'The Artist,' 'Hugo' big winners at Academy Awards

"The Artist" become only the second silent film ever to win best picture at tonight's 84th annual Academy Awards, during which the movie picked up five awards, as did Martin Scorsese's "Hugo."

"The Artist" was named best picture.

The star-studded ceremony, led by host Billy Crystal, was held tonight in the location formerly known as the Kodak Theatre. Crystal, as he has apt to do, opened the show with a pre-taped segment in which he was inserted in many of this year's nominated films.

The show, which seemed to maintain a quick pace throughout, was punctuated by mostly short speeches and mostly funny interludes.

In addition to best picture, "The Artist" won for best director (Michel Hazanavicius) while French actor Jean Dujardin beat out a tough line-up of nominees led by George Clooney. Also taking home Oscars for their work on the film were Ludovic Bource for original score and Mark Bridges for costume design.

Meanwhile, "Hugo" was awarded for cinematography, art direction, sound mixing, sound editing and visual effects.

In another hotly contested race, 17-time nominee Meryl Streep took home the Oscar for best lead actress for her portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher over Viola Davis, who was nominated for her work in "The Help."

Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, who were tasked with transforming Streep into Thatcher, were honored  with the best makeup Academy Award.

The supporting actor and actress categories both went to the perceived frontrunners in Christopher Plummer for "The Beginners" and Octavia Spencer for "The Help."

Save the Date: 'Beautiful Creatures' hitting theaters Feb. 1, 2013

Warner Bros. announced Tuesday that Alcon Entertainment's adaptation of the supernatural thriller “Beautiful Creatures" will be released in theaters on Feb. 1, 2013.

The adaptation will arrive Feb. 1, 2013.

A coming of age story set in the South, “Beautiful Creatures” is about two star-crossed teenage lovers, Ethan, a local boy, and a mysterious new girl, Lena, who uncover dark secrets about their families, their history and their town.

Richard LaGravenese will direct from his own adaptation of Kami Carcia and Margaret Stohl's novel. Erwin Stoff (“The Matrix,” “I Am Legend”) will produce along with Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove (“The Blind Side, “The Book of Eli”), and Molly Smith (“Something Borrowed,” “P.S. I Love You”).

The cast includes Viola Davis ("The Help"), Emma Thompson ("Nanny McPhee"), Jack O’Connell ("This is England") and Alice Englert ("Singularity").

Filming on the adaptation is expected to begin in April in and around New Orleans.

Emma Thompson will play two roles in 'Beautiful Creatures'

Casting news continues for Alcon Entertainment's adaptation of the supernatural thriller “Beautiful Creatures" with the announcement that Emma Thompson is joining the project.

Emma Thompson

According to Heat Vision, Thompson ("Nanny McPhee") will play the dual role of Mrs. Lincoln, a small-town religion firebrand, and Sarafine, the dark witch who possesses her.


A coming of age story set in the South, “Beautiful Creatures” is about two star-crossed teenage lovers, Ethan, a local boy, and a mysterious new girl, Lena, who uncover dark secrets about their families, their history and their town.

Richard LaGravenese will direct from his own adaptation of Kami Carcia and Margaret Stohl's novel. Erwin Stoff (“The Matrix,” “I Am Legend”) will produce along with Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove (“The Blind Side, “The Book of Eli”), and Molly Smith (“Something Borrowed,” “P.S. I Love You”).

Thompson joins Viola Davis ("The Help"), Jack O’Connell ("This is England") and Alice Englert ("Singularity").

Filming on the adaptation is expected to begin in April in and around New Orleans.

O'Connell, Englert in talks for 'Beautiful Creatures'

Less than a week after Alcon Entertainment announced it was adapted the supernatural thriller “Beautiful Creatures" into a feature film, its potential stars are in final negotiations with the studio.

Jack O'Connell

Jack O’Connell ("This is England") and Alice Englert ("Singularity") are in talks to star in the film, which will follow the first novel in the series written by authors Kami Carcia and Margaret Stohl.

A coming of age story set in the South, “Beautiful Creatures” is about two star-crossed teenage lovers, Ethan, a local boy, and a mysterious new girl, Lena, who uncover dark secrets about their families, their history and their town.

Alice Englert

Richard LaGravenese will direct from his own adaptation of the novel. Erwin Stoff (“The Matrix,” “I Am Legend”) will produce along with Kosove and Johnson (“The Blind Side, “The Book of Eli”), and Molly Smith (“Something Borrowed,” “P.S. I Love You”).

Last week's announcement also stated that Academy Award-nominated actress Viola Davis ("The Help") is in talks to portray Amma, a seer who looks after Ethan and his father after Ethan’s mother’s death.

Filming on the adaptation is expected to begin in April in and around New Orleans.

Alcon adapting 'Beautiful Creatures' with Viola Davis in key role

Alcon Entertainment announced Thrusday it will finance and produce the supernatural thriller “Beautiful Creatures,” based on the New York Times best selling novel of the same name--the first in the popular series written by authors Kami Carcia and Margaret Stohl.

The series includes three novels.

The announcement, made by Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, also noted that two-time Academy Award nominee Viola Davis, most recently nominated for her leading role in “The Help,” is in negotiations for a key role.

The film will be released by Warner Bros via Alcon’s output deal.

Alcon, which has film rights to all three books in the series published by Little Brown Books--including "Beautiful Darkness" and "Beautiful Chaos"--is looking at “Creatures” to kick off a possible franchise at WB.

Viola Davis

Richard LaGravenese will direct from his own adaptation of the novel. Erwin Stoff (“The Matrix,” “I Am Legend”) will produce along with Kosove and Johnson (“The Blind Side, “The Book of Eli”), and Molly Smith (“Something Borrowed,” “P.S. I Love You”).

LaGravenese, director of Alcon’s “P.S. I Love You,” “Freedom Writers,” among others, is the screenwriter of such features as “Water for Elephants,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” and “The Fisher King,” for which he received an Oscar nomination for original screenplay. LaGravenese’s screenplay is an adaptation of the first of the three books in this best-selling franchise that has been translated into 30 languages worldwide.