#MeToo Drama ‘Bombshell’ Lands PGA Stanley Kramer Award

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) will give #MeToo drama “Bombshell” the 2020 Stanley Kramer Award, which honors a movie for illuminating and raising awareness of important social issues.  The 31st annual Producers Guild Awards will take place on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

“’Bombshell’ proves that cinema has the power to encapsulate moments and movements,” said Producers Guild of America Presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher, “in a way that serves and enlightens us all.”

Written by Oscar-winner Charles Randolph (“The Big Short”) and directed by Jay Roach (“Trumbo”), the movie tracks three Fox News anchorwomen, Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and a fictional rising star (Margot Robbie) who turn against their powerful boss, Roger Ailes (a jowly John Lithgow).  Producer Theron saved the movie when Annapurna put it in turnaround on the eve of production, setting it up with financier Bron Studios and Lionsgate, which will release the film limited in New York and Los Angeles on December 13.

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Bombshell” is a strong contender in the 2020 Oscar race, with its strong acting ensemble — Theron is a strong contender for Best Actress, while Robbie could score a Supporting actress slot — fueled by her more silent performance in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood;” Roach’s “Trumbo” yielded a surprise nomination for Bryan Cranston, and Randolph’s “The Big Short” score multiple Oscar nominations.

Another likely Oscar win is the second for makeup artist Kasuhiro Tsuji, who follows up his remarkable transformation of Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour” with his feat of turning Theron, Kidman and Lithgow into Kelly, Carlson and Ailes, respectively, using delicate makeup prosthetics that move with the actors’ faces. Theron’s eyelids were the trickiest to maneuver, she told me.

Check out our ongoing series of Awards Spotlight videos, including Theron.