Kathleen Kennedy News

Today, the Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry's professional global honorary society, named Chris Meledandri, acclaimed Oscar®-nominated producer and founder and CEO of Illumination, as the forthcoming recipient of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his valuable contributions to filmed entertainment. The award will be presented at the 17th Annual VES Awards on February 5, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” (edited by John Ottman, ACE) and “The Favourite” (edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis, ACE) won Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) and Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy) respectively at the 69th Annual ACE Eddie Awards tonight where trophies were handed out recognizing the best editing of 2018 in 11 categories of film, television and documentaries.  The black-tie ceremony was held in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel with over 1000 in attendance to celebrate.  President of American Cinema Editors, Stephen Rivkin, ACE, presided over the evening's festivities with comedian Tom Kenny serving as the evening's host.

Today, the Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry's professional global honorary society, named Chris Meledandri, acclaimed Oscar®-nominated producer and founder and CEO of Illumination, as the forthcoming recipient of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his valuable contributions to filmed entertainment. The award will be presented at the 17th Annual VES Awards on February 5, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The 2019 Parkening International Guitar Competition, which will be held at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, between Tuesday, May 28, and Saturday, June 1, 2019, is now accepting applications. Applications may be submitted between now and Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 5 p.m. Applications will be accepted online through https://app.getacceptd.com/parkening.  

Nick Nolte has joined the cast of “The Mandalorian, ” according to Variety.

Gina Carano has been cast in the new “Star Wars” series, “The Mandalorian,” according to Variety.

Pedro Pascal will star in 'The Mandalorian' the new 'Star Wars' TV series on Disney's new streaming service, Disney+, according to Variety.

According to Deadline, the previously rumored Boba Fett spin-off film is no longer in development by Disney.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles (BAFTA Los Angeles) is pleased to announce the full list of presenters for the 2018 British Academy Britannia Awards. This year's presenters include Viola Davis, Kathleen Kennedy, Jon Favreau, Matthew Macfadyen, Peter Farrelly, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

Taika Waititi, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Deborah Chow and Dave Filoni are set to direct the first Star Wars live-action series, The Mandalorian, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The judges for the fifth quadrennial Parkening International Guitar Competition, to be presented by Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, from Tuesday, May 28, to Saturday, June 1, 2019, have been announced.

Rob Marshall, Oscar-nominee, DGA and Emmy-award winning filmmaker, producer, theater director and choreographer whose films have consistently reflected the highest quality of production design, will receive the prestigious Cinematic Imagery Award from the Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE, Local 800) at its 23 rd Annual Art Directors Guild's Excellence in Production Design Awards. The 2019 Awards, themed 'Production Design: Landscape of the Imagination,' will be held Saturday, February 2, 2019 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown and will honor the prestigious spectrum of Marshall's extraordinary award-winning work. The announcement was made today by ADG Council Chairman Mark Worthington ADG and Awards Producers Scott Moses ADG and Marco Miehe ADG.

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted Tuesday night (September 4) to present Honorary Awards to publicist Marvin Levy, composer Lalo Schifrin and actress Cicely Tyson, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.  The three Oscar® statuettes and Thalberg Award will be presented at the Academy's 10th Annual Governors Awards on Sunday, November 18, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

According to Variety, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present Honorary Awards to publicist Marvin Levy, composer Lalo Schifrin, and actress Cicely Tyson, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.

Star Wars: Episode IX will begin filming at London's Pinewood Studios on August 1, 2018. J.J. Abrams returns to direct the final installment of the Skywalker saga. Abrams co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Terrio.

Cabaret patroness Madame Mathieu has selected two-time Tony Award nominee Bob Stillman (Grey Gardens, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and MTV's Paul Iacono (The Hard Times of RJ Berger, FAME) as guests of honor at the July 26th edition of Bistro Awards Critics' Pick Madame Mathieu's Soiree. The duo will be joined on the program by a distinguished group of emerging artists from a variety of disciplines.

One of the newer members of the Off-Off Broadway community has just announced their second season, set to begin in September at Access Theater in SoHo.

Cabaret patroness Madame Mathieu has selected two-time Tony Award nominee Bob Stillman (Grey Gardens, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and MTV's Paul Iacono (The Hard Times of RJ Berger, FAME) as guests of honor at the July 26th edition of Bistro Awards Critics' Pick Madame Mathieu's Soiree. The duo will be joined on the program by a distinguished group of emerging artists from a variety of disciplines.

Hollywood's legendary El Capitan Theatre presents "Solo: A Star Wars Story " May 25 through June 10, 2018.

Walt Disney Records releases the original motion picture soundtrack forSolo: A Star Wars Story. The album features score composed and adapted by Academy and Grammy-Award nominated composer John Powell and the new Han Solo theme and originalStar Warsmusic by five-time Academy Award-winning composer John Williams.