It's the Oscar after-after party war: Madonna and James Franco vie for best bash

It's the Oscar after-after party war: Madonna and James Franco vie for best bash


The after-after Oscar Party Wars have broken out in Hollywood between Madonna and . . . James Franco.

The after-bashes are well established. The official post- Academy Award Governors Ball is held at the Kodak Centre immediately following the Oscar ceremony and it’s a tradition that all winners, nominees, presenters and Academy big-wigs troop upstairs to the Hollywood & Highland grand ballroom, clutching their $1,000 tickets.

It’s packed with the great, the good and the naughty of the film world. They chomp down Wolfgang Puck’s party fare, sip some champagne and then scoot over to the Sunset Towers for the hallowed Vanity Fair Oscar soiree, which is a fabulous event.
 

Madonna will host an After After party following the Oscars
James Franco will host this year's Oscars

Battle: Madonna and James Franco are at war over their After After parties, with Franco expected to steal many A listers from Madge's guest list

Elton John hosts a fundraising dinner for his Aids charity at the Pacific Design Centre, and then lets people come in later in the evening.

Now Madonna’s had a couple of after-after events, co-hosted with Demi Moore, at the home of her manager, Guy Oseary. A big  marquee is put up in Oseary’s Coldwater Canyon backyard and various folk show up.

On Sunday, the A-list DJs Paul Oakenfold and Zen Freeman are sharing music duties, although they’ve been instructed not to spin any of Madge’s own numbers because she thinks that’s not cool (which I rather agree with). And, of course, no photos are to be taken.
Party time: Host James Franco's invite to his event following the ceremony

Party time: Host James Franco's invite to his event following the ceremony

This year there’s a royal theme — and I don’t mean just because of the anticipated success of The King’s Speech.

Some actors, such as Abbie Cornish and James D’Arcy, from Madonna’s film W.E. about the Abdication crisis, will be there, among the hoped-for others.

But now James Franco, the  busiest actor on the planet and co-host of the Oscar show with Anne Hathaway, is throwing a party to celebrate the occasion at The Supper Club, just a stone’s throw from the Kodak Centre.

Franco’s so beyond cool that a lot of people who would have scooted up to Madge’s will more than likely do the Governors Ball, Vanity Fair and then James’s bash, because they’re all quite close. Plus he has managed to get my old friends at Grey Goose to sponsor it, along with Microsoft search engine outfit Bing.

I really liked Franco’s invitation, too, which features a photograph of him taking (or maybe pretending to take . . . remember — he’s an actor!) a nap during one of his university lectures.

That invitation replaced an earlier one of the Oscar statuette dressed with a hoodie.
Franco was flying in to LA from the east coast yesterday and in between hosting an exhibition of photographs and footage connected to Gus Van Sant’s film My Private Idaho, the actor — nominated for his terrific performance in Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours — has to rehearse for the Oscar show and organise various other events before flying back east on Monday for classes on Tuesday.

I hope Madge doesn’t put a curse on the poor boy. I know the power of that ju-ju stuff.
And there will be other, equally select, gatherings going on from late Sunday into the early hours of Monday morning.

If I can manage five of them before five in the morning, I’ll be happy.
Seconds out: Helen Mirren shows off a huge belt at a Vanity Fair Reception

Seconds out: Helen Mirren shows off a huge belt at a Vanity Fair Reception
Don't mess with Mirren!

Having seen Helen Mirren handle some seriously heavy ordnance in the film Red, I have no doubt she’d know where to land a right hook if she was messed with. The Oscar-winner admitted to being in ‘fun party mode’ at a Vanity Fair reception for The Fighter.

She wrapped an enormous title belt around her waist, kicked off her high heels for comfort’s sake, and calmly sashayed over to the kitchen to fetch a tray of nibbles for husband Taylor Hackford. ‘Well, he’s hungry,’ she reasoned.

On Sunday, Helen told me she would present the best foreign  picture award alongside Russell. I stupidly said: ‘Oh, I didn’t realise Russell Crowe was in town.’ And then kicked myself because I  realised it was not Crowe, but Brand — her leading man in the forthcoming comedy Arthur — she was referring to.

I saw some preview clips at a multiplex and Arthur does look funny, and tender. Helen said she had some laughs working on it and is a big fan of Brand — as am I, as it happens.

‘We’ve been asked to present the foreign film awards  because, well, we’re both foreign,’ she said, somehow  managing to keep a straight face.
Sorry Cheryl, you don't tick the X Factor Box here

Poor Cheryl Cole. There’s a list longer than my arm of people being considered as a judge opposite Simon Cowell on the U.S.  version of The X Factor.

Expectant mother Mariah Carey (her twins are due next month), Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls are just a few of the names being studied by executives at Fox Television, who are hoping to have the show up and running in the autumn.

The subject came up at a couple of pre-Oscar parties. I was idly wondering about Mariah’s babies and three people piped up that Fox would like her to be on the judging panel. Several other possible judges were mentioned.
Baz Bamigboye says that he believes that Cheryl Cole will not be picked as an X Factor judge in the U.S. version


Then, a friend of mine — an American — suddenly said: ‘Oh, I’ve seen The X  Factor in England and there’s that singer who needs subtitles before you can understand what she’s saying.’

I’m sorry to say that they were referring to Our Cheryl. Someone else said they’d heard that Cole would be having elocution lessons to improve her diction — and lo and behold, the next thing I knew, that story was on the internet.

If I understand anything about how the entertainment business works in America, then Cheryl is not going to be picked, even if she does end up speaking like Eliza Doolittle, post-Professor Higgins.

Cole will be putting herself about in LA over the Oscar weekend, wearing the kind of frocks that will ensure she’s noticed, but she hasn’t got the sort of stature that will make people over here care, I’m afraid.


Gerard Butler told me he will produce and star in a movie called Playing The Field, as a man who coaches his son’s football team but ends up  scoring goals with the mothers of some of his players. Uma Thurman and Halle Berry will also appear in the film, to be directed by Gabriele Muccino. Butler, by the way, is excellent, along with Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox and Jessica Chastain (an unknown, but not for long), in Ralph Fiennes’ gripping screen version of Coriolanus, which is already on my ‘must see again as soon as possible’ list.
This sci-fi's top secret

Sworn to secrecy: Actor Idris Elba will star in Ridley Scott's latest film, in which the script has been a closely guarded secret

Sworn to secrecy: Actor Idris Elba will star in Ridley Scott's latest film, in which the script has been a closely guarded secret

Ridley Scott told me he has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the script of his new epic science fiction film from leaking out.

His ensemble cast, which includes Oscar- winning Charlize Theron and hot actors Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Idris Elba, Sean Harris and Kate Dickie, not only had to sign secrecy clauses, but were only allowed to read the story if they visited Ridley’s production office. (One exception was made, when a security courier flew to an actor’s foreign location and stood guard for two hours while the screenplay was perused.)

‘I was insistent that the script not leak onto the internet, where it gets dissected out of context, which spoils it for everyone,’ Ridley told me during cocktails at a  pre-Oscar tribute to Harvey Weinstein, hosted by Dior at the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard.

The film’s called Prometheus and starts  filming in three weeks. The director behind Alien, Gladiator, Thelma And Louise and Black Rain did, however, confirm that it is a science fiction thriller.

‘It’s the story of creation, the gods and the man who stood against them. It’s not a small film,’ Ridley joked.

‘I’m using the giant James Bond 007 stage at Pinewood and six other sound stages to film it,’ he added.

Prometheus, Ridley declared, was not — as some have suggested — a  prequel to his classic sci-fi shocker Alien. But he refused to divulge more.

Indeed, one of his actors told me that he could recite the entire screenplay to me — but then he’d have to wrestle me to the ground and, this was related in the nicest possible way, ‘kill me’.

Fassbender will arrive on set direct from filming Shame in New York for director Steve McQueen, who made the  fantastic drama Hunger.

Rapace created the part of  Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and its sequels.

Kate Dickie was stunning in  Andrea Arnold’s movie Red Road, and Sean Harris has emerged as an ace character actor after stonking roles in the Channel 4 adaptation of David Peace’s Red Riding crime stories  and Rowan Joffe’s recent Brighton Rock picture.


Halle Berry has always known how to, in the words of Rod Stewart’s old song, ‘wear it well’.

She looked fabulous in a sweeping, raspberry red chiffon gown designed by her old friend Ellie Saab, and it was appropriate she look her best  at the Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA), where she was  given a gong for making her screen outfits look so good.

Wearing it well: Halle Berry looked fabulous in a sweeping red Ellie Saab gown at the Costume Designers Guild Awards

Wearing it well: Halle Berry looked fabulous in a sweeping red Ellie Saab gown at the Costume Designers Guild Awards

During the event, Jenny Beavan  collected  the award for excellence in the period film section for her work on The King’s Speech.

Jenny’s also in the running for an Oscar on Sunday night, up against another CDGA winner, Colleen Atwood, for Alice In Wonderland.

Joining them will be Sandy  Powell for The Tempest; Antonella Cannarozzi for I Am Love; and Mary Zophres for True Grit.

Ms Beavan will work with Colin Firth again later in the spring  on a remake of the thriller Gambit, which will also feature Cameron Diaz.
Competitive: Amy Adams is competing alongside Helena Bonham Carter and others for the Best Supporting Actress gong, the hardest fought category this year

Competitive: Amy Adams is competing alongside Helena Bonham Carter and others for the Best Supporting Actress gong, the hardest fought category this year
Share the honours, says Amy!

The most competitive category this year is the best supporting actress  section, with our own Helena Bonham Carter up against favourite Melissa Leo, who played the conflicted mother in The Fighter, and she’s up against her screen son’s girlfiend played, deliciously, by Amy Adams.

Then there’s Jacki  Weaver’s scorching evil grandmother in Animal Kingdom, an excellent Australian psychological thriller that opens in the UK today. Finally, we have Hailee Steinfeld, who delivers a blinding performance in True Grit.

In order, I saw Weaver more than a year ago at Sundance. Then Helena early last summer at the cast and crew screening of The King’s Speech — and I knew then that Tom Hooper’s picture had ‘Oscar’ written all over it. I caught The Fighter at an early screening in London, and then True Grit.

When I saw Amy at a Vanity Fair reception for The Fighter at District — a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard — I wondered whether it might be possible for all five to tie, and share the statuette. Amy generously agreed. Frankly, I’m just glad I don’t have to decide.

‘I think I like this winning lark,’ Helena joked at a Bafta after-party, held at the new W hotel and hosted by Harvey Weinstein and Momentum Pictures who, between them, have helped The King’s Speech take nearly $200 million worldwide.

Last month, Helena told me she thought she’d go through the whole awards season without a single win — and moreover, she didn’t really mind.

Now, who knows what will happen?
Desperate: Lucy Walker was looking for a second hand dress to wear in support of her Best Documentary nominated film

Desperate: Lucy Walker was looking for a second hand dress to wear in support of her Best Documentary nominated film
Watch out for...

Lucy Walker who was desperate to find something second-hand to wear to the Oscars. Lucy’s movie Waste Land is up for a best documentary award.

It’s a poetic study of the world’s biggest rubbish dump, just outside Rio de Janeiro, where the inhabitants of a town, using astute methods, live off the waste that they scavenge.

‘I was looking for a gown made of  garbage bags, or a vintage dress, but I couldn’t find the right thing,’ Lucy told me.

So designer Diane von Furstenberg is helping her out with a frock for Sunday. Lucy — who went to senior school at Westminster with fellow Oscar nominee Tom Hooper — will be accompanied down the red carpet by Tiao, one of the subjects of her documentary, who has been flown over  from Brazil especially for the ceremony.

Oswald Boateng is dressing Tiao in a new suit, and he’ll party over at Soho House where some very nice new bottles of Grey Goose are waiting for him.

Bill Bailey,  the famously bearded comedian and actor, who was in LA this week arranging a stand-up tour of America. Mr Bailey will soon be seen opposite great young actress Felicity Jones in the romantic comedy Chalet Girl.

There are some lovely moments in the picture  provided by the bright and captivating performances of Mr Bailey and Miss Jones.


The Film Independent Spirit Awards are held tomorrow under a mammoth marquee on the beach at Santa Monica and they’re a marvellous antidote to the Oscars.

They’re more laid-back and the focus isn’t as fierce as it will be on Sunday night.

It’ll be interesting to see if they go for Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole over  Natalie Portman in Black Swan or  Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right. Or perhaps  they’ll  embrace  Winter’s Bone, with Jennifer Lawrence - or maybe it’s the moment to honour Michelle Williams’s amazing portrait of an unhappy wife in Blue Valentine.

It’ll be fun to find out - and I love that The King’s  Speech  is in the foreign film  category!


Eddie Redmayne was hanging out at Soho House on Sunset Boulevard, seeking tips on how to perfect a Texan accent for a new role. He told me he will play a psychopathic cowboy who befriends a teenage girl in the film version of Andrea Portes’s novel Hick. Director Derick Martini will shoot on locations in North Carolina.

The film will feature Blake Lively but Chloe Moretz, who stole Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass, will play the main role: that of Luli, a grown-up in a young girl’s body. (Vaughn, by the way, has just arrived in LA to finish work on his latest film, X-Men: First Class.)

Mr Redmayne recently completed Simon Curtis’s film My Week With Marilyn opposite Michelle Williams, who is a best actress nominee for her powerful turn opposite Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine