No go, Solo: VFX Oscar goes home with First Man

Solo: A Star Wars Story became the latest Star Wars film to strike out at the Oscars. It was only up for one award: Best Visual Effects, which went to First Man.

Adam Driver and Richard E. Grant, both up for Supporting Actor for BlacKkKlansman and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, respectivly, lost to Mahershala Ali. Grant, who did win at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, will make his Star Wars debut in Episode IX.

One (upcoming) Star Wars connection get gold: The Mandalorian composer Ludwig Göransson won for his Black Panther score.

We did see several other Star Wars alumni, including Diego Luna, who co-presented a segment about Best Picture nominee Roma, and Laura Dern, who talked about the Academy’s upcoming mueseum.

No Star Wars film has received an Oscar since 1984, when Return of the Jedi was awarded a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects. The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens were both up for four Oscars each; Rouge One lost on two.

Solo gets VFX Oscar nod

Oscar nominations came out this morning, and Solo got a nod for Best Visual Effects. Congrats to ILM’s Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Dominic Tuohy and the rest of the crew. It’s up against Avengers: Infinity War, First Man, Ready Player One and Christopher Robin.

We’ve also got a Golden Globes repeat in the Supporting Actor Race, with Adam Driver (for BlackkKlansman) and Richard E. Grant (for Can You Ever Forgive Me?) going up against each other, as well as Mahershala Ali (who won the Golden Globe,) Sam Elliott and Sam Rockwell.

It’s another record-breaker for Marvel, as Black Panther comes out with seven nominations, including Best Picture. It’s the first superhero movie, period, to be a Best Picture nominee. Ludwig Goransson, who will score The Mandalorian, is up for the film’s score.

Kathleen Kennedy to get an honorary Oscar

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy will receive an honorary Oscar at the Motion Picture Academy’s 10th annual Governors Awards. Kennedy and her husband and producing partner, Frank Marshall, are being honored with Thalberg Award, given to producers “whose body of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production.” Kennedy will be the first woman to receive the award, which was last given to Francis Ford Coppola in 2010.

Kennedy has been nominated for 8 Oscars, due to Best Picture nominations for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Color Purple, The Sixth Sense, Seabiscuit, Munich, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, War Horse, and Lincoln.

Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as George Lucas’ hand-picked successor.

No Academy Awards for The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi failed to break Star Wars‘ 34-year streak at the Oscars, losing in all four categories it was nominated in. Both sound awards went to Dunkirk, Blade Runner 2049 took VFX, and John Williams lost out on score to Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water.

The Shape of Water was the night’s big winner, taking home four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Guillermo del Toro.

Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, Kelly Marie Tran and BB-8 did present Best Animated Short and Feature, the highlight being BB-8 getting scratchies:

Kelly’s Instagram is worth a look though, and Mark Hamill was out doing his thing on the red carpet. Lupita Nyong’o and Laura Dern were also in attendance.

No Star Wars film has received an Oscar since 1984, when Return of the Jedi was awarded a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects. But hey, we did get to see a porg on the Oscars, so that’s something.

John Williams willing to return for Episode IX (and who’s going to tell him no?)

In an interview regarding his Oscar chances this year, composer John Williams says that he’s already told J.J. Abrams that he’ll return for Episode IX. “I would very much like to complete that,” he told Variety.

Williams is eligible for both The Last Jedi and The Post this year. He’s received 50 nominations over his career and won 5, including one for the original Star Wars.

Before IX, Williams will be contributing a theme for Solo.

No Oscars for Rogue One

Rogue One didn’t take home either of the two Oscars it was nominated for last night. Hacksaw Ridge took sound mixing, while The Jungle Book won VFX. (Having Felicity Jones and Riz Ahmed present it was a bit weird when a win wasn’t really expected, but hey, that’s Hollywood.) Alas. Unlike last year’s Ex Machina upset, this was far from a surprise – and the ceremony had even bigger shocks later on with a Best Picture mixup.

Kenny Baker and Carrie Fisher were both part of the In Memoriam segment. Mom Debbie Reynolds and Carrie closed it out, with the “May the Force be with you” clip from The Force Awakens.

Alum Natalie Portman – who didn’t attend due to her pregnancy – lost out Best Actress to La La Land’s Emma Stone.

Better luck next year, Star WarsJ.J. Abrams is already campaigning for Mark Hamill in The Last Jedi. Is his guilt is getting to him?

Today in Rogue One: Oscar nods, Death Star knowledge drop

Rogue One nabbed two Oscar nominations today, for Visual Effects and Sound Mixing. Big Shiny Robot has a couple of statements from John Knoll and sound designer Chris Scarbosio. As for Star Wars alumni, Natalie Portman has received her third nomination, this time for lead in Jackie. She won the category for Black Swan in 2011.

Rogue One effects guy Todd Vaziri sheds some light on the Death Star’s trench run. Yes, this is mostly about A New Hope, but there are explanations (both practical and in-universe) for the equator dish schematic.

→ It’s Pablo Hidalgo on the movie’s Visual Guide! And again, this time on aliens!

→ And check out some high-res shots of Rogue One’s old-school user interfaces.

Today in VIII: Daisy Ridley on where the film starts

mtv-daisyOn the Oscars red carpet last night, Daisy Ridley told MTV News that Episode VIII does indeed pick up where The Force Awakens left off, and about working with Mark Hamill.

(This may not be exactly VIII related, but since we’re here: Fashion bloggers Tom & Lorenzo and the Fug Girls on Ridley’s dress.)

→ A curious dome-shaped building has been spotted at Pinewood. It’s similar to those found at the monastery at Skellig Michael.

→ The Dubrovnik street set now lights up, and not for nothing – it looks like they’ll be doing some night filming.

→ It seems the film may also be scouting for caves in Mexico.