Even though I still hold out hope for Michelle Williams to win Best Actress for her performance in My Week With Marilyn, there's no denying the momentum is behind Viola Davis. There's even a big part of me that hopes she wins so that some of the haters out there constantly raggin' on The Help will have their heads explode. While it's not my favorite film of the year, I laugh at those that think it should've been some sort of glum, depressing film about race. Clearly, that was never the intent of the book or the film. If you want to go watch black people getting beat up and killed by white folks, go rent Rosewood.
Anyway, Davis has never been one to rest on her laurels for long, and she's lined up two big time projects to keep herself busy. The first is Ender's Game, the adaptation of Orson Scott Card's sci-fi juggernaut, directed by Gavin Hood. She'll play a psychologist who looks over the warrior children in the distant future, bred and trained to fight against the insectoid race that threatens the human race. Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Abigail Breslin, and Ben Kingsley are set to star.
The next is Beautiful Creatures, based on the first book in a tween series I've never heard of before by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia. The story follows two teens, a boy and a girl, who must confront a curse that has threatened her family for generations. Davis will play a librarian and mother figure to the boy. Richard LaGravenese, who helmed the somewhat underrated Water for Elephants, will adapt and direct.
There's a pretty good chance Meryl Streep will end up winning Best Actress just because she's Meryl Streep and the Academy doesn't know any better. But Davis has out acted her before, stealing Doubt away from her in practically one scene. So if Williams doesn't bring it home, here's hoping Davis is next in line.
Ender's Game begins filming soon, with release set for March 15th 2013. [Variety]
