Iran plans movie riposte to Ben Affleck's Argo
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/jan/11/iran-riposte-ben-affleck-argo Version 0 of 1. Plans are afoot in Iran to produce a riposte to Ben Affleck's Oscar-nominated movie Argo, which depicts a CIA attempt to rescue six Americans from Tehran duing the 1979 hostage crisis, according to reports. Director Ataollah Salmanian told the Iranian news agency MNA that he was working on a film to be called The General Staff, and which "should be an appropriate response to the ahistoric film Argo". Ever since its premiere in the US in October 2012, Argo has been viewed with disfavour by the Iranian establishment, and Salmanian hopes to secure funding from the Art Bureau wing of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organisation. Meanwhile, Affleck confirmed that his own follow-up to the otherwise well-received Argo will be an adaptation of Dennis Lehane's 20s-set crime novel Live by Night, about mobsters during the Prohibition era. Affleck has already adapted another Lehane novel, Gone Baby Gone, and, as with Argo, may take the lead role as well as direct. As a result of taking on the project, Affleck has had to drop out of acting opposite Kristen Stewart in the con-artist drama Focus. Affleck was also surprisingly passed over for a best director nomination for the Academy Awards, which were announced on Thursday, but can comfort himself with Argo's double win at the Critic's Choice movie awards. Argo took best picture and Affleck best director. Silver Linings Playbook, however, won most, with four: best acting ensemble, best comedy, best actor and actress in comedy. Full list of Critics' Choice awards <strong>Best picture</strong> Argo <strong>Best actor</strong> Daniel Day-Lewis <strong>Best actress</strong> Jessica Chastain <strong>Best supporting actor</strong> Philip Seymour Hoffman <strong>Best supporting actress</strong> Anne Hathaway <strong>Best young actor/actress </strong> Quvenzhané Wallis <strong>Best acting ensemble</strong> Silver Linings Playbook <strong>Best director</strong> Ben Affleck <strong>Best original screenplay</strong> Quentin Tarantino <strong>Best adapted screenplay</strong> Tony Kushner <strong>Best cinematography</strong> Life of Pi <strong>Best art direction</strong> Anna Karenina <strong>Best editing</strong> Zero Dark Thirty <strong>Best costume design</strong> Anna Karenina <strong>Best makeup</strong> Cloud Atlas <strong>Best visual effects</strong> Life of Pi <strong>Best animated feature</strong> Wreck-It Ralph <strong>Best action movie</strong> Skyfall <strong>Best actor in an action movie </strong> Daniel Craig <strong>Best actress in an action movie </strong> Jennifer Lawrence <strong>Best comedy </strong> Silver Linings Playbook <strong>Best actor in a comedy </strong> Bradley Cooper <strong>Best actress in a comedy </strong> Jennifer Lawrence <strong>Best sci-Fi/horror movie </strong> Looper <strong>Best foreign language film </strong> Amour <strong>Best documentary feature </strong> Searching for Sugarman <strong>Best song </strong> Skyfall <strong>Best score -</strong> John Williams |