“The King’s Speech” claimed the crown for best film at the Producers Guild of America Awards on Saturday, knocking off Golden Globes best drama winner and presumed Oscar front-runner “The Social Network.”
The film also beat out nominees “127 Hours,” ”Black Swan,” ”Inception,” ”The Fighter,” ”The Kids Are All Right,” ”The Town,” ”Toy Story 3,” and “True Grit.”
The PGA awards, hosted by filmmaker Judd Apatow at the Beverly Hilton, are part of the steady stream of ceremonies leading up to the Academy Awards.
“The Social Network,” which stars Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, appeared to be on the fast track to a best picture Oscar after dominating honors from top critics groups and winning the Golden Globe last week.
But Saturday’s win solidified a spot as an Academy Award contender for “The King’s Speech,” which features Golden Globe best actor winner Colin Firth playing Queen Elizabeth II’s father, George VI, as he tries to overcome a debilitating stammer.
The Producers Guild followed the lead of the Oscars last year and doubled its best-picture field to 10 movies.
In other PGA categories, Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” won for best animated feature and the chronicle of modern education “Waiting for Superman” took top documentary honors.
On the television side, AMC’s “Mad Men” won for best drama series for the third straight year, and ABC’s “Modern Family” won best comedy, beating out previous two-time winner “30 Rock.”
HBO’s “The Pacific” won for best TV movie or miniseries, and Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” won for top live entertainment or reality show.
Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey Launch Production House 34North
Executive producers Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey have teamed to launch 34North. The shop opens with a roster which includes accomplished directors Jan Wentz, Ben Nakamura Whitehouse, David Edwards and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles. Nakamura Whitehouse, Edwards, Feil and Fowles come over from CoMPANY Films, the production company for which Cicero served as an EP for the past nearly five years. Director Wentz had most recently been with production house Skunk while Stewart now gains his first U.S. representation. EP Clancey was freelance producing prior to the formation of 34North. He and Cicero have known each other for some 25 years, recently reconnecting on a job directed by Fowles. Cicero said that he and Clancey “want to keep a highly focused roster where talent management can be one on one--where we all share in the directors’ success together.” Clancey also brings an agency pedigree to the new venture. “I started at Campbell Ewald in accounts, no less,” said Clancey. “I saw firsthand how much work agencies put in before we even see a script. You have to respect that investment. These agency experiences really shaped my approach to production--it’s about empathy, listening between the lines, and ultimately making the process seamless.” 34North represents a meeting point--both literally and creatively. Named after the latitude of Malibu, Calif., where the idea for the company was born, it also embraces the power of storytelling. “34North118West was the first GPS-enabled narrative,” Cicero explained. “That blend of art and technology, to captivate an audience, mirrors what we do here--create compelling work, with talented people, harnessing state-of-the-art... Read More