Let the fetting begin!
Producers Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven and Emma Thomas and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley to be honored at Hollywood Awards Gala.
Hollywood, CA September 24, 2008 — The 12th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards, co-chaired by Paul Haggis and presented by Starz, have announced that producers Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven and Emma Thomas will be honored with the “Hollywood Producers of the Year Award,” and Academy Award-winning screenwriter John Patrick Shanley will receive the “Hollywood Screenwriter of the Year Award” at the festival’s Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony.
If Charles Roven and Emma Thomas are less familiar than the other two, it’s maybe significant that Roven was one of the producers on Batman Begins, and Emma Thomas is Christopher Nolan’s wife. How have the Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards overlap with the rest of the, um, Hollywood awards? A look at past honorees (with major Oscar heat for respective years in bold):
- 2007: Marion Cotillard, Marc Forster, Ben Affleck, Ellen Page and Casey Affleck
- 2006: Oliver Stone, Penelope Cruz, Forest Whitaker, Ben Affleck, Derek Luke
- 2005: Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, Sam Mendes, Susan Sarandon, Jake Gyllenhaal
- 2004:
So it seems to be a valid bellwether. Excerpts from the lengthy press release after the cut.
Christopher Nolan:
In 2005, Nolan co-wrote and directed the blockbuster “Batman Begins,” starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman. More recently, he directed, co-wrote and produced the mystery thriller “The Prestige,” starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson and Michael Caine. Writer/director Christopher Nolan and his wife producer Emma Thomas are currently developing “The Prisoner,” based on the BBC show of the 1960s.
Charles Roven:
Charles Roven’s additional credits include “Batman Begins,” the predecessor to “The Dark Knight,” which had a worldwide gross of over $370 million. Directed by Christopher Nolan, it featured an all-star cast, including Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, and Ken Watanabe. Roven also produced Universal/HBO Film’s musical “Idlewild,” …and “The Brothers Grimm,” directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger.
Emma Thomas:
In 2005, Thomas produced “Batman Begins,” starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman, under the direction of Christopher Nolan. The film earned praise from both critics and audiences for its bold reimaging of the Batman film franchise, setting the stage for “The Dark Knight.”
John Patrick Shanley:
An Academy Award-winning screenwriter, John Patrick Shanley most recently wrote and directed the feature film “Doubt,” a drama starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Adapted by Shanley from his stage play “Doubt,” the film is scheduled for release in December from Miramax.