In addition to last week’s news that Lawrence will also star in the previously-titled American Bullshit opposite fellow Russell Get-a-Long Gang Members Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale, The Hollywood Reporter reports Hollywoodily that the actress and director will also work together on The Ends Of The Earth. The film is based on the true story of an oil tycoon who looses all of his fancy belongings (nice boots and cattle skulls probably) after he is caught in an affair.

Too bad that George Clooney punched Russell in the face on the set of Three Kings. This film would be the step in the right direction to getting an oil-centric trilogy out of those two.

Well, this thing has gradually gone from good to great with the likes of Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Louie C.K., Jeremy Renner, and most recently, Jennifer Lawrence.

It’s hard not to get excited about this cast, director, and premise, which is exactly why Mark Wahlberg is checking his phone like a a fourteen year-old Asian girl, wondering if he’s in a dead cell zone or something because there has to be a good reason why Russell hasn’t called him yet.

Russell’s favoritest performers Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner have already been cast in the film about a con man who works with the FBI. C.K. will play an FBI agent. Richard Jenkins must be pissed.

Louis C.K. certainly has come a long way.

(THR)

David O. Russell has been bouncing around projects like some sort of item that bounces a lot recently, but has apparently landed on this film in which Renner would play a con man who becomes the target of an FBI sting.

This is exciting for two reasons:

1. It affords a remarkable synergy between actor Jeremy Renner and director David Russell, whose stock is trading at an all-time high after the widely acclaimed The Fighter.

2. More importantly, it allows me to totally put a contextual swear word in the headline of this article with devil-may-care abandon.

Life is good, folks. Life is good.

Granted, I haven’t “seen” any of these films. And there are undoubtedly dozens of solid films that are still under my radar. And those films will probably feature strong turns by both actors and directors. But whatever, that won’t keep me from examining some of the strongest, most notable candidates for an award, going on experience and some educated guesses.

So this may not be the most subversive or even “accurate” Oscar prediction, and you’re not going to find any under-the-radar films and actors here. But you will find more than a few safe bets from known projects. Judging by the slate for 2012, we could see a lot more “Hollywood” films fill the ballots in the 2013 ceremonies, which always proves to be more satisfying, provided the popular films are the good ones.

Best Picture

The Dark Knight Rises
Lincoln
Life of Pi
Django Unchained
The Great Gatsby

The one thing these films have in common is each one is helmed by a great director, with Nolan, Spielberg, Lee, Tarantino, and Luhrmann all showing up in widely anticipated and rather big-budget movies. My early call is that Lincoln, with the reputations of Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis behind it, will take the cake, with Life of Pi given a courtesy nod in this category. Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises could make a lot of noise if people lavish praise on the film for the scope of the production, but in the end, the heavier biopic will prevail.

Best Director

Wes Anderson – Moonrise Kingdom
Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight Rises
Marc Webb – The Amazing Spider-Man
Steven Spielberg – Lincoln
Ang Lee – Life of Pi

It seems a little odd to have two comic book films represented here, but going off of the early sizzle reel I’ve seen from Spider-Man, Marc Webb is masterful at bouncing from bombastic action sequences to touching moments between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Wes Anderson is back in our lives and hearts after the lukewarm reception of The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and I think he could get a lot of legacy goodwill in this category. Spielberg’s Lincoln is no-brainer given the man and the subject matter, and I think he’ll be the one to walk away with the bald gold guy.

Best Actor

Bill Murray – Hyde Park on Hudson
Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
Leonardo DiCaprio – Great Gatsby
Sean Penn – Gangster Squad
Robert De Niro – Being Flynn

Everyone on this list but Murray and DiCaprio already have won their Oscars, and in the interest of appearing progressive (and not simply handing the award over to Daniel Day-Lewis, even though he’ll probably deserve it), they’ll bestow it upon Bill Murray, who’s distinguished career will come to a head with the most Oscar bait-y role he’s played so far. I think voters will be looking for an excuse to give it to him, but in this field, it’s a very tough call.

I’m hoping De Niro’s turn as a distant, homeless father in Being Flynn gets him out of the doghouse that he’s built for himself over the past decade. Sean Penn because, hey, Sean Penn, Leo because he’s just so damn handsome.

Best Actress

Blake Lively – Savages
Jennifer Lawrence – The Silver Linings Playbook
Sally Field – Lincoln
Toni Collette – Jesus Henry Christ
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Hysteria

Again, it’s hard to get too adventurous with these pics before the films have even been finished, so based on resume alone, I think we have a pretty strong group here. I think Field will be able to chew some serious scenery as Mary Todd Lincoln, and if she doesn’t get too terribly outclassed by her hubby, Mr. Day-Lewis, I think she’s the smart money here.

I think Hollywood wants to REALLY love Jennifer Lawrence, but seeing as how The Hunger Games is a little too mainstream for the snobs, she’ll get it in the David O. Russell film instead.

I’m also looking forward to Blake Lively in Oliver Stone’s The Savages, if only because she mastered a seedy role in The Town, and I’m eager to see her do it again as a beachy stoner. Toni Colette and Maggie Gyllenhaal because it wouldn’t be the Academy Awards without them, so why not both?

As you can tell, this has been a very scientific process, so let’s hear your thoughts in the comments if you’re feeling like yelling at us.

Director David O. Russell (The Fighter, Three Kings) could be given the benefit of the doubt amid allegations that he groped his adopted sister’s (still doesn’t make it ok) transgender 19-year-old daughter. The two were working out last Friday, as uncles and transgender nieces so often do, when he noticed that hormone therapy had made her breasts bigger, as uncles somewhat less often do.

He then slid his hand under her shirt, reportedly with her permission to ensure that his actions weren’t making her uncomfortable, as if having one’s uncle massaging one’s nubile breasts could ever make one THAT uncomfortable.

Russell stated that the act was just out of curiosity, which doesn’t explain why he allegedly made his niece “pinky swear” not to tell anyone. Any time an uncle makes a niece or nephew pinky swear to anything, the police should be notified immediately.

Russell then reportedly went on to further ratchet up the creepy by oversharing with police that, since the hormone treatments, his niece “has become very provocative and seductive,” which may be a step backwards in his efforts to convince people he’s not huge into incest.

Russell’s camp “emphatically denies any wrongdoing,” except, presumably, for the act of groping your niece who is suffering from gender identity issues.

This should play out nicely.

(The Wrap)

You see, the other problem that the project is facing is that nobody wants to star in the damn thing. The film’s producer Natalie Portman isn’t interested in the role. Emma Stone, Mia Wasikooksskiwawa Wasikowska and Blake Lively have also passed. At this rate, I guess we could wait a couple years for Chloe Moretz to reach the appropriate age. (Deadline)

2 Guns is the film adaptation of a comic book of the same name, in which a Naval officer and a DEA agent unwittingly investigate each other while stealing mob money for the CIA. However, they soon learn that they’ve been stealing from the CIA for the mob. Stuff ensues.

It’s unknown if Wahlberg will be playing Vaughn’s character or the other lead. It really doesn’t matter, because Wahlberg, with that vacant, befuddled stare, has demonstrated he can nail “unwitting.”

Last year, Cooper was attached to the lead role of a former teacher who moves in with his mom after being institutionalized for depression, but was cast aside when director David O. Russell‘s best guy, Mark Wahlberg, showed interest. Wahlberg, however, now has to bow out due to a scheduling conflict. So, now Cooper is back and things are going to be awkwaaaard at the table read.

Robert De Niro, whose trailer accidentally fused to Cooper’s on the set of Limitless, will continue his recent trend of going only where Cooper goes. He’s currently in talks for an undisclosed role. Jennifer Lawrence will also star as a young woman who jumps from bed to bed after the death of her husband. That’s every ghost’s nightmare. (Deadline)