'Hurt Locker,’ ‘Up,’ ‘The Cove’ win Producers Guild Award

Summit's The Hurt Locker took home the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures at the 21st annual PGA Awards. The prize was shared by producers Kathryn Bigelow (who also directed, photo at left), Mark Boal (the film's screenwriter), Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro.

The presentation capped the 21st Annual Producers Guild of America Awards 2010 ceremony held at the Hollywood Palladium this evening.

The Hurt Locker has picked up numerous critics awards, and two weekends ago it won the Broadcast Film Critics Assn.'s Critics Choice Award for best picture. But at the Golden Globes two nights later, Avatar walked off with the best drama prize, and at Saturday's SAG Awards, Inglourious Basterds picked up the film ensemble award, that guild's equivalent of the best picture prize.

With its PGA triumph, The Hurt Locker now reseizes the moment, although a best picture Oscar is by no means a done deal: During the 20-year history of the PGA Awards, 12 of its movie winners have gone on to win the best-film Oscar.

Louie Psihoyos’s The Cove won the documentary prize.

Pixar’s Up also nominated in the field of 10 Best Picture contenders, won the animated feature award, the highest grossing film of the category.

Mo’Nique presented the Stanley Kramer Award to Precious director Lee Daniels. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen presented the David O. Selznick Award to Pixar's John Lasseter. Will Smith presented the Milestone Award to Sony’s Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton.

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Guillermo 'Disney' del Toro Dishes on DOUBLE DARE YOU Production Label & More!

Guillermo del Toro visited the DelToroFilms message board today to update his fans on the new Disney Double Dare You label which we reported on recently; and projects in pre-pro or production.

He confirmed today that although books, games and other merchandise will be part of the Disney Double Dare You label, DDY will release "theatrical, high end" animated feature films. These will be "edgier" animated films that could move into "PG-13" territory.

"For those that know me- I am a Disney nut. One whole room in BLEAK HOUSE is dedicated to the HAUNTED MANSION and I have a huge "Altar" (complete with offerings and candles) dedicated to Disney villians. I have collected original concept art for years and own many key pieces of art by Mary Blair, Kay Nielsen and Eyvind Earle, including FANTASIA, SLEEPING BEAUTY, ICHABOD CRANE, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and about 20 perfect concepts for NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

I have been going to Disneyland once a year or more -many times alone- for 40 years... and I have been planning this, my new relationship with PIXAR/DISNEY for a couple of years ago> I have a plan and I have been carefully pursuing it- and, no, it didn't start with THE HOBBIT. It predates it by a long while. I am trying to map out the next 10 years of my creative life and I'm touching the narrative forms I am interested on. That will include books, animation and games aside from films. I intend to be fluent in those languages and mediums, not as a user but as a practitioner.

Remember, on my early years, NECROPIA made make up FX and animation. I bought and rebuilt the FIRST 35 mm animation camera in my hometown (still in use) a MITCHELL NC with Berthiot optical lenses. I trained the keystone of new animators there and dabbled myself in stop motion and clay animation. This is one of the rare instances in which life follows a design.

DDY has a ratings ceiling of PG-13 and I think animation can move in that direction. With PIXAR tackling stuff like the MARS novels and other filmmakers pushing the creation of 3-D environments and characters (AVATAR, Zemeckis) I believe we can hope for animation projects that can be edgy and powerful. And, no, GOOSEBUMPS is not my model- As I said, the E-ticket rides of Yore are my inspiration, as are Chernabog or Maleficent or the Witch in Snow White, etc I am planning SCARY stuff to be part of the experience. The books will have a fantastic angle- soon to be revealed. Dick Cook and John Lasseter got excited about this precisely because the model I proposed is completely new."

This clarification rules out that the film projects would be Direct-to-DVD releases. and guarantees a GDT-inspired Disney feature film.

GDT'S SCHEDULE UPDATE

THE HOBBIT design, script and maquettes are going full steam. So is previz-

THE FALL (second book of THE STRAIN) is going back and forth between CH and I. Its in Chuck's court at the moment. Hobbit is on PJ, PB and FW side too, so I dedicate my writing time (daily, 2-3 hours before HOBBIT office work) to polish other stuff or start new projects.

"Don't BE AFRAID OF THE DARK" wraps next week. And I have been guarding and caring for it very closely. Its great!!

TROLLHUNTERS will be developed -from the start- with a real co-director that will be in Wellington for the next couple of years so I can manage this without going bi-coastal.

Three of the UNIVERSAL projects have COMPLETED scripts awaiting a polish. We have completed maquettes and prostethic sculptures for FRANKENSTEIN and in the course of next year will start R&D on my lifetime commitment AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS.

DROOD has a scribe (a great one) and is progressing to draft-

AT WB, my script for THE WITCHES is looking for a new director (still one of Liccy Dahl's favorite adaptations ever).

And we can hardly wait!!! For the latest GDT news join the Guillermo del Toro Facebook Group.

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Source: DelToroFilms.com

Guillermo Del Toro & Disney Launch Horror Cartoon Label 'Double Dare You'

The Walt Disney Studios, in collaboration with acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Hobbit”), is launching a new production label called Disney Double Dare You, to create new animated films full of chills and thrills for audiences of all ages.
Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook announced the partnership today in a star-studded presentation to the D23 Expo fan convention that brought actors Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, and directors Tim Burton and Robert Zemeckis, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and singer-actress Miley Cyrus onstage in a packed auditorium at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Move can be viewed as yet another way for Disney to try to lure males to the company’s projects and pairs up with its recent takeover of Marvel.

All films will be produced under the guidance of del Toro, who originated the concept and the design of DDY and who will also direct certain projects. The first project in development for the new label is called Trollhunters, an original del Toro story which he will produce which will introduce a mysterious aspect of his new brand. The pics will all be tied together by "one feature that shall remain secret, but that you shall soon be very familiar with," del Toro said.

Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, “Guillermo is a brilliant and visionary filmmaker, and we’re excited to be launching this new label with him. His knowledge and appreciation for Disney films, along with his penchant for creating worlds of fantasy, presented a great opportunity for us to explore a whole new genre of filmmaking for moviegoers of all ages. We have admired Guillermo’s imaginative approach to filmmaking for some time, and now we’re proud to be working with him to create films full of imaginative delights and lots of thrills at the same time.”

Del Toro added, “As a director, I love to take audiences into fantastic new worlds and provide them with some anxious moments in the process. It is part of the Disney canon to create thrilling, unforgettable moments and villains in all their classic films. It is my privilege for DDY to continue in this tradition. To partner up with The Walt Disney Studios, with the support of Dick Cook and John Lasseter, is to belong to a storytelling partnership that I admire deeply. It is a true honor. I look forward to coming up with fresh and original stories that will take Disney films in a whole new direction. The emphasis is on fun, and we have some great ideas already on the storyboards.”

As part of its master plan to capture a greater male audience, Disney is looking to Double Dare You to create a darker slate of animated films than the usual Disney cartoon fare, as well as produce books and merchandising tie-ins

No other details are known yet such as how many films they might make or when production on Trollhunters might begin, but no doubt we'll be hearing more soon.

Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth received six Academy Award® nominations in 2007, including one for his original screenplay, and went on to win three awards. That film also received a BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English language. His other directing credits include “Hellboy,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “The Devil’s Backbone,” “Cronos,” and “Mimic,” among others. Del Toro is currently directing back-to-back feature film adaptations of the Tolkien classic, The Hobbit, for release in 2011 and 2012.

For the latest GDT news join the Guillermo del Toro Facebook Group.

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Source: Variety, LA Times, MoviesOnline