Talk about a changeup pitch. Not liking the changes that were implemented in the shooting script, Variety reports that Columbia Pictures' Amy Pascal is throwing a wrench into the production which was supposed to begin tomorrow in Phoenix.
So how does Yojiro Takita's Departures (Okuribito) beat out heavy favorites Israel's Waltz With Bashir and France's The Class? Smart pick ups and adequate marketing plans just don't cut it when it comes to promoting titles for Oscar campaigns and Sony Pictures Classics seemed to have botched, undersold both titles the moment the final five titles were announced.
The biggest question prior to the Oscars is: How much of an underdog can Slumdog Millionaire really be when it's winning major honors at the Globes, Producer's Guilds, and has ten Oscar noms to go along with it? Danny Boyle claimed the top prize....
Because the Dramatic Main Competition category can only hold so many titles, the Spectrum becomes a second option for Sundance staff to include some more dramatic fair. 12 of the 16 selected are world premieres (I caught Johnny Mad Dog at Cannes and missed out on Lymelife at TIFF) from returnee directors such as Sterlin Harjo, Jeff Lipsky and Bobcat Goldthwait.