So what exactly did the first part of the year give us in terms of Oscar contenders?

Well, this article from Deadline gives sort of a primer on just that:

OK, I’ll say it: If the Oscars were held today (nearly two-thirds of the way through 2011) Woody Allen could have another Best Picture winner. Of course the 84th Academy Awards aren’t being held yet and we are still four and a half months away from the end of eligibility. But as I embark on the fall season beginning with the Venice + Telluride + Toronto film festivals it’s time to take a look at where things stand and where things are going. First up in this series of posts: Is there anything released so far in 2011 with a realistic chance to ultimately win Best Picture? Or at the very least earn a nomination? Remember, new rules say from 5 to 10 films could benominated, meaning each nominee can’t get there without receiving at least 300 first place votes in the nominating process. Conventional wisdom is that films released in the first 8 months of the year are at a tremendous disadvantage to those coming out in the fall and holiday season. Last year no eventual winner in the top 8 categories was released before October — and 7 of those winners came out on or after Thanksgiving. Then again some recent Best Pic winners like The Hurt Locker (2010) and Crash (2005) came from the first half of their respective years. Other classic Best Pic champs like Patton, The Godfather, The Silence Of The Lambs, Gladiator, Braveheart, and yes, Woody Allen’s first Best Picture, Annie Hall (1977), were all released in the first 5 months of their respective years so it would be foolish to downgrade the chances of movies we’ve already seen this year. Or would it? Indeed 4 of last time’s 10 Best Picture nominees were released in June and July.

But other than animated films like Rango and Rio there were no solid Best Pic possibilities until we hit the Cannes Film Festival in May. Slowly simmering Best Picture talk was sparked by the fest opener, Allen’s rapturously received Midnight In Paris and Terrence Malick’s Palme d’Or winner The Tree Of Life which both went on to later May domestic releases. The Allen film has become his most financially successful film ever and it will hit the $50 million benchmark this weekend. Its official Academy screening was packed to the rafters (“the best turnout I have seen in years”, according to one member) and was extremely well received. “I liked it but some members I know got mad at me because I didn’t love it,” another voter told me. ”I haven’t seen anything that’s gotten that kind of response.”

Woody Allen's next film is going to be set in Munich?

The Hollywood Reporter says that it just might:

Woody Allen is doing his version of the grand European tour.

His Midnight in Paris is still in theaters, the director is still shooting The Bop Decameron, set in Rome, but Allen is already making plans to head to Germany for his next project.

Bavaria studios in Munich is in negotiations with Allen to play the backdrop for his next, still-untitled project, which would shoot next summer.

Bavaria is set to come on board as a co-financier for the film, said to be budgeted at around $25 million.

As is always the case with a Woody Allen film at this stage in pre-production, plot and potential cast are top secret.

Allen's Midnight in Paris opened this year's Festival de Cannes to rave reviews and has gone on to become the director's most commercially successful film, earning more than $50 million in North America alone.

The Bop Decameron boasts an even-more impressive cast than Midnight headliners Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz and Alec Baldwin among its ensemble cast.

-Joey's Two Cents: It's no secret how much I enjoy Allen's work, so seeing where this newfound resurgence takes him is very intriguing to someone like me who finds even the least regarded Woody work to be worth my time...thoughts?

Could Midnight in Paris end up as Woody Allen's highest grossing film ever?

The Hollywood Reporter breaks down its chances:

Midnight in Paris now has the potential to become Woody Allen’s top-grossing film of all time at the domestic box office, as well as Sony Pictures Classics’ biggest title after Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Either Wednesday night or Thursday, Midnight in Paris will eclipse the $23.2 million grossed each by Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Match Point and become Allen’s best performing movie since Hannah and Her Sisters 25 years ago. Hannah earned $40.1 million domestically, a career record for Allen.

Not only that, box office observers believe Midnight in Paris -- with a domestic cume of $22.7 million through Tuesday -- will ultimately surpass Hannah and Her Sisters.

Midnight in Paris, with a diverse cast including Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard and Kathy Bates, is one of those rare specialty films that expands beyond the art house crowd to general audiences. The movie opened in only six theaters May 20 to score one of the best location averages of all time ($99,834) at the domestic box office. Now, it’s playing in more than 1,000 theaters.

In the film, Wilson’s character discovers an alternate reality while in Paris with his wife. Observers believe there are several reasons the film is resonating.

For one, the movie embraces Paris in a way that appeals to anyone who has either visited the city or wants to visit. And Wilson plays the sort of “everyman” character that moviegoers tend to see in more mainstream films, versus in art house titles (or in an Allen’s film). It also helps that critics across the country -- and not just in New York -- have given Midnight in Paris great reviews.

Woody Allen may act again in his next film!

Cinema Blend has the story:

Woody Allen’s latest movie, Midnight in Paris, is getting rave reviews and people are once again proclaiming this the second coming of Allen. Ok, everyone seems to do that at least once a year, no matter what he releases, but there’s legitimate talk that this one may actually be an early contender for this year’s Oscar. So I guess that means we should be even more excited than normal about whatever it is that Allen’s working on next.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Allen’s working on a film called The Bop Decameron, which sounds like a dance invented for pre-schoolers as a way of replacing the Hokey-Pokey, but is actually some sort of Italian movie. The film’s Woody’s first ever Italian financed production and it’s being distributed by the Italian Medusa Films.

As usual with any Allen film, we don’t know what it’s about, but the cast has been announced. Here’s who he’ll have in it, listed in alphabetical order: Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penélope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page. Co-stars include Antonio Albanese, Fabio Armiliata, Alessandra Mastronardi, Ornella Muti, Flavio Parenti, Alison Pill, Riccardo Scamarcio and Alessandro Tiberi.

A few things worth noting about that group. The Bop Decameron will be the first time Woody has acted in one of his movies since Scoop in 2006. Scoop is generally regarded as his last bad movie, the films he’s made since, the movies in which he finally stopped acting, have all been pretty good. Before Scoop is best recent movie was Match Point, in which he also did not act. Woody Allen acting in his movies is, these days, not really a good thing. Luckily, the rest of his cast is pretty good. Get excited about Alec Baldwin in a Woody Allen movie, that could result in something pretty special.

-Joey's Two Cents: It's quite good news to me...thoughts?

Has Cannes been a boon to a few films at the Box Office?

Apparently so, according to The Hollywood Reporter:

Did winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival do the trick for Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life?

Over the weekend, the Brad Pitt-Sean Penn starrer debuted in the U.S. to a per screen average of $93,320—a record for a Fox Searchlight title. Searchlight’s previous best was $80,000 for Black Swan.

Opening Friday in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, Tree of Life grossed an estimated $372,920 through Sunday. Including Monday--the Memorial Day holiday--the moody drama grossed an estimated $488,920 for a per screen average of $122,230.

Searchlight senior vice president for distribution Sheila DeLocahe said the film’s performance was all the more impressive considering its running time is two hours and eighteen minutes. And Searchlight relied almost entirely on publicity to generate interest in the drama, versus an expensive media campaign.

“Winning the Palme d’Or really pushed it forward,” said DeLoache, adding that Tree of Life has become a must-see event title.

The last American film to walk away with the top honor was Michael Moore’s documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 seven years ago.

Tree of Life isn’t the only film feeling the Cannes glow. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, the festival’s opening night film, continued to do strong business in its second weekend at the domestic box office.

Woody Allen may be casting Roberto Benigni in his latest cinematic endeavor...

...according to Deadline, at least:

One thing missing so far from the upcoming film Woody Allen will shoot in Italy has been ... Italian actors. Allen has so far set Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz, Ellen Page and Alec Baldwin. I'm hearing that Allen will land iconic Italian director/actor Roberto Benigni to join the ensemble cast. For the most part, Benigni hasn't been seen in these parts since he was climbing over seated superstars to accept the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and then later bounding up and saying he wanted to make love to everyone after he was named Best Actor in the 1997 film Life is Beautiful. The last dull Oscarcast could certainly have used him. I believe he'll be announced as part of Allen's The Wrong Picture cast at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, where Allen premieres his latest film, Midnight in Paris.

-Joey's Two Cents: This is shaping up to be one of the best casts for one of his flicks in a long time. We also now seem to know the title of the film, so make note of that...thoughts?

Woody Allen casts Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page in his next film...

...along with teaming up again with Penelope Cruz (plus Alec Baldwin, which we already reported on a few days ago), according to The Hollywood Reporter:

For his next film, which he will shoot in Rome, Woody Allen is starting to assemble one of his typically eclectic casts that will include Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz and Alec Baldwin. In addition to writing and directing, Allen also plans to appear in the film.

As is typical of Allen's projects, he hasn't yet revealed a title or a plotline for the movie that will film this summer in the Italian capital.

Eisenberg, repped by ICM, voices the lead character in the animated Rio, opening this weekend. Page, repped by WME, is currently appearing on screen in Super. Baldwin, repped by CAA, will be busy during his 30 Rock hiatus, since he's also set for the musical Rock of Ages. All three will be making their first appearance in an Allen feature.

Cruz, repped by CAA, appeared in Allen's 2008 film Vicky Cristina Barcelona, for which she won the best supporting actress Oscar.

Midnight in Paris, Allen's latest film, will bow as the opening-night film at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.

-Joey's Two Cents: Another Woody film with a phenomenal cast shaping up...thoughts?

Alec Baldwin will be in Woody Allen's next film!

From Deadline:

Alec Baldwin has committed to star in Woody Allen's next film. And where will the quintessential New York actor and Gotham's arguably most famous director be filming? Try Rome. Allen has chosen that city as the site of his next comedy as he continues sampling countries around the globe after shooting most of his films exclusively in New York. Allen has said that shooting in NYC is just too expensive, but I'd argue that the change of scenery has creatively revived him in recent outings.

Baldwin will work with Allen for the first time since the 1990 comedy Alice. Allen has just begun putting this film together, and word is that The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg is also in line for a lead. Baldwin will first star in Rock Of Ages, the Adam Shankman-directed New Line musical that also stars Diego Gonzalez Boneta, Julianne Hough, Tom Cruise, Mary J. Blige and Russell Brand. Amy Adams is being courted to play a journalist who falls into a bedroom romp with the rock star Stacee Jaxx (Cruise). After he finishes the two projects, Baldwin returns for what could be his final season of the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Could Jack Donaghy really be leaving after Baldwin's contract ends and the show is still so good? Baldwin told me as much when we did the Playboy Interview awhile back. I argued that his sitcom momentum would create the richest screen opportunities Baldwin has had since early in his career when he was supposed to be one of those $20 million a picture guys. Baldwin said then that he planned to hang up acting and consider running for political office. Stay tuned on that one.

-Joey's Two Cents: If Eisenberg ends up joining too, it'll have quite the cast...thoughts?

Woody Allen returns to acting?

In a film he didn't direct, no less. Here's the story from Collider:

A few hours before Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz band took the stage at the Grand Rex on Saturday night, the director was busy filming another movie in Paris. But this time, he was in front of the camera.

Between 4 and 5pm, Allen filmed a scene for French director Sophie Lellouche’s first movie Paris Manhattan in front of the Plaza Athénée hotel on the chic Avenue Montaigne, near the famed Avenue des Champs-Elysées. So what is his role?

Take a look at the Trailer for Midnight in Paris!

Behold Woody's latest:

-Joey's Two Cents: I always am there for a Woody Allen flick, and whenever he films in a new location he seems to up his game a little, so here's hoping that's again the case here...thoughts?

Today's Posters: Midnight in Paris, Beautiful Boy, Natural Selection, and Fast Five

The rest after the cut...

Woody Allen will shoot his next film in a new part of Europe?

Via The Playlist:

Woody Allen has been on an extensive European run of late with his three picture deal with Spanish financiers MediaPro taking him to the cities of Barcelona (”Vicky Cristina Barcelona”), London (”You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger”) and soon Paris (”Midnight In Paris”) but it now looks like the New York icon isn’t coming home just yet with the city of Rome being eyed for his next film.

ScreenDaily first reported that the Italian capital had “emerged as the probable next stop” for Allen with the director himself later confirming to La Repubblica that, while he was still only at the scripting stage, Rome was definitely in his sights.