Two new screeners showed up today. Roadside Attractions sent Margin Call while Warner Bros. pushed out Happy Feet Two. The only obvious thing about the screeners is that Margin Call seems to be a SAG screener as it lists Ensemble and the other acting prizes, but no other categories.

Margin Call

Genre: Drama
Stars: Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell
Director: J.C. Chandor
Premise: “A thriller that revolves around the key people at a investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the financial crisis.”
Oscar Chances: The film could earn an Ensemble nomination from the Screen Actors Guild, but its battle with the Academy is an uphill one. Without some major prestige nominations from outside of SAG, there isn’t much chance.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Ensemble (Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci)
• Best Actor (Zachary Quinto)
• Best Supporting Actor (Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci)
• Best Supporting Actress (Demi Moore)

Rotten Tomatoes:
86% (104 critics; as of 11/29/11)
Metacritic:
76 out of 100 (37 critics; as of 11/29/11)

Happy Feet Two

Genre: Animation
Stars: Elijah Wood, Sofia Vergara, Robin Williams, Pink, Benjamin Flores Jr., Common, Magda Szubanski, Hugo Weaving, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Hank Azaria, Anthony LaPaglia
Director: George Miller
Premise: “Happy Feet Two returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica. Mumble, The Master of Tap, has a problem because his tiny son, Erik, is choreo-phobic. Reluctant to dance, Erik runs away and encounters The Mighty Sven – a penguin who can fly! Mumble has no hope of competing with this charismatic new role model. But things get worse when the world is shaken by powerful forces. Erik learns of his father’s ‘guts and grit’ as Mumble brings together the penguin nations and all manner of fabulous creatures – from tiny Krill to giant Elephant Seals – to put things right.
Oscar Chances: Its chances at Animated Feature nearly sank when it was released to mediocre reviews. Still, with so many mediocre films on the animation radar this year, that could allow it to sneak in. (and a note on the FYC specification on the screener for Original Screenplay, it is ineligible for that award because it’s based on characters previously produced or published. This means it would be eligible for Adapted Screenplay instead)
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Animated Feature Film (Doug Mitchell, George Miller, Bill Miller)
• Best Director (George Miller)
• Best Original Screenplay (George Miller, Gary Eck, Warren Coleman, Paul Livingston)
• Best Sound Mixing (Wayne Pashley, Paul Massey, Phil Heywood, Peter Smith)
• Best Sound Editing (Wayne Pashley)
• Best Visual Effects (David Nelson, David Dulac)
• Best Original Score (John Powell)
• Best Original Song (“Bridge of Light” – Alecia Moore, Billy Mann)

Rotten Tomatoes:
43% (80 critics; as of 11/29/11)
Metacritic:
50 out of 100 (25 critics; as of 11/29/11)