'The Artist' Tipped To Sweep the Oscars

24 Jan 2012 17:52 Africa/Lagos

Oscars Betting Suggests The Artist Will Sweep the Board, Report Sky Bet

LONDON, January 24, 2012/PRNewswire/ --



Leading online betting firm Sky Bet has unveiled its full list of Oscars betting [http://www.skybet.com/betting/tv-and-film-specials/oscars/t10003442.html ] markets following the announcement of the 84th Academy Awards nominations on Tuesday.

Black and white silent movie 'The Artist', which last week picked up the Producers Guild Award and also won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy/Musical, is Sky Bet [http://www.skybet.com ]'s clear favourite to win Best Picture at 2/7, with the odds having been cut from a pre-Christmas 2/1.

The French tribute to the silent movie has ten Oscar bids, although it was beaten by Scorsese's 3D charmer 'Hugo', which received 11 nods. This augurs well for its Best Picture hopes as the most nominated film has taken the top prize 15 times in the last 20 years and Sky Bet make 'Hugo' a 10/1 shot, behind Golden Globe Best Drama champion, 'The Descendants' (4/1).

'The Artist' dominates several other categories, with its helmsman Michel Hazanavicius odds-on favourite (8/13) to win Best Director and its leading man Jean Dujardin second in the Best Actor betting at 2/1. George Clooney is hot favourite at 2/5 to take home the lead actor gong for his performance in comedy-drama 'The Descendants'. Gary Oldman picked up his first ever Oscar nomination for 'Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy' and is quoted at 33/1.

Double Oscar winner and 17-time nominee, Meryl Streep, is the short-priced favourite at 1/2 to scoop a third gong for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady'. Viola Davis is her nearest rival for Best Actress at 9/4, with 'My Week with Marilyn' star, Michelle Williams, another threat at 11/4.

Sky Bet's Oscars betting expert, Helen Jacob, said: "The Artist seems way ahead of its rivals in the race to win the top Oscar.

"Other categories, however, are not so clean cut, with the battle for best actress between Meryl Streep and Viola Davis looking particularly close."

For Best Supporting Actor, Christopher Plummer ('Beginners') looks all but home and hosed at 1/12 and Octavia Spencer at 1/8 ('The Help') looks to have the Best Supporting Actress category sewn up.

Sky Bet is also offering a host of novelty special bets on the Oscars ceremony itself, which takes place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, February 26th.

Veteran actress Meryl Streep accidentally swore onstage at the Globes and Sky Bet go 7/2 that the Oscars best actress winner turns the air blue again in her acceptance speech. It's even money that the best actress cries during her speech and 10/1 that any recipient's address consists of a single 'Thank you!'

Sky Bet Odds: Oscars Betting

Best Film

The Artist 2/7 The Descendants 4/1 Hugo 10/1 War Horse 12/1 Midnight in Paris 25/1 The Help 25/1 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 25/1 Moneyball 40/1 The Tree of Life 66/1

Best Actor

George Clooney - The Descendants 2/5 Jean Dujardin - The Artist 2/1 Brad Pitt - Moneyball 14/1 Demian Bichir - A Better Life 25/1 Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 33/1

Best Actress

Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady 1/2 Viola Davis - The Help 9/4 Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn 11/4 Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs 14/1 Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 20/1

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist 8/13 Martin Scorsese - Hugo 2/1 Alexander Payne - The Descendants 11/2 Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris 16/1 Terrance Malik - The Tree of Life 20/1

Best Supporting Actress

Octavia Spencer 1/8 Berenice Bejo 8/1 Jessica Chastain 14/1 Melisasa Mccarthy 14/1 Janet McTeer 20/1

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer 1/12 Kenneth Branagh 7/1 Max Von Sydow 12/1 Nick Nolte 12/1 Jonah Hill 25/1


Oscars specials

Lead or supporting actress to cry during acceptance speech Evens

Lead or supporting actor to swear during acceptance speech 9/4

Lead or supporting actress to swear during acceptance speech 7/2

Lead or supporting actor to cry during acceptance speech 6/1

Any recipient's speech to consist of single "thank you" 10/1

Streaker to run on stage and interrupt ceremony 16/1

Any of the 6 major award winners to drop the statuette 16/1

Any winner to fall over on stage 20/1

George Clooney win best actor and Meryl Streep win best actress Evens

George Clooney win best actor and The Descendants win best picture 11/2

George Clooney to win an Oscar Yes 1/2 no 6/4

Bad night for the bookies? All pre-show favourites to win (George Clooney actor, Meryl
Streep actress, Christopher Plummer supporting actor and Octavia Spencer supporting
actress.) 6/4




Oscars best actress dress designer

Stella McCartney 5/1

Valentino 6/1

Donna Karan 10/1

Alberta Ferretti 10/1

Balenciaga 10/1

Dior 10/1

Carolina Herrera 10/1

Yves Saint Laurent 10/1

Catherine Malandrino 12/1

Raoul 12/1

Herve L. Leroux 12/1

Armani 12/1

Alessandra Rich 16/1

Givenchy 16/1

Versace 16/1

Emilio Pucci 16/1

Prada 16/1

Akris 20/1

Chris March 20/1

Gucci 25/1

Chanel 25/1

Victoria Beckham 33/1

Jenny Packam 40/1

Vivienne Westwood 40/1



Notes: Other on request.

To bet on the Oscars, click here [http://www.skybet.com/betting/tv-and-film-specials/oscars/t10003442.html ]

Notes to editor

About Sky Bet

Sky Bet is the sports betting division of Sky Betting and Gaming, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (Sky). One of the country's leading betting and gaming companies, Sky Bet is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire and fully licensed and regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). Sky Bet offers an online sports betting service http://www.skybet.com and boasts a recently enhanced mobile platform, Sky Bet Mobile. The Sky Bet app is free to download from the iTunes App store. Customers can also bet through their TV or by telephone.


For more information, please contact:

Helen Jacob, Sky Bet PR Manager
Helen.jacob@bskyb.com
+44(0)113-389-5941
+44(0)7866-442167

Source: Sky Bet

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Brad Pitt: Voted Top Money-Making Star of 2011

30 Dec 2011 15:30 Africa/Lagos

Career First for Brad Pitt: Top Money-Making Star of 2011

GROTON, Mass., Dec. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Brad Pitt has been voted the Top Money-Making Star of 2011 in Quigley Publishing Company's 80th Annual Poll of Motion Picture Exhibitors. This is Pitt's sixth appearance in the Poll, but his first win. Exhibitors felt Pitt was responsible for more traffic to theatres than any other Hollywood star based on his performances this year in "Moneyball," "The Tree of Life" and "Happy Feet Two." (voice)

The Quigley Poll, conducted each year since 1932, is an annual survey of motion picture theatre owners and film buyers, which asks them to vote for the ten stars that they believe generated the most box-office revenue for their theatres during the year. It has been long regarded as one of the most reliable indicators of a Star's real box-office draw because the selections are made by professionals whose livelihood depends on choosing the films and actors that will bring audiences to their theatres. The Quigley Poll appears annually in Quigley Publishing Company's International Motion Picture Almanac and on our web site: www.quigleypublishing.com. Both list the results of all the Polls since Marie Dressler, Janet Gaynor and Joan Crawford took the top three places in 1932.

George Clooney placed second this year based on "The Ides of March," where he was also the Director, Producer and Co-writer and "The Descendants." Johnny Depp, last year's winner, made it to #3 this year with 2011 roles in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and "The Rum Diary." Depp has placed in the poll seven times as has this year's #4, Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in "J. Edgar." Matt Damon, #5, had a very busy year with "Contagion," "The Adjustment Bureau," "Margaret" and "We Bought a Zoo."

2009's winner, Sandra Bullock, placed #6, which marks her fifth appearance in the Poll. She first placed in the survey in 1995. There were two first-timers this year, Bradley Cooper #7 and Ben Stiller #10. Bradley Cooper was in "The Hangover Part II" and Ben Stiller was in "Tower Heist." Robert Downey, Jr. was #8 on the strength of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" and Meryl Streep was #9 as 'The Iron Lady" and is in the Top Ten for the fourth time.

Tom Cruise has not placed in the Poll since 2006 but he has been in the Top Ten 20 times since 1983, and been voted number one the most of any actor - seven times. Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds and Bing Crosby have all won five times. Clint Eastwood has been in the poll 21 times starting in 1968. Currently, Exhibitors appreciate him more as a Director that brings audiences to their theatres. John Wayne, Doris Day and Shirley Temple each finished first four times, but John Wayne was voted one of the Top Ten Money-Making Stars an astounding 25 times from 1949 to 1974.

Exhibitors were also asked to name the Stars of Tomorrow for 2011: one actor and one actress who they feel will be Top Money-Makers in the years to come. The 2011 winners are Rooney Mara who played Lisbeth Salander in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," and Jonah Hill who had a breakthrough performance in "Moneyball" and starred in "The Sitter."

Top Ten Money-Making Stars of 2011

Brad Pitt
George Clooney
Johnny Depp
Leonardo DiCaprio
Matt Damon
Sandra Bullock
Bradley Cooper
Robert Downey, Jr.
Meryl Streep
Ben Stiller

Stars of Tomorrow:

Rooney Mara
Jonah Hill

Quigley Publishing Company was founded in 1915 and has published the International Motion Picture Almanac annually since 1930 and the International Television & Video Almanac since 1955. Historical data, analysis and all of the Top Ten Money-Making Star Polls dating back to 1932 are available in the 2011 edition of the International Motion Picture Almanac and on our web site: www.quigleypublishing.com

SOURCE Quigley Publishing Company

CONTACT: CONTACT: Bill Quigley, +1-978-448-0272, Fax: +1-978-448-9325, bquigley@quigleypublishing.com

Web Site: http://www.quigleypublishing.com

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