1. Golden Globes love La La Land, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Sunday night saw the 74th Golden Globes roll into town and hand out a whole load of awards to La La Land. Best Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy), Best Actress (M/C), Best Actor (M/C), Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Score, Best Original Song—in all, the musical scored an impressive seven wins on its way to Oscar domination. Elsewhere, Moonlight nabbed Best Motion Picture (Drama) towards the end of the night but lost its banker when Best Supporting Actor nominee Mahershala Ali was pipped by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, for Nocturnal Animals. The only other surprise was probably Isabelle Huppert winning Best Actress (Drama) for Elle, beating out Amy Adams for Arrival and Natalie Portman for Jackie, but otherwise Casey Affleck’s Best Actor (Drama) and Viola Davis’s Best Supporting Actress gong were generally as expected.

So, what does it mean for the Academy Awards? It’s worth noting that the Golden Globes are voted for by about 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (international journalists and photographers who report on the film industry). The Oscars, on the other hand, are decided by about 6,000 members of the Academy. So Isabelle Huppert’s success for a foreign-language (?!) film isn’t likely to be replicated when there’s an Emma Stone standing right there. Really, the La La Land love looks likely to last—even if Gosling will probably lose out to Casey Affleck when the categories are smushed together to remove a distinction between comedy and drama—and director Damien Chazelle can afford to feel fairly confident. But there is definitely still time for Barry Jenkins’ picture to build up some steam courtesy of a few upcoming ceremonies…

2. But other awards shows are available

And you thought the Golden Globes liked La La Land? 11 nominations—that’s the kind of love that BAFTA have bestowed on the film we’re running out of synonyms for. The films next in line for nomination domination are a little surprising though; Arrival and Nocturnal Animals will be happy with nine noms apiece (big Amy Adams fans, us Brits) and ditto Manchester by the Sea with its six. The full list of nominees is here, and it looks like there may be some surprises afoot, especially with Moonlight mustering only four nominations in all.

Across the pond, the fairly reliable indicator of Oscar success that is the Producers Guild of America have announced their nominees, tripling down on the idea that this is La La Land‘s to lose… to Moonlight or Manchester by the Sea. The PGA’s contenders for Best Film include the aforementioned three and also include room for Arrival, Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, Lion and, yes, Deadpool. Of the past 27 Academy Award Best Picture winners, 19 have synced up with the PGA Awards – so it’s worth keeping an eye out on the winners come January 28. Or at least on this segment on February 3 when we get around to reporting them.

3. Baywatch: now with swears!

The first Baywatch trailer may have managed the requisite amount of slow-motion running and a varied selection of revealing beachwear, but it definitely didn’t have Dwayne Johnson affirming “This is Baywatch, you pussy,” while lifting two refrigerators. Fortunately, the International Baywatch trailer manages to include all three of those essentials to keep us depraved Europeans interested. Plus it features a more substantial look at Priyanka Chopra’s Victoria Leeds, the new proprietor of the Huntley Club, whose ownership has coincided with a remarkable increase in drugs and murder—something this crack team of lifeguards are going to get to the bottom of. We’ll have to wait until May 12 to see if Zac Efron’s abs, Dwayne Johnson’s arms and Alexandra Daddario’s eyes are up to the task.

4. That’s Life: Scorsese gives up on Sinatra biopic

We wouldn’t blame Marty Scorsese if he just sat at home, and screamed into his pillow every day at the moment, what with his 25-years-in-the-making flick Silence being resoundingly snubbed in favour of a certain sweary superhero at the moment. Sadly, one project the director doesn’t have time for anymore is his long-heralded Sinatra biopic. Scorsese admitted this week in an interview with the Toronto Sun that “I think it is finally over. They [the remaining members of the Sinatra clan] won’t agree to it. Open it up again and I’m there!” It would be a shame if the king of capturing troubled men weren’t able to have a definitive crack at the story of Ol’ Blue Eyes, but the less savory parts of Sinatra’s life have always proved a stumbling block to getting a picture made. And if it’s enough to scare off Scorsese, it’s a big stumbling block.

5. J.J. Abrams is all about the new, for now

Whatever your opinion of The Force Awakens, there’s no denying J.J. Abrams’ ability to restart a franchise. Mission: Impossible, Star Trek and Star Wars—the man’s three for three. But not for much longer. In an interview at the Golden Globes, Abrams confessed that “I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten involved in things that I loved when I was a kid… but I don’t feel any desire to do that again. I feel like I’ve done enough of that that I’m more excited about working on things that are original ideas.” To see Abrams expand into new territories can only be a good thing, though the next project he’s heavily involved in figures to be God Particle, with Abrams on production duties. In any case, go get ‘em J.J. [via People]

6. Have ’80s comedy reboots had their CHiPs?

After the success of 21 Jump Street, no middling ’80s property is off-limits (Baywatch was really more of a ’90s thing), even if it should be. So say hello to the first trailer for CHiPs, starring Dax Shepard and Michael Peña as two badass motorcycle patrolmen looking for dirty cops on the force. Considering Vincent D’Onofrio pops up for a split-second it’s a safe bet he’s the bad guy, but in the meantime there are several jokes about crotch-bulges to keep you ‘‘watching’’.

8. Uncharted script finished: unleash the cliches!

The notion of debating whether a real video game adaptation can be a success has circulated since the 1980s. To date, the answer is no, but this is all missing the point; the narratives of video games are primed for the big screen. They just need someone to find the magic ingredient. And just as Jon Favreau’s Iron Man kickstarted the comic book revolution, could video games have a hero in Joe Carnahan, director of The Grey and the upcoming Bad Boys sequel? Carnahan posted on Instagram this week that he had successfully completed his first draft of the Uncharted script, describing it as ‘‘a BEAST.” We’re (genuinely) waiting with bated breath as this could truly work. Hey, 50th time’s the charm, right?

8. Where’s the Batman?

A few weeks ago, the Internet people “lost their minds” about the idea that Ben Affleck’s The Batman was destined for Development Hell. In an interview with the Guardian, on his promo tour for Live by Night, he seemed rather downbeat about the whole thing, saying “if it [The Batman] doesn’t come together in a way I think is really great I’m not going to do it.” Serious stuff.

Yet after 48 hours of rumour-laden chaos, Affleck visited his old friend Jimmy Kimmel to clear things up, saying “I’m gonna direct the next Batman, we’re working on it. It’s one of those things that’s really frustrating because with Live by Night it took me a year and a half to write it and get it ready and I worked really hard. It’s just no one gave a shit. No one was like, ‘Where’s Live by Night?’ But with Batman I keep getting the, ‘where’s the fucking Batman?’’’ Concluded Affleck, ‘‘I’m like, ‘Whoa, I’m working! Give me a second!’” In other words, everything is completely as it was two weeks ago. Carry on. 

9. Disney have an idea that may or may not be Dumbo

Tim Burton, Will Smith, Dumbo—they said it couldn’t be done, but Deadline is reporting that Disney is aggressively courting the Fresh Prince himself for a role in Burton’s live-action adaptation of Dumbo. Dumbo, the story about a big-eared elephant who, if memory serves, learns how to fly thanks to some words of encouragement from the Kia-Ora crows. Both Smith and Burton are in a bit of a rut at the moment, even if Smith’s Suicide Squad earned almost $750 million worldwide, but the two are still big names. In any case, it seems the studio wants to move quickly to start production from a script by Ehren Kruger, who has written for three of Michael Bay’s Transformers movies. What could go wrong?

– SON & DB