‘The Artist’ Snags DGA Award
The black-and-white silent film “The Artist” seems destined to take top honors for best picture at the Oscars Feb. 26, after winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture–Comedy or Musical and most recently at the 64th Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards last weekend.
Michel Hazanavicius, director of the film, was honored with the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Feature Film, beating out high-profile competition such as Martin Scorsese (“Hugo”), Woody Allen (“Midnight in Paris”), Alexander Payne (“The Descendants”), and David Fincher (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”).
The voters for the award are the 13,500 members of the directors union. In years past, the award has been a fairly accurate predictor, quoted at 79 percent, for the Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Rihanna to Produce British TV Show
International pop star and edgy fashionista Rihanna, 23, will be an executive producer for a new fashion competition reality show being created for British television.
The songstress will be involved in casting and post-production tasks, and has already hand-picked Nicola Roberts, part of the British pop band “Girls Aloud,” to serve as host for the show.
The show has natural similarities to the hit U.S. television show “Project Runway.” It will be searching for the next hot British designer, with a final challenge to create a stage costume for Rihanna’s performance at the Barclaycard Wireless festival in Hyde Park, England, on July 8. The show will debut in the summer this year and will air on the Sky Living HD channel.
Constantine Takes Broadway
Former “American Idol” finalist Constantine Maroulis, 36, will be heading up the Broadway revival cast of the musical “Jekyll & Hyde” starring in the title role. The musical will hit the Broadway stage for a limited time in New York in the spring of 2013, after a 25-week national tour that starts Oct. 2 in San Diego, Calif. Further details of the cast and tour dates have not yet been released.
Maroulis has recently ended a three-year Broadway performance in the hit musical “Rock of Ages,” for which he earned a Tony Award nomination in 2009 for best actor. He is currently starring in the Alley Theatre production of “The Toxic Avenger” in Houston, Texas.
