Last November we got our very FIRST LOOK at Johnny Depp in full make-up and costume as The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s new film, Alice in Wonderland. Today, we get to see a whole slew of new promo photos from the upcoming Disney film including finished character art of Depp as The Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as The White Queen and Matt Lucas as Tweedledee & Tweedledum. First up, tho, check out these very cool-looking promo pics from the film of Wonderland itself:

Burton gave us a grief-wracked demon barber in 2007’s Sweeney Todd and oodles of Oompa Loompas in 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Now one of Hollywood’s most visually creative directors layers his own surreal sensibilities upon the fanciful world of Lewis Carroll in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, due in theaters on March 5, 2010. This first look at some of the concept art for the film suggests there is the usual Burton dark magic afoot.

Yes, yes … these images are really beautiful and hint at a more sinister Wonderland than we may be accustomed to … but it is the character art that really gives you a good feel for the tone of the film. After the jump, check out the amazing promo images of The Mad Hatter, The Red Queen, The White Queen and The Tweedles …

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Broadway’s biggest night took place at Radio City Music Hall in NYC, NY last night as the 63rd Annual Tony Awards were handed out in a lavish and fun ceremony. Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, this year’s Tony Awards injected mirth and merriment into the awards show that honors achievement in plays and musical theater on New York City’s Great White Way. Billy Elliot the Musical, which David and I were fortunate enough to see earlier this year, set a record by winning 10 Tony Awards last night, including Best Actor in a Musical (an award that was given to the 3 young actors who play Billy in the show … which is a first in Tony Awards history) and Best Musical. Here are a few pics from the red carpet arrivals:

Yes, folks … that is Bret Michaels of Poison in the last photo. The band was on hand to preform with the company of Rock of Ages in the opening number … which turned out to be a quite a performance, especially for Bret — but I’ll get to that in a sec. Here are a few photos of some of the Tony Award winners last night and some deets about the show itself:

Broadway productions with roots in the London theater dominated the 63rd annual Tony Awards on Sunday, with “Billy Elliot” winning best musical and nine other awards and “God of Carnage” picking up honors for best play, best director and best actress. While several categories were unusually competitive this year because of the large number of strong Broadway productions, there were also no major upsets. The three teenage boys who rotate in the title role of “Billy Elliot” — David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish — jointly won the award for best actor in a musical, as expected, and they also injected considerable charm into the CBS telecast. Standing onstage together, they covered their eyes with their hands at different points and looked away from the camera bashfully while muttering sentiments like “Oh my God” and “wow” and “unbelievable.” Then they took a long pause, as if trying to decide who should speak first — joint Tony Awards are very rare — and then went on to thank their parents and siblings and school and dance teachers. “And we want to say to all the kids out there who might want to dance, never give up,” Mr. Kulish added. “Billy Elliot” proved to be the commercial and critical musical hit of the 2008-9 Broadway season, routinely grossing more than $1 million a week in spite of the recession. Elton John, who composed the show’s score, made a point of thanking audience members for that success as he accepted the award for best musical. “We came here at a hard time economically, you opened your wallets and you opened your hearts, and we love you for it,” he said. This year’s awards were spread around evenly for the most part, with 14 shows receiving at least one Tony. With “Billy Elliot” far ahead, the musical “Next to Normal” and “God of Carnage” were next up with three Tonys each, including best actress honors for Alice Ripley for “Normal” and Marcia Gay Harden for “Carnage.” The French playwright Yasmina Reza accepted the best play award for “Carnage,” which also took honors for the British director Matthew Warchus. “I’m very happy to be here again — maybe you missed my accent; you wanted to hear it again?” said Ms. Reza, who previously won for her play “Art.” The award for best revival of a play went to another British import, “The Norman Conquests.” If accents were indeed in large supply through the night, so were celebrity presenters and recipients, with Broadway having one of its busiest years for actors from film and television. The Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush (an Australian) was honored as best actor in a play as the monarch in “Exit the King” by Eugène Ionesco, whose works came to define the Theater of the Absurd yet are rarely revived on Broadway. “I want to thank Manhattan theater audiences for proving that French existential absurdist tragi-comedy rocks,” Mr. Rush said. Politics strayed onto the Tony landscape at only a couple of points, most notably when Oskar Eustis, artistic director of the Public Theater, accepted the award for best musical revival for “Hair.” “Peace now, freedom now, equality now,” Mr. Eustis said, gesturing to his ring finger as he uttered those last two words, a reference to gay marriage rights. “And justice forever.” Angela Lansbury won her fifth Tony Award, for best featured actress in a play, for her turn as the medium in “Blithe Spirit,” 43 years after winning her first award, for best actress in the musical “Mame.” “Who knew, who knew, that at this time in my life that I should be presented with this lovely, lovely award,” said Ms. Lansbury, who is 83. Liza Minnelli received the Tony for special theatrical event for her one-woman show “Liza’s at the Palace.” For best featured performances in a musical, Gregory Jbara (“Billy Elliot”) and Karen Olivo (“West Side Story”) were honored. The best featured actor award went to another theater veteran, Roger Robinson, for his role in “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.” Other awards went to Stephen Daldry for his direction of “Billy Elliot,” “Mary Stuart” for costume design and “Equus” for sound design. All three shows had runs in London before the current Broadway productions were mounted.

I am so happy that Billy Elliot won so many awards. It is truly a superb show, one that David and I thoroughly enjoyed when we saw in January. We saw Trent Kowalik play Billy at our show and really loved his performance … the award to the 3 Billys is much deserved, I think. Congrats!! I’m not sure how many of you watched the Tony Awards last night but it was a very entertaining show. The opening number included short performances from 10 different musicals and offered one of the most talked about/funniest moments of the show. After the jump, check out video from that opening number and see how Poison’s Bret Michaels almost lost his head during the opening performance …

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute held it’s annual fashion gala, this year titled Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC last night (think of it as Celebrity Prom). Rihanna made her red carpet return, taking a stroll down the press-filled carpet for the first time since her assault back in February … she opted for a shiny black suit with floods. Madonna caused a sensation on the red carpet when she showed up with a coat hanger wrapped in an old turquoise stocking attached to her head. A who’s who of fab celebs braved the rain to attend last night’s gala and many of them looked amazing (Anne Hathaway, I’m talking to you). Here are a few pics from the red carpet arrivals and some info on the event itself:

Even with the rain, the stars shone bright Monday night at the Costume Institute’s gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Models and the hottest celebs turned out in droves to celebrate “The Model as Muse” exhibit. There was Gisele Bundchen and Chanel Iman, along with Victoria Beckham, Jessica Alba (in Michelle Obama favorite Jason Wu), Renee Zellweger (in Carolina Herrera), Eva Mendes (in Calvin Klein) and Eva Longoria, wearing Diane von Furstenberg. Chairing the event were Marc Jacobs, Kate Moss and Justin Timberlake, who rocked a pair of geek-chic specs (and girlfriend Jessica Biel). For a party celebrating models, the guest list was missing a few of the big ones. Legendary supermodels Stephanie Seymour and Naomi Campbell opted out of attending the gala – reportedly in solidarity with their date, designer Azzedine Alaia, who felt his clothes were underrepresented in the exhibit. And Christy Turlington is abroad filming. But though those notable ’90s frock stars’ absence left the party, well, a lot less super – even with Cindy Crawford in the house – fashion’s new guard arrived in full force. Heidi Klum, pregnant with her fourth child and wearing J. Mendel, promised to wear “high heels in the delivery room.” Tyra Banks wore Badgley Mischka, and Rachel Roy dressed India-born Lakshmi Menon. Kanye West helped deflect reports he’s broken up with model Amber Rose by making a show of support – literally, gripping her as she teetered and adjusting her dress. Model behavior, indeed.

It turns out that Maddy’s funky headpiece was designed by Marc Jacobs and, apparently, is a look that was used on the runway at the Fall fashion shows this year. Unfortch, I think the contraption makes her look like a geriatric Playboy bunny. Not a good look for her. Methinks that she was heavily inspired to wear something “wacky” at last night’s Costume Institute Gala after she attended Lady GaGa’s concert in NYC over the weekend. But, there were many other folks who looked utterly faboo at last night’s event. Vicky B. rocked her usual short skirt look (meh). But there were a lot of really great looks on the red carpet last night. After the jump, check out a few more pics from last night’s event and see who rocked and who LOLed …

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Various celebs from the world of independent film made their way out to the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA yesterday to attend the annual Film Independent’s Spirit Awards which are traditionally handed out on the eve of the Academy Awards. Honoring independent film and independent filmmakers, the Indies are handed out in a casual and usually celebratory atmosphere … and last night’s awards show was no exception. The Wrestler and the film’s lead Mickey Rourke did very well at this year’s Indies, taking home the top film and male acting prize … setting the stage for a possible repeat at tonight’s Academy Awards. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals and some info on last night’s awards show:

Mickey Rourke and “The Wrestler” have won top honors at the Spirit Awards, the annual eve-of-Oscars salute to the best of independent cinema. Rourke, a nominee at Sunday’s Academy Awards, won the best actor for his performance as a washed-up prizefighter in director Darren Aronofsky’s moving drama, which later scooped the ceremony’s best picture prize. Rourke’s award was the latest in a series of honors that have gone to the 56-year-old, who has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity after his career suffered a prolonged slump through the 1990s. In a typically profanity-laced acceptance speech, Rourke dedicated the win to “Wrestler” director Aronofsky — and his pet chihuahua, who died last week. “I’ve just gotten thousands of letters from strangers and people that know me about my dog that died six days ago, Loki. This is for you baby,” he said. “Thank you Darren Aronofsky for believing in me. Directors like Darren come around every 25 years,” added Rourke. Aronofksy said he had been drawn to the “The Wrestler” because of its subject matter. “Wrestling was a world no one had tackled in a serious way, and the more we looked into that world, the more complex it seemed,” he said. In other awards Saturday, Oscar nominee Melissa Leo won the best actress award for her performance in the human-trafficking drama “Frozen River.” Tom McCarthy meanwhile took best director honors for “The Visitor,” which is notable for helping journeyman Richard Jenkins earn a best actor nomination at Sunday’s Oscars. In the supporting actor and actress categories, Spanish siren Penelope Cruz won for her performance in Woody Allen’s steamy comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” Cruz will be seeking to emulate the success at the Oscars, where she is nominated in the best supporting actress category. “I didn’t expect this,” Cruz said. “I go to all awards like this, not expecting anything, so it’s always a surprise when I win.” Meanwhile James Franco picked up the best supporting actor award for his portrayal of gay politician Harvey Milk’s long-time lover Scott Smith in the Gus Van Sant biopic “Milk,” which also earned best first screenplay for writer Dustin Lance Black. Black later paid tribute to Sean Penn’s portrayal of Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official. “Sean’s performance really captured Harvey,” Black said. “That’s why this film has such a connection beyond gay and lesbian audiences. We need to continue building the coalitions that Harvey was so good at.” In other notable awards Saturday, France’s “The Class (Entre Les Murs)” won the best foreign film, while the best documentary went to “Man on Wire,” director James Marsh’s exhilarating account of Frenchman Philippe Petit’s tight-rope walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. “What Philippe did was to stop time, it was a little miracle,” Marsh told reporters.

Altho the Film Indepedent’s Spirit Awards are only 25 years old, I love that there is a place for Indie films to get their due when, overwhelmingly, the Motion Picture Academy tends to overlook many amazing performances due to, well, their indieness. True, some Independent Films and actors get honored at the Academy Awards but, for the most part, name recognition plays a huge part in the voting process. I’m sure many of you have never even heard of the film Frozen River and yet, it was one of the year’s strongest films. After the jump, check out a couple photos from the show itself and some pics of a few winners posing with their Indie trophies in the press room afterward …

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Last night the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were handed out here in Hollywood at the Shrine Auditorium and were broadcast LIVE on TBS and TNT for all the world to see (including me, on my JetBlue flight home from NYC). The SAG Awards, which are given out to actors by fellow actors, is the last major awards show to take place before the Academy Awards are handed out next month … and may give a sneak peek as to what may go down come Oscar time. Slumdog Millionaire won the big prize for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture while Meryl Streep (Doubt), Sean Penn (Milk), Kate Winslet (The Reader) and the late Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) won the awards for Best Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor respectively. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals last night:

Amy Adams and Emily Blunt looked amazing … Jon Hamm (of Mad Men) looked weird without his now trademark slicked-back hair. I don’t like the longer locks on him. Katrina Bowden, who stars in NBC’s 30 Rock, wore a beautiful blue dress designed by Project Runway season 4 winner Christian Siriano. She looked really supercute fierce in her dress, I think.

As I mentioned above, some of my fave actors took home the top prizes last night … here are pics of the big winners accepting their awards (called Actors) on stage or posing with them in the press room after winning their awards:

The actors of “Slumdog Millionaire” won outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, and Heath Ledger posthumously won best supporting male actor at the 15th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. “It was overwhelming enough to be nominated, but to win this is unbelievable,” said “Slumdog” actor Anil Kapoor of the award given to him and his cast mates at Los Angeles’ Shrine Exposition Center. The cast’s win comes two weeks after the modestly budgeted movie, about a poverty-raised orphan in Mumbai who goes on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” won the Golden Globe award for best drama. The film has been nominated for 10 Oscars, including for best picture. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” the big name when the Academy Award nominations were announced earlier this week, was shut out at the SAG Awards. The movie leads all films with 13 Oscar nods. Ledger, who was 28 when he died just more than a year ago of an accidental prescription drug overdose, won his award for his role in “The Dark Knight,” 2008’s box-office king. Ledger’s performance was widely praised, and he won the Golden Globe for best supporting actor two weeks ago. He also is considered the front-runner for an Academy Award for supporting actor. Actor Gary Oldman accepted the SAG award for his friend. “He was an extraordinary young man with an extra ordinary talent, and it is wonderful that you have acknowledged that and honored that talent tonight,” Oldman said. Josh Brolin, one of four actors who lost to Ledger on Sunday night, compared the SAG awards to “a big campfire we’re all showing up for.” “It’s not a competition,” Brolin said. “We’re just happy to party together.” Meryl Streep echoed Brolin’s words when she accepted for best leading actress in a movie for her role in “Doubt.” “Can I just say there’s no such thing as the best actress,” Streep said. Streep was dressed as if she might ready for Brolin’s campfire, wearing black pants, a black blouse and no jewelry except for earrings. “I didn’t even buy a dress,” she said. Sean Penn, chosen as best leading male actor in a movie for “Milk,” told the four actors he won against that he wept when he watched their work. “You’re stunning,” Penn said. Penn’s took a brief political turn when spoke about “Milk,” the story of a gay San Francisco politician assassinated in 1978. “This is a story about equal rights for all human beings,” Penn said. Kate Winslet’s win as best supporting actress for her performance as Hanna Schmitz in “The Reader” could help her best actress Oscar nomination for the same role. Winslet was nominated for SAG’s lead actress in a movie for “Revolutionary Road,” but lost to Streep. The SAG Awards are watched closely by Oscar fans, but they’re not always a guarantee of Oscar gold. Last year, for example, Julie Christie won the SAG’s outstanding lead actress for her work in “Away From Her.” At the Academy Awards, she was beaten by Marion Cotillard, who played French singer Edith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose.” Most of the SAG trophies handed out during the first half of Sunday night’s show were for TV categories. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney won for their roles in HBO’s “John Adams.” Giamatti got the trophy for best male actor in a TV movie or miniseries for his role as President John Adams, while Linney won the female actor award for her portrayal of first lady Abigail Adams. Veteran actress Sally Field won her first SAG Actor trophy after seven nomination over the past 14 years. Field won outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series for her work on “Brothers & Sisters.” Hugh Laurie won best male actor in a TV drama series for a second time for his work in “House.” He won the same trophy two years ago. “I actually had $100 on James Spader,” Laurie said. “This is just not my night.” Spader was also up for the best actor award. The TV drama ensemble award was given to the cast of AMC’s “Mad Men.” The evening began with NBC’s “30 Rock” sweeping best actor and ensemble trophies. Tina Fey won the outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series category, while Alec Baldwin won the male honor for his “30 Rock” role. The 10 actors in the “30 Rock” cast also captured the trophy for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series. The 16 SAG categories include honors for both television and film actors. James Earl Jones was given SAG’s 45th Life Achievement Award. “Whatever medium he tackles, he consistently delivers,” actor Forest Whitaker said. Jones’ trademark deep voice has been heard in movies as “the most evil voice in the entire universe… and the voice of God,” Whitaker said.

Woot! I am THRILLED that Meryl finally won an award for her work in Doubt. My fave part of the ENTIRE awards show was when she was announced as the winner and then ran with her arms in the air in shocked excitement all the way to the stage to collect her trophy:

She gave my fave female performance this year and I sincerely hope that she wins the Oscar next month. Things don’t look so good for Benjamin Button. Another awards show, another shutout. I’m still pretty sure that it will win something next month (Best Makeup?) but I am not really counting on the film winning any of the big categories. Up against Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke, Brad Pitt ain’t got chance. The same goes for poor Angelina Jolie … no chance, no way. I love that Slumdog Millionaire won another of the big prizes … could it win the Oscar for Best Picture? I sincerely hope so … but I have to be honest and say that I REALLY HOPE that the insufferable Anil Kapoor is not allowed anywhere near the microphone if the film wins. I get that he’s excited to be in a film that is winning all these major awards (a feat that he will most likely never achieve again) but I find his manner so irritating. How ’bout letting Dev Patel give thanks instead? I was very pleased that Freida Pinto gave shoutouts to the young actors who are featured in Slumdog (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Rubiana Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) … they really made the film for me, they deserve the accolades as much as the adult actors do. In any event, I’m still pulling for Slumdog to win the big enchilada next month. After the jump, check out a few photos that were snapped of the celebs in the audience — mingling, gossiping, canoodling — the pics are not to be missed …

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This past weekend we learned that Nicole Kidman would be receiving a special tribute from Hollywood legend Shirley MacLaine at the 15th annual Women In Hollywood Tribute event hosted by Elle magazine — and last night was the big night. Celebs of varying stature and caliber made their way out to The Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills, CA last night to partake of Elle magazine’s tribute to, in their estimation, the most worthy women in Hollywood. Here are a few pics from the event’s red carpet arrivals last night:

Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez, Diane Keaton and Halle Berry joined dozens of other stars in a ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel on Monday for Elle magazine’s 15th annual Women in Hollywood tribute, honoring seven noteworthy women in entertainment. Fonda served as an informal entertainment ambassador before the program, chatting up actress Kat Dennings and introducing Amber Tamblyn to Shirley MacLaine. Meanwhile, the evening’s host, Chelsea Handler, shared laughs with Jenny McCarthy and Cheryl Hines. Other guests included Kate Beckinsale, Courteney Cox, Eva Mendes, Angie Harmon and Cheryl Tiegs. Elle’s annual dinner pays tribute to women “who are telling our stories” in Hollywood, said editor Roberta Myers. This year’s honorees included Berry, Fonda, Kidman, Anne Hathaway, Sigourney Weaver, Isla Fisher and director Catherine Hardwicke — all of whom are featured in the magazine’s November issue. “Someday hopefully it won’t be necessary to allocate a special evening to celebrate where we are and how far we’ve come,” Weaver said. “Someday women writers, producers and crew members will be so commonplace, and roles and salaries for actresses will outstrip those for men, and pigs will fly.” Though things have improved for women, “we do have a long way to go,” she said. Hathaway said in today’s Hollywood “women are about so much more than how they look. I think it’s pretty remarkable that, at 25, I’m able to say that my role as a woman in Hollywood is purely as an artist, not a cause,” Hathaway said. “I’m free to play my characters as I imagine them, far beyond what size jeans they wear.” Fisher thanked “my baby daddy SBC” (Sacha Baron Cohen) and paid homage to Kidman, “who paved the way for all us Aussies.” MacLaine continued the praise. “Nicole Kidman has been a revelation to me, and it’s not easy for me to be revelated,” she said, calling Kidman “my star child.” Kidman thanked all the directors who “molded” her, particularly Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack. “They were men in Hollywood who loved women,” she said. Fonda thanked all the women in the house — and Hollywood itself. “Aren’t we glad we’re not bankers,” she said. “We are in the most fantastic business.”

I feel I must echo Sigourney Weaver’s comments and am also very much looking forward to the day when events like this are no longer necessary. Hopefully the day will soon come when there’ll be no need to honor women in Hollywood on a singular night of tribute because they will be afforded the same tribute as their male counterparts every single day. I find it criminal that Johnny Depp (and no offense to him in any way) can demand $55 million dollars for a film role when women cannot garner the same pay. There is still a huge disparity between wages paid to men over women. We may have come a long way (baby) but there is still a long way to go yet. In any event, congrats and kudos to the women honored at last night’s event. It sounds like due tribute was paid to some very deserving women.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

The stars of the new big screen movie version of Get Smart were joined by various guests at the Hollywood premiere of their new movie at the Mann Village Theatre in Westwood, CA last night. Here are a few pics from the Get Smart premiere’s red carpet:

As far as movie adaptations of popular (oftentimes classic) TV shows go, the results are usually hit or miss (mostly miss). Off the top of my head, I remember not really liking the movie versions of Bewitched, The Mod Squad, Scooby Doo, The Dukes of Hazzard and The Flintstones. I did like The Brady Bunch, Mission: Impossible, Josie and the Pussycats, Popeye and of course Sex and the City. So really, it’s anyone’s guess if these movie adaptions will turn out worthwhile until they actually get released. I used to love watching Get Smart … it was one of those shows that aired during the day so I could only watch it when I stayed home from school on vacation or when I was sick. It always felt like such a treat to be able to watch the show (most prolly cuz I got to stay home from school). I’m encouraged that they put together a great cast to make the film … and I’ve been liking all the trailers and TV ads that have been released thus far. This movie is deffo on my list of summer movies to see. Steve Carell is a funny, funny man … I think he will make a great Secret Agent Maxwell Smart … at least, that’s my hope.

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin]