In The Paperboy, Zac Efron and Matthew McConaughey play reporters from Miami hired to prove the innocence of a death row inmate (John Cusack). The woman who hires them is the highly sexual Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman) who has fallen in love with the inmate despite never meeting him. She’s convinced he should be free, and that they should be married. The movie is based on the novel by Pete Dexter (who wrote the screenplay), and it’s being directed by Precious helmer Lee Daniels. With one Oscar-nominated film under his belt, it will be interesting to see if he shoots for a second. It will also be interesting to see if they keep the harrowing ending to the novel, because if they do, things are about to get a lot darker. A new poster for the film is making the rounds, and it’s the kind of artwork that makes most poster artists seem lazy (as if they need help). It’s a fantastic throwback style with a little too much eye-liner. Check it out for yourself:

Walk up Broadway from 20th to 30th streets in Manhattan and you’ll find a bustling bazaar of low-rent storefront shops hawking an array of consumer goods, some legal, most not. With salesmen haranguing you to come with them and check out their latest deals, it’s not the best spot for a leisurely stroll. In the portrait the neighborhood offers of the American dream being aggressively pursued, it is, however, a fascinating milieu. Sean Baker, director of the new shoestring budget feature Prince of Broadway, now in limited release, seizes upon the small dramatic moments and intricate details that characterize the daily flow of life centered on this part of town.

Liam Neeson has been waiting to get to work on Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln biopic which appears to be stalled. What’s an actor to do when he can’t get into the Oval Office on film? Sign up to play a different president. In this case Neeson will be taking on the role of Lyndon Johnson in Selma. It’s a very good fit.

Best Director is a tricky category with, like many awards bestowed at the Oscars, a questionable track record. Venerated filmmakers like Hitchcock, Kubrick, and Altman, for instance, never won the award. While it’s arguably impossible to objectively compare different works of art, Best Director is an especially elusive and subjective category that forces one to compare apples to oranges, especially with this year’s nominees.

Precious director Lee Daniels is confirming that he’s cast Hugh Jackman in his Civil Rights film Selma. Robert DeNiro was rumored to be taking on the role of Alabama Governor George Wallace, but Daniels says the only actor confirmed is Jackman.

De Niro’s potentially attached to three upcoming films… Selma from director Lee Daniels, Another Night in Suck City from director Paul Weitz, and… wait for it… a sequel to the classic 1988 buddy comedy Midnight Run.

The Directors Guild of America announced the nominees for its 62nd Annual Awards today, honoring outstanding directorial achievement in feature films.

This week’s Culture Warrior talks about something that never makes anybody uncomfortable: RACE!

In Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, director Lee Daniels pulls off an improbable feat.

Kevin Carr heads out to the movies this week, giving his take on New Moon, Planet 51, The Blind Side and Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

The folks at Lionsgate have sent over the first teaser poster and word of the first trailer for Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire (formerly known as Push), the award winning Sundance sensation that is now being openly championed by the combination of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.

A week ago we reported that Lionsgate was in the process of acquiring Lee Daniels’ Sundance Grand Jury and Audience Award winning film Push: Based on a novel by Sapphire. Today Variety has confirmed what we already told you…

My last film screened at this year’s Sundance film festival, Push: Based on a novel by Sapphire, was certainly one of the best. A tragic and touching story crafted beautifully and bravely by director Lee Daniels, Push is more than deserving of that acclaim that it garnered throughout this year’s festival run.

Yesterday an indie film called Tennessee gave its world debut at the Tribeca Film Festival. Stars Mariah Carey and Ethan Peck, along with other random celebs, turned out for the Red Carpet event.