Behind the Scenes Buzz

TRIBUTES TO WILLIAM GOLDMAN POUR IN: Hollywood took to social media to toast the passing of screenwriter William Goldman, who died Thursday at age 87 from complications due to colon cancer. Goldman won Oscars for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men. His other writing credits include the novels and screenplays for Marathon Man (1976), Magic (1978) and the much-loved The Princess Bride (1987). Among those sharing their fond remembrances: Rob Riener, Stephen King, Topher Grace, Randi Mayem Singer, Ben Stiller, Josh Gad and Alan Horn.

TRAILER FOR SMILF RETURN LANDS: Frankie Shaw‘s SMILF is headed back to Showtime in January, with a star-studded cast, including Melanie Griffith, Claudia O’Doherty, Ally Sheedy, Ari Graynor, Dan Aid and Stormy Daniels, plus returning stars Rosie O’Donnell and Connie Britton. Tune in for Season 2 on Showtime Sunday, January 20, at 10:30 p.m.

2019 INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS ANNOUNCED: On Friday, Film Independent announced the nominees for the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards. Gemma Chan and Molly Shannon did the honors at L.A.’s W Hotel. Nominees for Best Feature were: Eighth Grade, First Reformed, If Beale Street Could Talk, Leave No Trace and You Were Never Really Here. The 34th Spirit Awards will air live on IFC on Saturday, Feb. 23.

MARK OSBORNE TO HELM ESCAPE FROM HAT: Oscar nominee Mark Osborne (Kung Fu Panda, Little Prince) is set to direct Escape From Hat, an animated feature for Netflix. Adam Kline (Artemis Fowl, The Clockwork War) is penning the script. The movie is set in a fairytale world full of naughty black cats and magical rabbits. “Escape From Hat tells a story about friendship and magic, which perfectly mirrors how I feel about getting to reunite with my friend Mark at Netflix after ten years,” Melissa Cobb, vp of kids & family at Netflix, said in announcing the project. “I cannot wait for audiences around the world to immerse themselves in our fantastical magic trick gone awry, where they will find an epic and imaginative world of good versus evil.”