored the vast water-based culture of the Metkayina. You might have guessed where I'm going with this by now. The upcoming threequel, titled "Avatar: Fire and Ash," is set to expand the homeworld of the Na'vi even more. This time, we'll once again change locales and visit a region as utterly alien as anything we've seen yet -- an "anti-Pandora" that houses the mysterious, fire-based people known as the Mangkwan Clan.

We recently received a first look at a wind-riding clan and the colorful figure who leads them, portrayed by David Thewlis, but...

When you think of Pandora, the lush moon of the Avatar movies, you probably picture pure blue skies. Verdant tropical jungles. Bioluminescent wonders. Crystal clear waters. And so far, this is the Pandora that James Cameron has introduced us to – one so enticing, fans went into meltdown when the first film arrived because they were so desperate to go there. But not every part of Pandora is so idyllic. In Avatar: Fire And Ash, we’ll be introduced to the Ash Village, the home of the Mangkwan Clan (aka the Ash Clan), where all that abundant colour is nowhere to be seen. Just take a look at the exclusive concept art above, as seen in the new issue of Empire.

As production designer Dylan Cole explains, it’s a stark contrast from the world we know so far – and yet, in true Avatar style, still depicts a symbiosis between the land and its people.

December 2025 may feel like an eternity away, but with just over a year out, you know we’re going to be getting all sorts of news and teases for one of the most anticipated films of next year: James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash. Fresh out of the D23 Expo in Brazil comes some concept art that gives us an idea of what we can expect.

Some of the highlights of this year’s D23 Expo included trailers for MCU films like Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts. But we all know that Avatar: Fire and Ash will be the one that dazzles us all the most next year. So at this point, really anything related to the film will be much welcome. You can check out some of the revealed artwork below:

Just revealed at #D23Brasil. New concept art for Avatar: Fire & Ash.

See Pandora like never before,...

Several stunning new concept art images tease the epic visuals to come in director James Camerons Avatar: Fire and Ash. The sequel will introduce several new Navi tribes, including an air tribe and a villainous fire tribe, with the new look at the highly anticipated sequel revealing some of what we can expect from Avatar 3 when it lands in theaters on December 19, 2025. You can check out the new images, which were released during this weekends D23 Brazil, below.

The concept art was done by Dylan Cole, Zachary Berger, and Steve Messing, and showcases the flying vehicles that will be used by the air tribe, a vibrant water scene, and our first look at where the volcano-dwelling "Ash People" clan live. This image also seemingly reveals that a character (possibly Stephen Langs Colonel Miles Quaritch) will find themselves being captured by the tribe, who have been confirmed as the main villains of the sequel.

James Cameron is taking audiences back to Pandora, teasing a new out-of-this world experience.

Ahead of the Dec. 19, 2025 premiere of Avatar: Fire and Ash, Disney unveiled new concept art for the third installment in Cameron’s franchise during this weekend’s D23 Expo in Brazil.

An illustration by Dylan Cole, reminiscent of 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, features several Na’vi and Tulkun gathered around a glowing bioluminescent spot in the ocean.

Cole also provided an illustration of two Na’vi standing in front of a beautiful ocean sunset, pointing at the sky, which is filled with extraterrestrial hot air balloons with fleshy wings.

Steve Messing also illustrated a piece featuring the balloons as they float through walls of Pandoran cliffs, surrounded by clouds.

Just revealed at #D23Brasil. New concept art for Avatar: Fire & Ash.

See Pandora like never before, in theaters December 19, 2025.

Illustrated by Dylan Cole pic.

2009's Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time, with a total of $2.9 billion, making James Cameron the second-highest-grossing director of all time. The sci-fi franchise has been in development for a long time but the excitement for it is still high, as evidenced by the 2022 sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, which made $2.3 billion at the box office, and new installments are on the way.

The third film in the franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is still over a year away from its premiere, but it has just debuted brand-new concept art at Disney D23 Brasil. The follow-up to Avatar: The Way of Water will bring back many members from the previous installments, including Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldaa (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Kiri), Jack Champion (Spider), and Stephen Lang (Quaritch). Similar to the Avatar sequel, it will explore Pandora further and introduce a brand-new culture: the Fire Tribe.

James Cameron showed up at D23 Brazil (by video) earlier today to confirm that Avatar: Fire & Ash, the third instalment in the hit franchise, is now officially in post-production.

Five gorgeous pieces of concept art have since been released (via SFFGazette.com), offering a better idea of what to expect from the new corners of Pandora we'll explore in this next chapter of the filmmaker's epic sci-fi saga.

Cameron mentioned that the Ash People are a reflection of the worst side of N'avi, suggesting he pulled inspiration from the reality when he noted, "We have a lot of anger and a lot of rage in the world we live in right now."

The threequel's other newly introduced N'avi tribe will be nomadic and travel through the air; however, the Ash People "were destroyed by volcanic eruptions, so they resent nature and everything the forest Na'vi preach."

Avatar: Fire and Ash...

Concept art from Avatar: Fire & Ash reveals the first look at the Fire Tribe. The sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water and the third movie in the franchise, the movie is set to be released on December 19, 2025. The Fire & Ash story will be bringing back many of its predecessor's cast members, including Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldaa (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Kiri), Jack Champion (Spider), and Stephen Lang (Quaritch). The movie is also expected to introduce the Fire Tribe, offering more insight into the diverse Na'vi cultures.

The first glimpse was revealed by DiscussingFilm on Twitter and showcases a group of Na'vi surrounded by unidentified creatures, as they walk through fire. The image is mysterious, as it does not showcase exactly how these Na'vi behave, but DiscussingFilm quotes James Cameron as saying, that these Na'vi "have a lot of anger and a lot of rage.

Another group of Na'vi will be revealed,...

After a seven year absence from the big screen, the "Planet of the Apes" franchise returned this summer with director Wes Ball's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." Set generations after the events of the Caesar trilogy, this latest entry represents the start of something new for the long-running sci-fi series. For those who might have missed the movie in theaters — or for those who just want to revisit the film — Disney's 20th Century Studios has announced when that will be possible.

And that's good news, since it will be available to watch from the comfort of home sooner rather than later. Whether you want to go the Digital route or pick up a copy to add to the old physical media shelf, you'll be covered. A new trailer was released to celebrate the forthcoming release, which you can check out below. Let's get into the details.

Read...

A while back, we heard that the physical media release of the Maze Runner trilogy director Wes Ball’s addition to the Planet of the Apes franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (read our review Here), would feature a version of the film that would allow viewers to see the motion-capture performances of the actors, before the CGI magicians turned them into their ape characters. Now 20th Century Studios has announced a date for the 4K Uhd, Blu-ray, and DVD release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: August 27th. And well before we reach that date, the movie will be receiving a digital release on July 9th.

A press release confirms that there will be a version of the film on the 4K Uhd that will allow viewers to see the actors’ performances with unfinished effects: “Fans can delve deeper into the franchise on 4K...

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is coming home. The 4K Uhd release of the film will even include an alternative cut allowing fans to experience the movie in an entirely different way.

Per 20th Century Studios, it's been announced that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be available digitally through retailers like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home on July 9. This will be followed by a release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on Aug. 27. The 4K Uhd version will also be coming in collectible SteelBook packaging for a limited time with custom artwork by Dylan Cole. Additionally, a 10-film bundle of the entire Planet of the Apes franchise will be available digitally for $100.

Related A Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Sequel Can Only Work if This Character Returns

Wes Ball's Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has set...

Picking up over a decade after the events of Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water follows Jake, Neytiri, and the next generation of the Sully family. The familiar threat of humans returning uproots the peaceful life they have created and puts a target on their backs. The Sullys must seek refuge with the Metkayina, but Quaritch and the Sky People continue to hunt for the Sully family leading them to stand and fight to protect their new home and those whole have helped them.

A massive global success Avatar: The Way of Water has grossed over $2.3 billion at the box office and risen to become the third-highest grossing movie of all time. With three more sequels on the horizon, the Avatar franchise continues to grow, with James Cameron continuing to lead the production as director. Avatar: The Way of Water introduces a new generation of heroes with the Sully children...

The stakes were high for Avatar: The Way of Water when it released in December 2022. In the 13 years since the Avatar franchise debuted in 2009, the filmmaking landscape had changed significantly. Between superheroes dominating theaters and the introduction (and proliferation) of streaming services changing the way people interact with movies — not to mention a global pandemic momentarily prohibiting in-person screenings — audiences do not necessarily "go to the movies" as freely as they used to. And why would they, if, for no extra cost, they know the movie they want to see will inevitably end up being available on digital? Because of all this, Avatar 2 had an uphill battle to get audiences re-invested in the world of Pandora and their favorite Na'vi.

Of course, as evidenced by the fact that it is now the third-highest-grossing movie of all time, people went out to see Avatar: The Way of Water in theaters,...

Thirteen years after Academy Award®-winner James Cameron introduced viewers to a world unlike any they had ever seen with his breathtaking film Avatar, Disney+ Hotstar is now streaming the eagerly awaited sequel Avatar: The Way of Water. This groundbreaking cinematic odyssey unveils a new underwater adventure that promises to mesmerise viewers again.

Returning to reprise their iconic roles, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña portray Jake Sully and Neytiri, devoted parents doing everything possible to protect their family. Joining them are Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet and other esteemed actors Sigourney Weaver, Cliff Curtis and Stephen Lang.

Many were surprised to learn about Stephen Lang’s return to the sequel after the death of his character Colonel Miles Quaritch, in Avatar, who played the human antagonist. However, this time with the Resources Development Administration (Rda) returning to the moon with reinforcement, Lang returns as a recombinant, or recom, of his character.

Production designer Christian M. Goldbeck gave a shout-out to All Quiet on the Western Front‘s director Edward Berger and his team of APDs following the film’s Oscar win for Best Production Design.

“I am completely blown away,” Goldbeck said. “To our beautiful director Edward Berger, I could not have not have done this without you.” He continued, “This whole thing was a real team effort. My heart goes to all the other APDs, who worked on this project,” reiterating “I could not have done this without you.”

Set decorator Ernestine Hipper first thanked her parents, her sisters and “dear friends,” She continued: “When I started this, I was told Ernestine, don’t ever forget, you’re only as good as your team. So this is to all the hard-working people in Prague, and all the teams that helped me to get on this stage, the Academy, thank you so much.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” capped off its run with the guilds by taking home a trophy at the Casting Society of America’s Artios Awards on Thursday. It had previously prevailed with eight of the other nine guilds at which it contended. It lost out only with the sound editors.

Two of its Academy Awards rivals for the top award — “Elvis” and “Top Gun: Maverick” — did win over the sound editors. Those victories are among their overall hauls of four apiece. “Elvis” also prevailed with the cinematographers, costume designers, and makeup artists/hairstylists while “Top Gun: Maverick” scored with the actors, film editors and sound mixers.

Below, a breakdown by picture of guild nominations and winners.

Ace = American Cinema Editors

Adg = Art Directors Guild

ASC = American Society of Cinematographers

Cas = Cinema Audio Society

CDG = Costume Designers Guild

CSA = Casting Society of America

DGA – Directors Guild of America

Mpse – Motion...

The films competing for the 2023 Best Production Design Oscar are “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Babylon,” “Elvis,” and “The Fabelmans.” Our odds currently indicate that “Babylon” (10/3) will be the winner, followed in order of likelihood by “Elvis” (19/5), “Avatar: The Way of Water” (4/1), “All Quiet on the Western Front” (9/2), and “The Fabelmans” (9/2).

There being 12 individual craftspeople in this lineup makes it the category’s largest since 2010. The last time there were more than this was 1988, when “The Last Emperor” designers Bruno Cesari, Osvaldo Desideri, and Ferdinando Scarfiotti defeated 11 challengers. The current group consists of four past winners and eight newcomers, with those who make up the latter bunch being Karen Murphy (“Elvis”), “All Quiet on the Western Front” duo Ernestine Hipper and Christian M. Goldbeck, “Babylon” pair Anthony Carlino and Florencia Martin, and “Avatar: The Way of Water” trio Dylan Cole, Vanessa Cole, and Ben Procter.

Production designers from the Oscar-nominated films “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Babylon,” “The Fabelmans” and “Elvis” are joining the Art Directors Guild (Adg) and Set Decorators Society of America (Sdsa) for an in-person panel on Saturday at 3 p.m. Pt, which will also be available to stream.

Sponsored by Variety, the upcoming panel will bring together the Oscar-nominated production designers and set decorators to discuss their craft and the production process ahead of Sunday night’s ceremony.

The panel will feature Christian M. Goldbeck and Ernestine Hippe from “All Quiet on the Western Front”; Dylan Cole, Ben Procter and Vanessa Cole from “Avatar: The Way of Water”; Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino from “Babylon”; Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy and Bev Dunn from “Elvis”; and Rick Carter and Karem O’Hara from “The Fabelmans.” Former Adg president Thomas A. Walsh and Sdsa member Jan Pascale...

The 95th Academy Awards are going to be a nailbiter above and below the line. Nominated for Best Production Design are “Babylon,” “Elvis,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and “The Fabelmans.” The Critics Choice, Art Directors Guild and BAFTA Awards have all picked “Babylon,” thereby positioning it as the frontrunner to win the Oscar.

However, the divisive Old Hollywood epic’s liabilities, as well as the strengths of its competitors, leave other possibilities open to consideration. For one, we could see the third instance of a corresponding Best Production Design/Best Cinematography win this decade, which excludes “Babylon” and permits only an “Elvis” or “All Quiet on the Western Front” victory. Even though the data doesn’t favor the remaining two nominees, “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “The Fabelmans,” their quality alone makes a compelling case. Here are my arguments for, and against,...

"Avatar: The Way of Water" was the highest grossing film of 2022, and a big chunk of that cash came from the sequel's long box office legs heading into 2023, where the film remains on around 2,300 screens. Even though it seems like almost everyone caught James Cameron's sci-fi adventure on the big screen, there are plenty of people who have been waiting to watch the movie on their home theater system. In fact, there are probably a bunch of people who saw the movie in theaters and just don't feel like heading back to the multiplex to see it again. So when can you watch "Avatar: The Way of Water" at home? We've got all the details you need to know.

Avatar: The Way Of Water Will Hit Digital Retailers Before Streaming

If you're waiting for one of the streaming services to get "Avatar: The Way of Water," you'll be waiting a little bit longer.

James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” broke box office records when it was released this past Christmas, and after months at the theater, the sequel is finally hitting home video. The movie will be available from all major digital retailers beginning on March 28.

Unlike other blockbusters, the movie will premiere on digital retailers before streaming or physical media (my kingdom for a 4K Blu-ray). But don’t worry, this digital edition will be worth it, with more than three hours of bonus features included in the package that chart the evolution and production of the groundbreaking blockbuster. That’s right – you can spend even more time on Pandora, this time charting the intricacies of the planet’s habitats along with the blood, sweat and tears that went into its actualization.

“Avatar: The World of Water” charts the Sully family, which has been expanded considerably since the events of the 2009 original.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Avatar: The Way of Water.

A new piece of Avatar: The Way of Water concept art reveals an early design for the Metkayina clan's reef village. Serving as a sequel to James Cameron's hugely successful 2009 original movie, Avatar: The Way of Water sees the Sully family seek refuge with a new ocean-based clan of Na'vi, the Metkayina, when humans return to Pandora. The clan is led by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and Ronal (Kate Winslet), who eventually become strong allies to Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña).

Production designer Dylan Cole recently shared a piece of Avatar: The Way of Water concept art on Instagram, showing off a design of the Metkayina reef village from all the way back in 2014 when the sequel was in very early stages of development.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dylan Cole (@dylancoleart)

As is made...

The upcoming Avatar sequels are will continue to expand the world of James Cameron's hit franchise, and the director now teases that future films will introduce a new nomadic clan of Na'vi. After the major success of the first movie back in 2009, Cameron finally delivered a sequel to audiences last year with Avatar: The Way of Water. The sequel's own success has now guaranteed that the planned third, fourth, and fifth films will all be moving forward, with each one expected to explore new regions and peoples of Pandora.

In a recent chat with franchise production designers Ben Proctor and Dylan Cole, hosted by Deadline, Cameron teases that a new nomadic tribe of Na'vi called the Windtraders will be introduced in future Avatar sequels.

In the video above, the director and production designers discuss their design ethos for not only Avatar: The Way of Water, but the three additional sequels as well,...

Whether it was creating the Metkayina village or a sinking sea vessel on the Pandora moon, production designers Dylan Cole and Ben Procter say their approach to their work on James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water was, philosophically, not unlike that of any live-action movie. “We design sets,” Cole says, adding that the use of performance capture affected the execution of ideas, not the design work itself. “We have to build proxy sets for performance capture as well as full digital sets.”

New parts of Pandora are introduced in the sequel, including the reef-based Metkayina village. Cole says he referenced Indigenous cultures in the South Pacific for the design, but “the main thing was figuring out how this is engineered. And how are you reinforcing story? Something very important to the Na’vi is connectivity, and so it was very important to Jim and to us that this village is connected.

“Avatar” took the world by storm in 2009, reaping an unprecedented box office haul and scoring three Oscar wins. But despite its strong performance with audiences and awards bodies, the SAG Awards snubbed it completely. Fourteen years later, the sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water” is not only lighting up the box office again, but it scored a SAG nomination for Best Film Stunt Ensemble when the original could not. Will SAG voters go a step further by rewarding the biggest film of the year with a win?

At this year’s ceremony, “The Way of Water” stunt team is nominated alongside the performers from “The Batman,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “The Woman King.” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “The Woman King” are the only films from this list to score additional SAG nominations, with acting bids for Angela Bassett and Viola Davis, respectively.

See Visual Effects...

We will update all our Oscar predictions throughout the season, so keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2023 Oscar race. The nomination round of voting will take place from January 12 to January 17, 2023, with the official Oscar nominations announced on January 24, 2023. The final voting is between March 2 and 7, 2023. Finally, the 95th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 12 and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. Et/ 5:00 p.m. Pt.

See our initial thoughts for what to expect at the 95th Academy Awards here.

The State of the Race

“Babylon” got a big Oscars boost by taking both the period production design prize at the Adg Awards and the production design BAFTA award in London on February 19. The 27th annual Adg Awards (held February 18 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown Hotel) also honored Best Picture Oscar favorite “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery...

“Babylon” got a big boost in its Oscar bid for Best Production Design with a win on February 18 at the Art Directors Guild Awards. Over the first 26 years of these prizes, the eventual Oscar winner has always numbered among the Adg nominees in the various genre categories. “Babylon” prevailed in the period picture race over three of its Oscar rivals – “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Elvis” and “The Fabelmans” — plus “White Noise.”

The fifth Oscar nominee, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” lost the fantasy film prize to “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The other nominees were “The Batman,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Nope.”

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” won the contemporary category over “Bardo,” “Bullet Train,” “Tar” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Period Film

All Quiet on the Western Front

Production Designer: Christian M. Goldbeck

X – Babylon

Production Designer: Florencia Martin

Elvis

Production Designers: Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy...

The Art Directors Guild awarded winners in 14 categories at the 27th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards February 18 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown Hotel. The awards honored theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, music videos and animation features.

All five Academy Award nominees for Best Production Design — “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Babylon,” “Elvis,” and “The Fabelmans” — were also Adg Award nominees, with “Babylon” production designer Florencia Martin taking home the award for Period Feature Film.

Fantasy Feature Film went to “Everything Everywhere All at Once” production designer Jason Kisvarday and Contemporary Feature Film went to “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” production designer Rick Heinrichs, both of whom were not nominated by the Academy. The technical and artistic achievements of “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” continued its impressive guild run with production designers Guy Davis and Curt Enderle winning the Adg for Best Animated Feature film,...

Babylon, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery won the live-action feature prizes at the 27th annual Art Directors Guild (Local 800) Excellence in Production Design Awards, which were handed out Saturday night at the InterContinental Hotel Los Angeles Downtown Hotel.

Live-action features are divided into three categories: period, fantasy and contemporary film. Babylon picked up the trophy in the competitive period film competition. Everything Everywhere All at Once won the prize for a fantasy film, while Glass Onion collected the award for a contemporary movie.

Babylon, along with Adg noms All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis and The Fabelmans, are Oscar-nominated.

Over the past five years, the winner of the Adg’s period film prize has gone on to win the Oscar for production design three times: in 2018 for The Shape of Water, in 2020 for Once Upon a Time...

There are many gorgeous-looking films in this year’s Oscar race, but even with 10 films nominated for Best Picture, only five films could be recognized for their production design, a role that plays a large part in the overall look of a film, along with cinematography.

Besides designing and drafting and deciding what needs to be built on soundstages, the production designer also is involved very early on in finding the best locations and hiring the rest of the art department, including the set decorator, who is responsible for dressing up said locations.

SEEAndrea Riseborough breaks silence on her contentious ‘To Leslie’ Best Actress Oscar nomination

Four of the five nominees this year are also nominated for Best Picture, while the nomination for Damien Chazelle‘s “Babylon” is one of only three nominations it received, and it didn’t make the cut for the top prize.

As of this writing,...

"Avatar" fans spent 13 years hearing naysayers doubting the existence of "Avatar: The Way of Water," its chances of actually getting finished and released, and even the film's chances of making its money back — this last bit particularly from big doubter Mr. James Cameron, who called the film "the worst business case in movie history." But now, the film is finally out, and it is a monumental success, getting rather good reviews and making huge amounts of money — even if Cameron doesn't think it is all about the money.

What other movie has a giant blue alien wearing Oakleys? Or a whale literally ripping the arm off a whaler? This is a grand, epic blockbuster, one where James Cameron essentially remakes the end of "Titanic" and a movie where the hero and the villain take a little breather in the middle of their climactic fight to check on each other before carrying on.

Spring is on the horizon (yay!) but we’re still deep into winter (grr). And that means time for reading. Our latest roundup of noteworthy new books connected to the world of cinema features a typically diverse lineup: Bong Joon Ho, the art of James Cameron’s latest, screwball comedies, Alfred Hitchcock, and––’tis the season––Oscar history.

Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema by Karen Han (Abrams)

In recent years Little White Lies and Abrams have released wonderfully comprehensive, immaculately designed books about Joel and Ethan Coen, Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, and most recently Sofia Coppola. The latest subject, Bong Joon Ho, could not be more deserving of this treatment. Dissident Cinema is written by the ever-astute Karen Han, who shares Bong’s life story while diving into each entry of his filmography. Yes, there is much to be said about Parasite, The Host, Mother, Snowpiercer, Okja, and Memories of Murder.

As is the case with most below-the-line Oscar categories, bigger equals better when it comes to Best Production Design. The more lavish the sets, the more accurate the period detail, the more extravagant the designs, the more likely your film will win an Academy Award. Formerly known as Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, this prize goes to the production designer and set decorator, leaving the poor art directors on the outside looking in; perhaps that accounts for the title change. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2023 Oscars Best Production Design predictions.)

Like Best Costume Design, this award rarely corresponds with Best Picture. Before “The Shape of Water” prevailed in both categories in 2018, the last to line-up was “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” in 2004. Often, the winner of this race hasn’t even been nominated for the top prize, as was the case with “Memoirs of a Geisha...

On January 9, we heard from the first three guilds — art directors, cinematographers and sound editors — with their nominees for the best of the year in their respective fields. On Jan. 10, it was the turn of the casting directors and sound mixers to weigh in with their choices. The actors, directors, and makeup artists & hairstylists were heard from on Jan. 11. And the costume designers and producers piped in just as Oscar nominations voting kicks off on Jan. 12. The visual effects wizards added their say on the last day of Oscar voting on Jan. 18. The writers revealed their roster the day after Oscar nominations were announced. And the film editors announced who made the cut on Feb. 1

One film reaped bids from 12 of these 13 precursor prizes: “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Below, a breakdown by picture of guild nominations.

Ace = American Cinema Editors (report)

Adg = Art Directors Guild (report)

ASC = American Society of Cinematographers...

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is continuing its unprecedented winning streak at the box office (it just finished its seventh week as the #1 movie and eclipsed “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” as the fourth most successful film of all time), but it has also just received four Oscar nominations, including one for Best Production Design, an aspect explored in this brand-new featurette, which you can watch below.

What the video really does is make you appreciate the enormity of “Avatar: The Way of Water’s” production design and how painstaking the process was for the artists, technicians and builders tasked with designing and fabricating the world of Pandora. The short video features interviews with production designers Dylan Cole and Ben Procter, alongside writer/producer/director James Cameron and his longtime producer Jon Landau.

“In making a movie set on Pandora, Pandora doesn’t exist. Which means we’re not only designing everything in the world,...

The Academy has released the list of nominations for the 2023 Oscars. Everything Everywhere All at Once led the pack this year with 11 nominations, followed closely by the war drama All Quiet On The Western Front and dark comedy The Banshees of Inisherin.

A few actors who made big comebacks this year received nominations for their roles, including Brendan Fraser for The Whale and former child actor Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Also in the running for best actor are Austin Butler, Colin Farrell, Billy Nighy and Paul Mescal, all first-time nominees. In a surprising nod to indie film To Leslie, Andrea Riseborough scored a nomination for best actress. The race also includes Cate Blanchett, Ana de Armas, Michelle Williams and Michelle Yeoh.

Jimmy Kimmel will return to host the Oscars, making his third appearance as emcee after his previous hosting stints in 2017 and 2018.

Here is the...

Avatar: The Way of Water — which this week crossed the 2 billion mark at the worldwide box office and is now the sixth highest-grossing movie in history — earned a best picture Oscar nomination this morning, as well as noms for its production design, sound and visual effects.

But James Cameron, who has now directed three of the six highest-grossing movies ever — his 2009 Avatar sits at the top of that chart — was passed over in the directing competition for his groundbreaking film for the 2023 Oscar nominations. (The movie also missed an editing nomination; Cameron edited the movie, along with Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, and the late David Brenner, who died in early 2022).

In this year’s best picture race, Cameron and producer Jon Landau (who together won best picture for Titanic, for which Cameron also claimed the directing trophy) are nominated alongside the producers of All Quiet on the Western Front, The Banshees of Inisherin,...

The 2023 Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday, January 24 live from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Riz Ahmed, who won the Oscar last year for Best Live Action Short Film for “The Long Goodbye” and was nominated for lead for “Sound of Metal” in 2021, and “M3gan” star and executive producer Allison Williams read off the names of the nominees in all 23 categories.

The announcement aired live on ABC during “Good Morning America” and was live-streamed online via the Oscars website, accessible at both Oscar.com and Oscars.org. In addition to the film academy’s main website, the nominations streamed live online via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube as well as over Disney+, Hulu Live TV, ABC News Live and YouTubeTV.

The 95th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 12, with the ceremony set to kick off from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood at 5 p.m. Pt /8 p.

"Avatar: The Way of Water" is one of the most imaginative and creature-packed movies audiences will see all year. The film takes us into brand new territories as we explore the vast Pandoran seas, meeting entities like the intelligent whale-like tulkun species, the sleek aquatic rides called ilus, or the life-giving gill mantles. It's one of the more imaginative journeys in recent film history, having provoked the designs of a host of novel and lovely new aquatic beasts. 

One of the most dangerous entities in the Pandoran waters are the menacing, massive sharks known as "akula." With their large but sleek frames, unnerving tripartite mouth, and incredible speed, they're certainly a beast you wouldn't want to swim beside. In an illuminating thread of tweets, creature designer Zachary Berger details the path he took to develop the frightening beast, from getting asked to build off what came before to pantomiming a...

The 28th Critics’ Choice Awards took place in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Chelsea Handler hosted the ceremony, which honored the year’s best films and television. Everything Everywhere All At Once was the most nominated film at 14, and Abbott Elementary led television nominations with six total.

After the Golden Globes last week, the show offered another clue to how the upcoming Academy Awards will shape up.

Everything Everywhere All At Once won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Director (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.

Better Call Saul won most of the television awards, including Best Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama Series (Bob Odenkirk) and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Giancarlo Esposito).

>Watch Janelle Monae’s uBIO – Her Story In Her Words!

Kate Hudson presented Janelle Monáe with the SeeHer award, noting their advocacy for the Lgbtqia+ community.

The 28th Critics Choice Awards took place at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday night (15 January).

The star-studded event was hosted by Chelsea Handler, taking over from actor Taye Diggs who had hosted the past four years of the awards ceremony.

The night’s special awards were presented to Janelle Monáe, who received the #SeeHer award, while Jeff Bridges was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Some of the night’s biggest winners were Angela Bassett, Brendan Fraser, and Cate Blanchett, who won Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, and Best Actress awards respectively.

See the full list of the 2023 Critics Choice Awards below.

Best Picture

Everything Everywhere All at Once Winner

Avatar: The Way of Water

Babylon

The Banshees of Inisherin

Elvis

The Fabelmans

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Rrr

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

Women Talking

Best Actor

Brendan Fraser – The Whale Winner

Austin Butler...

Harry Shum Jr. and Michelle Yeoh in A24’s ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (Photo credit: Allyson Riggs)

Members of the Critics Choice Association honored the best in films and television of 2022 at the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards, hosted by Chelsea Handler. Everything Everywhere All At Once went into the night with the most film nominations (14) and Abbott Elementary topped the television nominees with six. And as it turns out, those leaders earned top honors.

Everything Everywhere All at Once picked up five awards including Best Picture, Best Director (Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Original Screenplay (Kwan & Scheinert), and Best Editing (Paul Rogers). Abbott Elementary was named Best Comedy Series, and Sheryl Lee Ralph earned the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award.

The final season of Better Call Saul went out with a bang, collecting Best Drama, Best Actor in a...

The 28th annual Critics Choice Awards were handed out Sunday night.

Everything Everywhere All at Once was named best picture; best director and best original screenplay for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert; best editing for Paul Rogers; and best supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan. Heading into the ceremony, the film led with 14 noms.

On the TV side, nominee-leading Abbott Elementary (with six noms) was named best comedy series. Better Call Saul won best drama series, while The Dropout was named best limited series.

Janelle Monáe was honored with the SeeHer Award, presented by Kate Hudson, while Jeff Bridges received the Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award from John Goodman at this year’s show, which took place at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Chelsea Handler hosted the ceremony, which aired on The CW. (Read highlights from the show here and see the night’s best-dressed stars here.)

A full list of winners follows.

The 2023 Critics Choice Awards are here.

Hosted by Chelsea Handler, the star-studded event will take place at the Fairmont Century Plaza.

“We are thrilled to have Chelsea Handler joining us at the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards,” Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin said in October, via Us Weekly. “We all know and love her work as a stand-up comedian, a best-selling author, a podcast host, and actress – and now as host of the Critics Choice Awards! I know this will be the best year yet and can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store.”

Read More: Colin Farrell And Brendan Gleeson Will Miss Critics Choice Awards After Testing Positive For Covid

The show honours both film and television alike, with nominations for “Avatar: The Way of Water”, “Babylon”, “The Banshees of Inisherin”, “Elvis”, and “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, as well as nominations for series...

With 11 nominees for Best Picture, 10 for Best Director, and nine titles battling it out for Best Drama series, competition will be fierce at tonight’s Critics Choice Awards. Several ties in the voting process led the 600-member Critics Choice Association to nominate more films than a category typically allows, which simply means that even more of the year’s biggest films and shows have a shot at the prizes.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” leads all films with 14 nominations, while Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” is close behind with 11 nominations. “Babylon” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” each picked up nine nods, while “TÁR” and “Elvis” each scored seven.

On the television side, “Abbott Elementary” and “Better Call Saul” led the pack with six and five nominations, respectively.

The 2023 Critics Choice Awards will be broadcast live on the CW starting at 7 p.m. Et. Keep reading for the complete list of nominees,...