Rachel McAdams, Will Ferrell Take Oscar Vows

Originally posted Friday 2/3/06:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continues to slowly reveal celebrity presenters for next month's Oscars. Today we learned funnyman Will Ferrell became the latest star added to the talent roster. AMPAS also announced the starlet du jour selected to host the Scientific and Technical Awards on Saturday, February 18. Rachel McAdams has accepted the role, and she will also appear at the 78th Annual Academy Awards on March 5 to introduce taped highlights from the Sci-Tech dinner. McAdams played Owen Wilson's love interest in Wedding Crashers, in which Ferrell had a small role. Both Owen Wilson and his brother Luke are also set to present Oscars this year. Makes us wonder if fellow Frat Pack studs, Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller, frequent collaborators with Ferrell and the Wilson brothers, will be the next actors Gil Cates invites to the show.

2/4/06: Writers, Animators Draft Event Details

Originally posted Friday 2/3/06:

The 58th Annual WRITERS GUILD AWARDS will be held simultaneously in Los Angeles and New York Saturday night. Jon Favreau hosts the west coast Writers Guild gala at the Hollywood Palladium. Award presenters include Oscar nominees Matt Dillon and Terrence Howard, Geena Davis, Dan Rather, Steve Carell, Jason Lee, James Denton, George Lopez, Marg Helgenberger, Jenna Elfman, Sandra Oh, Craig Ferguson, Ellen Pompeo, James Garner, Tyler James Williams and Lauralee Bell. Frank Pierson will receive the Morgan Cox Honorary Service Award, George Clooney and Grant Heslov will receive the Paul Selvin Award for their screenplay Good Night, and Good Luck, screenwriter/ director/ producer Lawrence Kasdan will be honored with the Screen Laurel Award and television writer /producer Stephen J. Cannell will receive the Writers Guild of America, West's Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television.

Alan Cumming presides over the east coast Writer's Guild gala at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Award presenters include Stanley Donen, Susan Zirinsky, John Auerbach, Tim Fontana, John Waters, Rosie Perez, Dan Futterman, S. Epatha Merkerson, Paul Rudd, Paul Shaffer, Susie Essman and Sara Vowell. The Writers Guild of America East selected James L. Brooks for its inaugural Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence, to honor a scribe who has shown excellence in comedy writing and who has inspired others through leadership and mentoring. WGA East chose Warren Leight to receive its Richard B. Jablow Award for service to the guild. They will also honor Marshall Brickman with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for lifetime achievement in writing. WGA tv nominees announced 12/8/05; motion pictures nominees 1/4/06. Official websites: WGA-W / WGA- E.

The 33rd Annual ANNIE AWARDS, presented by ASIFA-Hollywood, the International Animated Film Society, will be held at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA, and hosted by the talent behind Spongebob Squarepants, Tom Kenny. Celebrity presenters include William Shatner, Jason Alexander, Brad Bird, Seth MacFarlane, Craig T. Nelson, Nick Park and Lee Unkrich. The 2005 Annie Award nominations were announced 12/5/05. Chicken Little, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Howl's Moving Castle, Madagascar and Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit are competing for Annie's Best Animated Feature title. Three of these films, Corpse Bride, Howl's Moving Castle and the Wallace & Gromit movie, were nominated for Academy Awards earlier this week. Mark Kausler will receive the June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride will be honored with the Ub Iwerks Award. Cornelius Cole, Tyrus Wong and Fred Crippen will be recognized for their contributions to the art of animation.