LOGAN : Awards Nominations and Wins

[jo]

Other filmblogging sites give their thumbs-up for LOGAN as potential Oscar contender --


moviepilot.com/p/logan-sent-to-the-oscars/4371532



fansided.com/2017/09/15/logan-oscars-push/



www.bleedingcool.com/2017/09/15/logan-first-screener-sent-academy-voters/



emptylighthouse.com/fox-pushing-logan-be-nominated-academy-awards-833356946

[jo]

JoBlo, one of the major filmbloggers, give its assessment as to LOGAN's chances --

www.joblo.com/movie-news/logan-is-the-first-oscar-screener-sent-to-academy-voters-140

[jo]

Photo provided by FOX to Deadline, included in the exclusive article on the screener release.






LOGAN with its NOIR theme ( DVD sleeve only)!

[jo]

A little bit of cynicism about being front-starter at the gate from EW.com -- but who knows if their assessment is valid and will work with the AMPAS and the guilds ( particularly with SAG) --

ew.com/movies/2017/09/15/logan-oscars-screener/


Hmmm... just had a thought -- wouldn't it be great if Hugh/Patrick/Dafne received a Best Ensemble nomination from the Screen Actors Guild itself ( SAG - which also happens to be responsible for acting honors at the nomination stage for the Oscars)! Hmm... maybe even a larger acting ensemble to include Boyd and the actor who played Caliban?

Hugh/Patrick/Dafne was a tight-knit acting ensemble, even if each one shone in his own particular role!

Jo

[jo]

A long commentary on the EMMY AWARDS, which touches on why choices rarely go for the underdog.

Somewhere, the LOGAN campaign is mentioned as a similar situation occurring at the OSCARS.

fanfest.com/2017/09/18/enough-politics-and-popularity-emmy-voters-let-the-overlooked-actors-win/

Excerpts --

Enough Politics and Popularity, Emmy Voters – Let The Overlooked Actors Win!
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The Primetime Emmy Awards may be starting to finally acknowledge its white problem and looking to silence the good ole boys who still vote – congrats especially to Riz Ahmed and Donald Glover on your well-deserved wins if I may gush – but what about working on being a bit more lax on who you vote for? Why do we need to see the artsy fartsy shows get all of the damn acclaim? Oh gee, let me have a spot of tea and sit cross-legged on my recliner as I’m watching The Crown. Maybe I’ll plop a box of 200-count tissues in my lap as I sob into my pillow watching This Is Us. No damnit, no.  Enough is enough! You voters all clearly grew tired of The Big Bang Theory, a show that’s outlived its fifteen minutes of fame and has an annoying spin-off debuting that makes me contemplate blocking CBS until late night. (I hate Sheldon, and we don’t need to see young Sheldon. God, no.) You voters all clearly want something different, someone different to win. So why not vote for them? Why, because you’re afraid that your peers may be think you’re an imbecile for going against the crowd? Pfft. Come on. Give me something refreshing and out of left field!


You know what’s going to happen next, right? Logan is already the first screener sent out to the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. That’s right, the good ole Academy Awards, and they’re already coming up in March 2018, just under six months away. And you know that Hugh Jackman’s final performance as Logan is going to garner some nominations. Best Actor? Best Supporting Actor? Best Director? Dare I say…Best Picture!? Ooh, I can feel my anticipation and excitement brewing deep within my belly. (Probably just hunger actually.) But being nominated for all that would mean as much as dried goose crap in your office’s parking lot if the voters go for something with more dramatic pomp and flair. The voters don’t care about the underdog, the little guy, the movie that shocked and wowed audiences. The voters, many of them anyway, are crusty old birds who think they know art when they see it on the big or small screen.

[jo]

Hugh is such a generous person -- here he is batting for possible competition to LOGAN and maybe THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

[jo]

Because of the strong push by FOX for LOGAN, it is still to be reckoned with for Oscar consideration, based on this VARIETY article penned by Awards Editor Kris Tapley which summarizes the films with potential awards honors --

variety.com/2017/film/in-contention/are-you-ready-for-the-most-exciting-oscar-race-in-years-1202560228/

[jo]

Playlist ( via Gregory Ellwood) in its predictions dated September 19, 2017, puts LOGAN as one of the frontrunners for BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY --

theplaylist.net/2018-best-adapted-screenplay-oscars-predictions-20170919/


Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart are both longshot ( 3rd tier) predictions for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for LOGAN.

[jo]

Stacey Snider, FOX Chairman and CEO, was interviewed on the dirctions of the business and FOX itself.

variety.com/2017/film/features/stacey-snider-21st-century-fox-first-year-1202563799/


Excerpts re Hugh's Wolverine and LOGAN --

Will you reboot “Wolverine” with another actor now that Hugh Jackman has said he’s retiring?

Anything’s possible.


Should “Logan” be in the Oscar race?

Absolutely. The way it combines classic storytelling with superhero lore is brilliant.

Hopefully, FOX will give LOGAN the full support during the campaign!

[jo]

Batting for movies with early 2017 release dates for OSCAR consideration, LOGAN included!

www.thepostathens.com/article/2017/09/film-oscars-wonder-woman-dunkirk

Logan

Logan just missed the mark for last year’s Academy Awards, so it’s likely a lot of voting member will have forgotten about it by time the nominating process begins. Despite that fact, the darkest superhero movie of this generation is still deserving of a couple nominations. The movie’s flowing format could earn it a nomination for Best Editing and Hugh Jackman could earn his second nomination for his performance.

[hughmanity]

Makes a good case....academy voters take note!

[jo]

AMPAS voter ? Or guild voter for nods?

[jo]

Maybe it's because FOX assumed not everyone has a BluRay player?

[harlequinade]

Damn it's so unfortunate Fox didn't switch the release dates of this and TGS. Logan would have gotten Hugh a nomination for sure, with TGS he will be lucky to get one at Globes

[jo]

LOGAN or WOLVERINE 3 ( as it was referred to then) was greenlit way ahead of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN -- there would have been no way for any switching of release dates


*Fox announced the release date for WOLVERINE 3/LOGAN way, way ahead -- even before the final greenlight to the script and budget was given. I think FOX made the announcement as early as when Hugh made that " One Last Time!" announcement, which came after it seemed obvious that he would not be part of APOCALYPSE ( the cameo was more of a postscript filming done by Singer). At that point, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN was a long-gestating project that seemed to be going nowhere for a long time. SHOWMAN was greenlighted only after the final reading in February 2016. By that time, Mangold and Jackman were practically getting ready to start filming LOGAN and were in the final phases of pre-production. THE GREATEST SHOWMAN could only start filming a month after he completed LOGAN. According to the very recent article from VARIETY, it is still in the final phases of post-production as of now. 

As a footnote, the timing of the approval for both movie projects came when there was a change in studio leadership.  Jim Gianopulos who shepherded the XMEN franchise during his long tenure was let go...and replaced by Stacey Steiner.  It was also the first year when the younger Murdochs had taken helm operationally-speaking of FOX and related business holdings... At that time, the greenlight for GREATEST SHOWMAN was still hanging in the air while WOLVERINE 3 was already more or less a firm commitment.  Understandably,  the projects had to undergo a final business review by the new executives.

*Fox never thought Mangold and Hugh would come up with a critical winner ( 93% on Rotten Tomatoes)...that would also be a box office smash inspite of an R-rating. Even the box office results were unexpected ( wasn't there mention that Hugh offered a pay cut because the studio might have been apprehensive about the impact of the R-rating on the box office potential?). It was never anticipated that it should have been an Oscar season release ( fall festival season/early Christmas season) as superhero movies were generally released originally from early May to August. ( the summer blockbuster season).

*Fox was already experimenting with a pre-summer-season release dates for a potential blockbuster. The summer season was getting very crowded.  Other studios did the same ( Kong and Beauty and the Beast were also released in March). In the previous year, it released the box office winner Deadpool in February.


In terms of Oscar chances --

*Sadly, superhero movies have never been given any attention by the AMPAS.  Maybe LOGAN can break the run of bad luck...although some are also pushing for WONDER WOMAN for the singular honor of being the first superhero film nominated for an Oscar.

*Historically-speaking, movie musicals generally have more than just fair chances with AMPAS. Previous Oscar movie musical Best Picture winners included CHICAGO, SOUND OF MUSIC. WEST SIDE STORY. MY FAIR LADY, etc...and a few recent ones were favored with nominations ( nods) -- such as LES MISERABLES, MOULIN ROUGE and maybe WALK THE LINE ( by Mangold) if I am not mistaken.

Best Picture frontrunners for this season include many auteur-driven film works ( Nolan's DUNKIRK, Spielberg's forthcoming THE POST, P.T. Anderson's forthcoming PHANTOM THREAD with DDLewis, Wright's DARKEST HOUR with Gary Oldman, etc) as well as some festival hits ( Sundance which showed CALL MY BY YOUR NAME) and entries to  Venice, Telluride, Toronto or even the late New York FF. LOGAN has come up in the conversation but more as a lower-tier choice unfortunately.

No one knows yet how THE GREATEST SHOWMAN will turn out in terms of critical approval ( although Hugh's name has been in the conversation most of the time) but it seems FOX is positioning it as a family-friendly holiday release. If what Gracey says is true that it derives from 3 classic musicals ( Sound of Music, West Side Story, and Mary Poppins, which were AMPAS favorites) maybe it can get one of the nomination places ( minimum of 5, maximum of 10). Can both LOGAN and THE GREATEST SHOWMAN be both nominated - the rules allow that ... but they might cancel each other out, especially if one of the key drivers is Jackman's role in both movies. As to Best Actor rules, no same actor can be nominated for more than one movie portrayal, even if the same actor has outstanding portrayals in two separate movies. There are covering rules as to which one will prevail. However some filmbloggers/forecasters acknowledge that if The Greatest Showman also yielded an outstanding performance from Jackman, that he would come out stronger for a Best Actor nod ( given that he has come out with two excellent screen portrayals).

Personally-speaking, while his LOGAN portrayal is a sentimental choice for a win, the possibility of an excellent performance as a triple threat ( act/sing/dance) in SHOWMAN could make him stand out from all the other favored portrayals ( which tend to favor drama).

FOX does have a dilemma -- it has the strongest slate for OSCAR consideration this season among the major studios/indie sources! It seems its strongest candidate is perceived to be THE POST ( Spielbert, Streep, Hanks, based on The Pentagon Papers), while other possibilities include THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, LOGAN ( the only film where they have already released voters's screener copies), WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, maybe MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS and an entry or two from its very successful subsidiary FOX Searchlight ( which has several Best Picture winners/nominees under its belt) which is more known for indies. Of course, LOGAN is the very first XMEN franchise movie that FOX is offering for Oscar consideration.


But what a great nod to Jackman's versatility that two of his movies ( which are of very different genres) which are being led by his key portrayal are being put under awards glory consideration in the same season! I guess we'll just have to cross fingers our fingers ( and toes) come nomination announcement

Jo

[jo]

One last thought - the Oscars has always been very political....so, while I am hopeful, I realize that the AMPAS voting will not always yield our favored choices

One thing though -- hope the major diversification of the membership in the last 2 years could bear fruit in terms of more universal choices by AMPAS. And the dominant demos of "old-white-male" would be less influential.


Jo

[jo]

PS: Based on early reviews, Denis Villeneuve ( formerly of PRISONERS) may just steal the thunder with his remake of BLADE RUNNER! Most critics are ecstatic...except for Jeffrey Wells


Could very well be the frontrunner for BEST PICTURE and maybe DIRECTOR.


That is why the only likely movie that could spring another major surprise ( because it comes from a different genre) could very well be THE GREATEST SHOWMAN *hopeful icon*


Jo

[jo]

A film site rationalizes why LOGAN can be a major awards contender --

www.monkeysfightingrobots.com/logan-oscars-awards-contender-hugh-jackman/

Why ‘Logan’ Could Be the First Big Superhero Awards Contender

By Robert Yaniz Jr. -
September 30, 2017
12 0




After 17 years, Fox‘s X-Men franchise is perhaps in its most creatively fruitful stage. Despite the underwhelming reception to X-Men: Apocalypse, the series contributed culturally significant entries into the superhero movie canon with R-rated game-changers Deadpool and Logan. The former may have missed its chance at claiming top honors during awards season — we’ll chalk that up to its comedic take on the genre more than anything else — but that hasn’t stopped the studio from positioning Hugh Jackman’s third Wolverine film as a major awards contender this year. Whenever a blockbuster (especially one with such broad appeal) guns for Oscars, it could very well wind up being a pipe dream. But what if it’s not? For your consideration, here’s our rationale for why Logan could be nominated for some of this season’s highest honors.


Pushing the genre creatively

For a superhero film to be taken seriously by voting bodies like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, it needs to do more than adhering to the traditional storytelling formula. That’s why so many are still frustrated that The Dark Knight only earned a single major nomination, ultimately winning for Heath Ledger’s performance. For its contribution to the genre, Logan has been compared to that film. With a distinctive aesthetic and a boatload of subtext, the 10th installment of the X-Men franchise is easily the most narratively ambitious, a fact that will only boost its awards chances.


Western promises

Co-writer/director James Mangold executes a singular vision with Logan, his second Wolverine film. Inspired by classic Hollywood Westerns, he uses the archetypes of films like Shane (referenced in the film itself) to ground the mutant shenanigans. Utilizing desolate settings and a moody lens, Logan has a vastly different color palette — moreso for the black-and-white version, dubbed Logan Noir — and tone than nearly any other comic book film ever made. Moreover, its reverence for as Oscar-friendly a genre as Westerns certainly bodes well.


Critical and commercial love

More often than not, the film that wins Best Picture is not a blockbuster by any means. Last year’s winner, Moonlight, only earned $27 million domestically, for example. Regardless, if a film is critically beloved, then earning piles of cash at the box office can only help its chances at landing major awards. Studios naturally don’t have to try so hard to campaign and spread awareness about films that everyone has seen. Coupled with Logan‘s $226 million domestic take, its near-universal rave reviews therefore only enhance its respectability and merit as a film worth a few gold statuettes.


Packing an emotional punch

At its heart, the X-Men franchise is a sci-fi action series. Although Logan finally unleashes Wolverine‘s adamantium claws in all their bloody glory, the film’s intense action sequences aren’t the centerpiece of the movie. From beginning to end, it’s a character study that follows Wolverine‘s emotional journey and takes a deep dive into the psychology of a damaged hero known for leaving the bodies of loved ones in his wake. With a more scaled-down, personal approach than many of its contemporaries (no CGI monsters or blue beams in the sky here!), Logan is as intimate a superhero film as we’ve gotten to date.


Franchise-best performances

Logan may be Jackman’s ninth go-round as Wolverine, but the Oscar-nominated actor is more committed than ever before, giving us the clearest portrait yet of who this iconic hero is. Moreover, Patrick Stewart’s layered, nuanced performance as an ailing Charles Xavier instantly inspired serious awards talk for the first time in X-Men film history. Of course, let’s not forget the revelation that is young Dafne Keen, who creates an unforgettably complex character in Laura/X-23 without saying a word for most of the film. If the performances in Logan don’t at least garner some awards love, then we’ll know for certain that award-giving bodies are biased against superhero films just on principle.


The end for Wolverine

If for some reason you still haven’t seen Logan (we doubt it), we’ll remain spoiler-free, but suffice to say, the film marks the culmination of Jackman’s 17-year journey as Wolverine, providing a definitive end to one of the most iconic portrayals of a comic book character in cinematic history. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King already proved that awards shows tend to wait for a genre story to reach its conclusion before honoring it. So perhaps that same logic will apply to Logan, which provides a satisfying conclusion to the franchise while simultaneously elevating it.

Do you think Logan has a shot this awards season? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

[harlequinade]

I just find it so frustrating that for the second time in the row when it comes to awards the release date is such an obstacle - releasing Eddie the Eagle and Logan in spring was a mistake. Had those films opened in the fall they would have been contenders. It's especially unnerving because Logan is Hugh's best work and Eddie was one of his greatest performances and the film flew completely under the radar in spite of Hugh and Taron promoting it so well

[jo]

EDDIE THE EAGLE was really an indie movie produced by Matthew Vaughn and directed by unknown director Dexter Fletcher, but was eventually released through FOX, so the release date had to be accommodated only after its completion and not something pre-planned by Fox. Usually, a major studio produces and releases its own productions totaling only around 16-20 a year (in more recent times)...and in those cases, the studio plans a more logical release date for its own films. In the case of EDDIE, it did get a very strong promotional campaign ( Fox even included it in its slate of expensive SuperBowl ads) and the movie got exposure not only through a media junket but special promotion through the Sundance Festival ( surprise screening) which occasionally yielded some Oscar favorites... and events like the Florida publicity/the jet flying promo/the special tie-in with a famous football player's special advocacies. FOX must have paid for all of that. Unfortunately, the movie did not catch hold of movie audiences's attention.

Btw, I never even got to see EDDIE on a big screen, as the local distributor in this part of Asia ( which was Warner Bros) did not deem it worthy of a regular release ... I had to watch it initially via an unofficial copy around here until FOX released the much better BluRay version months later.

LOGAN was never planned as an Oscar movie...but surprisingly turned out to be both a commercial and a critical hit. It did follow the pattern of how Deadpool was released, by choosing a late winter date for WOLVERINE 3/LOGAN, given that the extended summer season was already filling up with too many blockbusters. Deadpool was released in February and caught everybody off-guard with its box 0ffice success. FOX announced the March release date for LOGAN even before the Deadpool box office success but was able to validate it after Deadpool's unexpected success. Ironically, Deadpool was probably released in deep winter because FOX idd not have much faith in it. Given the success of other movies in the Wolverine triology, LOGAN'S early March release date was probably to keep it from other superhero competition. LOGAN did get the full studio support despite the R-rating. Besides, which superhero movie was ever released in the fall season? And if they need festival exposure, blockbusters would take advantage of Cannes usually ( XMen -3) which happens around May, and not the fall season festival schedules. Also, for blockbusters there is always the major threat of piracy so it cannot be released much earlier than actual USA/overseas release ( usually coinciding on a day/date schedule for everyone). LOGAN did get festival exposure in Berlin but that was only for about two weeks ahead of the USA/Overseas schedule.

Mangold and Hugh did take their time in completing pre-production, including major script changes. At some point,they were already bumping into the initial filming schedule for SHOWMAN.

Scheduling is not that easy as screens have to be contracted for way ahead of time ( if you want at least 4000 screens, and especially if widescreen formats like IMAX are needed). I was hoping SHOWMAN could be shown via IMAX but it seems Star Wars:The Last Jedi may have already signed up for everything IMAX

At any rate, FOX is mounting an Oscar campaign for LOGAN. It is a gamble if the dominant demos at AMPAS still look down upon superhero movies as Oscar-worthy but FOX is willing to spend for the campaign for LOGAN ( except this time, that could be all paid for from its enormous contribution to the FOX coffers). It would probably need a special campaign to change the mindset of the drama/indie-loving Oscar voters.

Let's hope for the best ... at least better than the fate of THE DARK KNIGHT ( which even re-released its billion dollar pride at Oscar time on a limited basis).


Jo

[jo]

LOGAN is screening at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival ( the largest of its kind exhibited in an academic environment) as part of the SIGNATURE Series --


deadline.com/2017/10/scad-film-festival-2017-lineup-movies-1202179796/

[jo]

Fans voting time again

[jo]

There is suppsed to be an invite-only discussions about potential Oscar contenders.

deadline.com/2017/10/deadlines-7th-annual-movie-contenders-event-set-for-november-4-with-record-turnout-expected-1202187336/

Excerpts :

Invitations are in the mail (actually the email) to AMPAS and top guild members for Deadline’s seventh annual The Contenders event for the movie awards season. It’s set for all day Saturday, November 4, at the DGA Theater.

A record 19 studios and distributors are participating this year, with 35 films featured in clips and onstage discussions with actors, directors, producers, writers and others who are part of the filmmaking process. It’s essentially one-stop shopping for the voter as they hear the backstory of how these films got made from the people who made them. The much-anticipated event follows hot on the heels of Deadline’s very successful inaugural Contenders in London last week, where many stars, directors and studios participated in front of an invited audience of Academy and BAFTA members.


Films represented at LA’s The Contenders this year include Molly’s Game (STX Entertainment); Hostiles, Chappaquiddick (Entertainment Studios); Logan, War for the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox); Marshall (Open Road); The Big Sick, Wonderstruck (Amazon Studios); The Florida Project, Lady Bird, The Disaster Artist (A24); Victoria & Abdul, Darkest Hour, Phantom Thread (Focus Features); Get Out (Universal Pictures); Detroit (Annapurna Pictures); Dunkirk, Wonder Woman, Blade Runner 2049 (Warner Bros.);  Battle of the Sexes, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight); Baby Driver, Roman J. Israel, Esq. , All the Money in the World (Sony);  Call Me by Your Name, Maudie (Sony Pictures Classics);  An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, Downsizing, mother! (Paramount Pictures); Thor: Ragnarok, Coco (Walt Disney Studios); Breathe (Bleecker Street/Participant Media); I, Tonya (Neon); The Hero (The Orchard); The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), Mudbound (Netflix).

This is supposed to be a preview of potential Oscar contenders. LOGAN is one of two movies already released which FOX is prepared to bring up for discussions ( looking like more of an initiative by the movie press, in particular by Deadline.com). THE GREATEST SHOWMAN is not part of FOX's list ... although --

*Maybe it is because they do not have the materials (filmmaking scenes and secrets) yet for discussion?
*Maybe they really want to keep things on a secret basis and surprise everyone when it comes out?
*More importantly, FOX did not include their supposed top contender THE POST -- presumably FOX only wants to discuss released movies.


*At least LOGAN is there -- hopefully, AMPAS voters will look at this movie as a serious contender, given how it has earned so much praise from critics and audiences. It is also universally viewed as a very worthy representative of a film genre that is often ignored by awards bodies ( even if the superhero genre is currently the most attractive fare at the box office). And it will also help build the notion that Jackman is a super-worthy contender for Best Actor ( assuming that SHOWMAN in unveiled very successfully later on), showing his talent and versatility ( no other actor contenders have the same kind of notice for multiple movies this year).


Jo

[jo]

Re above forum being set up to discuss potential contenders --

I am not exactly comfortable by this attempt of the movie press (Deadline.com in particular) to influence the awards voting by herding together the AMPAS/guild voters for open discussions. Some filmmakers may be more appealing in their attempt to project their movies in a very positive light compared to others. Hopefully each voter will look more seriously at the movie screeners sent to them so they can study more seriously the merits of each movie. No herd mentality, please!

Why should the movie press ( and there is no mention that the traditional trade paper VARIETY and THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER will be part of the discussant panel, who are all writers for DEADLINE) try to influence voting early on? Hmm... pardon my saying it ... but is it more for its own promotional value for the website

I would be more comfortable if it were AMPAS and the GUILDs themselves which will organize these kinds of events and only after the end of the deadline for submitting films for consideration.


Jo

[jo]

It took over a month ( since announcement) to get the screener delivered


I wonder how many other screeners get lost trying to find the address of the Oscar/Guild voters

Hope there is enough interest in THE GREATEST SHOWMAN for the voters to troop to the cinema instead of waiting for their screeners to arrive! Presumably there will be AMPAS voters-screenings only for SHOWMAN...

As for LOGAN -- would LOGAN NOIR have a better chance than the original cinema version, given the penchant of AMPAS to vote for arthouse type movies

Also, will there be a re-release of LOGAN towards the year-end (maybe for AMPAS/GUILDS voters only, with Q&As ( other than discussions organized by Deadline)?


Jo