In ads touting its new movie "Chicago," Miramax — like many other film companies during this pre-Oscar nomination time — offers a list of artists "for your consideration."
In the "69th Anniversary Issue: The Contenders" of Variety — on newsstands through Jan. 11, 2003 — Miramax has positioned Renée Zellweger, who portrays Roxie Hart in the film, in the Best Actress category, while Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma Kelly) and Queen Latifah (Mama Morton) are both jockeying for Best Supporting Actress nominations. Richard Gere, the film's Billy Flynn, is suggested for Best Actor, while John C. Reilly, as Amos Hart, is up for Best Supporting Actor.
The complete "for your consideration" list follows:
Best Picture: Produced by Martin Richards
Best Director: Rob Marshall
Best Actress: Renée Zellweger
Best Actor: Richard Gere
Best Supporting Actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah
Best Supporting Actor: John C. Reilly
Best Adapted Screenplay: Bill Condon
Best Cinematography: Dion Beebe, ACS
Best Film Editing: Martin Walsh
Best Art Direction: John Myhre, production designer; Gord Sim, set decorator
Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood
Best Makeup: Jordan Samuel, Judi Cooper Sealy
Best Sound: David Lee, Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella
Best Sound Editing: Maurice Schell, MPSE
Best Original Sound: "I Move On" (music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb)
The 75th Anniversary Academy Award nominations will be announced on February 11, 2003. *
Featuring a star-studded cast led by Renée Zellweger (Roxie Hart), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma Kelly) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn), the "Chicago" company also includes John C. Reilly (Amos Hart), Dominic West (Fred Caseley), Christine Baranski (Mary Sunshine), Queen Latifah (Mama Morton) as well as Taye Diggs, Colm Feore, Lucy Liu, Mya, Marc Calamia, Deidre Goodwin, Sebastian La Cause, Mary Ann Lamb and a cameo from original Chicago star Chita Rivera.
Rob Marshall, the choreographer of Broadway's Kiss of the Spider Woman and the revivals of Damn Yankees, She Loves Me, Cabaret and Little Me, directs the $45 million film, his motion-picture debut. Bill Condon has written the "Chicago" screenplay for Miramax Studios, and the film's cinematographer is Dion Beebe. The Tony-winning lighting team of Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer are the movie's lighting designers.
John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical, which features such songs as "All That Jazz," "Mister Cellophane," "Class" and "Nowadays," debuted on Broadway in June 1975 with choreography by the late Bob Fosse and a cast led by Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach. The Tony-winning revival opened in Nov. 1996 with Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking, Joel Grey and James Naughton in the lead roles. Featuring direction by Walter Bobbie and choreography by Reinking "in the style of Bob Fosse," the musical satire continues to thrill audiences at the Shubert Theatre.
—By Andrew Gans
