Grant Major
Grant Major (born 1955) is a production designer from New Zealand who is most famous for his work on ''The Lord of the Rings'' films. He won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction for '' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''. Major's early exposure to production design began when he joined art school in Auckland after completing his graduation, following which he got a job in the local television station as an assistant set designer. Oscar nominations All of these are in Best Art Direction (renamed to Best Production Design in 2012). * 2002 Academy Awards: Nominated for '' The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring''. Nomination shared with Dan Hennah. Lost to '' Moulin Rouge!''. * 2003 Academy Awards: Nominated for '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers''. Nomination shared with Dan Hennah and Alan Lee. Lost to ''Chicago''. * 2004 Academy Awards: Won for '' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''. Award shared with Dan Hennah and Alan Lee. * ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Palmerston North
Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manawatū River, from the river's mouth, and from the end of the Manawatū Gorge, about north of the capital, Wellington. Palmerston North is the country's List of New Zealand urban areas, eighth-largest urban area, with an urban population of The estimated population of Palmerston North city is The official limits of the city take in rural areas to the south, north-east, north-west and west of the main urban area, extending to the Tararua Ranges; including the town of Ashhurst at the mouth of the Manawatū Gorge, the villages of Bunnythorpe and Longburn in the north and west respectively. The city covers a land area of . The city's location was once little more than a clearing in a forest and occupied by small communities of Māori peopl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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76th Academy Awards
The 76th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best 2003 in film, films of 2003 and took place on February 29, 2004, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by American Broadcasting Company, ABC, was produced by Joe Roth and was directed by Louis J. Horvitz. Actor Billy Crystal hosted for the eighth time. He first presided over the 62nd Academy Awards, 62nd ceremony held in 1990 and had last hosted the 72nd Academy Awards, 72nd ceremony held in 2000. Two weeks earlier in a ceremony at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, The Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, California held on February 14, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Jennifer Garner. ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Meg
''The Meg'' is a 2018 science fiction action film directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, loosely based on the 1997 novel '' Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror'' by Steve Alten. The film stars Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis. In the plot, a group of scientists encounters a megalodon while on a rescue mission on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Walt Disney Studios originally purchased the film rights to the novel in the 1990s, but the film spent years in development hell. The rights eventually landed at Warner Bros. Pictures, and the film was green-lit in 2013. Turteltaub and much of the cast joined by September 2014. Principal photography began in October 2016 and lasted until January 2017, occurring in New Zealand and China. ''The Meg'' was released in the United States on August 10, 2018. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $529 million worldwide ag ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imagery drawn from the Jewish Bible, cosmological and (pessimistic) historical surveys, the division of time into periods, esoteric numerology, and claims of ecstasy and inspiration. Almost all are written under pseudonyms (false names), claiming as author a venerated hero from previous centuries, as with the Book of Daniel, composed during the 2nd century BCE but bearing the name of the legendary Daniel from the 6th century BCE. Eschatology (from Greek ''eschatos'', last) concerns expectations of the end of the present age. Thus, apocalyptic eschatology is the application of the apocalyptic world-view to the end o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sword Of Destiny
''Sword of Destiny'' () is the second published short story collection and fix-up novel in Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski's ''The Witcher'' series. Although published in 1992, it is officially considered the second entry in the series, behind ''The Last Wish'', which was published the following year. ''Sword of Destiny'' was first published in English in the UK by Gollancz in 2015. The anthology consists of six stories, loosely linked in chronology. They introduce characters that become major players in the later novels, which began with 1994's '' Blood of Elves'' and are known as ''The Witcher Saga''. The titular story, "The Sword of Destiny", introduces the character of Ciri. The following story, "Something More", is a direct prequel to the novels. Plot "" Geralt of Rivia meets the traveling knight Borch "Three Jackdaws" and his Zerrikanian bodyguards Tea and Vea, who seek a green dragon. Although Geralt is a Witcher, a professional monster slayer, he explains t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Green Lantern (film)
''Green Lantern'' is a 2011 American superhero film directed by Martin Campbell, from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim, and Michael Goldenberg. Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan / Green Lantern, a test pilot who is selected to become the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force. He is given a ring that grants him superpowers and must confront Parallax, a being who threatens to upset the balance of power in the universe. The film also stars Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, and Tim Robbins. The film first entered development in 1997; progress remained stalled until Berlanti was hired to write and direct in October 2007. Martin Campbell was brought on board in February 2009 after Berlanti was forced to vacate the director's position. Most of the live-action actors were cast between July 2009 and February 2010, and filming took place from March to August 2010 in Louisiana. The film w ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Frighteners
''The Frighteners'' is a 1996 supernatural comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with Fran Walsh. The film stars Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs, R. Lee Ermey and Jake Busey. ''The Frighteners'' tells the story of Frank Bannister (Fox), an architect who develops psychic abilities allowing him to see, hear, and communicate with ghosts after his wife's murder. He initially uses his new abilities to befriend ghosts, whom he sends to haunt people so that he can charge them handsome fees for "exorcising" the ghosts. However, the spirit of a mass murderer appears posing as the Grim Reaper, able to attack the living and the dead, prompting Frank to investigate the supernatural presence. Jackson and Walsh conceived the idea for ''The Frighteners'' during the script-writing phase of ''Heavenly Creatures''. Executive producer Robert Zemeckis hired the duo to write the script, with the original intention o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dune (2021 Film)
''Dune'' (titled on-screen as ''Dune: Part One'') is a 2021 American epic film, epic space opera film directed and co-produced by Denis Villeneuve, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth. It is the first of a two-part adaptation of the Dune (novel), 1965 novel by Frank Herbert. Set in the distant future, the film follows Paul Atreides as his family, the noble House Atreides, is thrust into a war for the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis. The film is the third adaptation of ''Dune'', following David Lynch's Dune (1984 film), 1984 film and John Harrison (director), John Harrison's Frank Herbert's Dune, 2000 television miniseries. After an unsuccessful attempt by Paramount Pictures to produce a new adaptation, Legendary Pictures acquired the ''Dune'' film and television rights in 2016, with Villeneuve signing on as director in February 2017. Production contracts were secured only for the first film, relying on its success before a sequel would be pro ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Amber Richards (set Decorator)
Amber Marie Williams (November 17, 1957 – May 12, 1996), better known by the stage name Amber Richards, was an American transgender female impersonator, performer, and television personality. Richards was active in drag pageantry beginning in the late 1970s, competing in local and national pageants including Miss Gay America, Miss Continental, Miss Florida Female Impersonator, Miss Gay USofA, and Miss National. She won the Miss Florida FI pageant in 1985 and Miss Continental USA in 1991. Richards appeared on daytime talk shows in the early 1990s and helped introduce an American audience to issues of gender identity, sexuality, and transgender rights at a time when members of the LGBTQ community were parodied and ridiculed. Early life and career Richards was born in Marion, Indiana, on November 17, 1957, and graduated from Marion High School in 1976. She began performing in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Famous Door nightclub and participated in her first drag pageant at ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Power Of The Dog (film)
''The Power of the Dog'' is a 2021 Western psychological drama film written and directed by Jane Campion. It is based on Thomas Savage's 1967 novel. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Set in Montana but shot mostly in rural Otago, New Zealand, the film is an international co-production between New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. ''The Power of the Dog'' premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2021, where Campion won the Silver Lion for Best Direction. The film had a limited theatrical release in November 2021, and was released to stream worldwide on Netflix on 1 December 2021. ''The Power of the Dog'' was acclaimed by critics, who praised Campion's direction and screenplay, and the cinematography, score, and four lead performances. It was widely regarded as one of the best films of 2021, appearing on many top-ten lists, and received many accolades, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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94th Academy Awards
The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The awards were scheduled after their usual late February date to avoid conflicting with both the 2022 Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LVI, with the latter being held in nearby Inglewood, California. During the gala, the AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 23 categories honoring films released from March 1 to December 31, 2021. The ceremony, televised in the United States by American Broadcasting Company, ABC, was produced by Will Packer and Shayla Cowan and was directed by Glenn Weiss. Actresses Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes hosted the show for the first time. Two days earlier, in an event held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom of the Ovation Hollywood complex in Hollywood, the Academy held its 12th annual Governors Awards ceremony. ''CODA (2021 film), CODA'' won t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Memoirs Of A Geisha (film)
''Memoirs of a Geisha'', released in Japan as ''Sayuri'', is a 2005 American epic film, epic Historical drama, period drama (film and television), drama film directed by Rob Marshall and adapted by Robin Swicord from the 1997 Memoirs of a Geisha, novel of the same name by Arthur Golden. It tells the story of a young Japanese girl, Chiyo Sakamoto, who is sold by her impoverished family to a geisha house () to support them by training as and eventually becoming a geisha under the pseudonym "Sayuri Nitta." The film centers around the sacrifices and hardship faced by pre-World War II geisha, and the challenges posed to geisha society by the war and a modernizing world. It stars Zhang Ziyi in the lead role, with Michelle Yeoh, Gong Li, Youki Kudoh, Suzuka Ohgo, Samantha Futerman and Ken Watanabe. The film was produced by Steven Spielberg (through production companies Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures) and Douglas Wick (through Red Wagon Entertainment). Production was split ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |