Oscar update

83rd Academy Awards nominations announced

The waiting is over.  The nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards were announced today by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak and 2009 Oscar winner Mo'Nique.

Sherak and Mo'Nique, who won an Oscar for her supporting performance in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," announced the nominees in 10 of the 24 Award categories at a live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. 

And the Academy Award Nominees for Best Motion Picture of the Year are..

Courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Black Swan 

A talented young ballerina (Natalie Portman) is awarded the prized dual role of the White Swan/Black Swan in a production of "Swan Lake," when her already fragile mental state begins to deteriorate. Fearing that another dancer's affinity for the darker Black Swan character will win her the part, she begins a eerie descent into her own dark side. 

Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Writers: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John J. McLaughlin

Jojo Whilden/Courtesy of Paramount

The Fighter 

Two brothers struggle with personal challenges and the complexity of their own relationship as they pursue a shared dream of greatness in the boxing ring. Up-and-coming fighter Micky Ward is torn between his loyalty to his older brother and manager, Dicky, and his desire to move beyond the chaotic family life that threatens to derail his plans.

Stars: Mark Wahlberg (Mickey), Christian Bale (Dicky) and Amy Adams (Charlene)

Director: David O. Russell

Writers: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson and Keith Dorrington

AP Photo/Warner Bros., Melissa Moseley

Inception

Dom Cobb is an expert at a particular type of corporate espionage known as extraction, in which he inserts himself into his targets' dreams, gains their trust, and learns their secrets. One final job may allow him to leave his dangerous profession, but it involves the seemingly impossible task of implanting ideas in his subject rather than extracting them.

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio (Dom)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Writer: Christopher Nolan

Suzanne Tenner/Courtesy of Focus

The Kids Are All Right

When the teens of a lesbian couple seek out their biological father, his growing presence in their lives threatens the family's emotional fabric. For moms Nic and Jules, it exacerbates existing problems in their relationship, while the kids gradually begin to see past the appealing surface of their newfound parent.

Stars: AnnetteBening (Nic), Julianne Moore (Jules) and Mark Ruffalo (Paul)

Director: Lisa Cholodenko

Writers: Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg

Courtesy of the Weinstein Company

The King's Speech

Plagued since childhood by a paralyzing stammer, the future King George VI of England gives up hope at finding a cure for his impediment. His wife urges him to seek the help of an iconoclastic speech therapist, Lionel Logue, who insists on a level of familiarity with his new patient that the royal prince is loath to permit.

Stars: Colin Firth (King George VI), Geoffrey Rush (Lionel) and Helena Bonham (Queen Elizabeth)

Director: Tom Hooper

Writer: David Seidler

AP Photo/Fox Searchlight Pictures/Chuck Zlotnick

127 Hours

When climber Aron Ralston fails to leave word of his plans as he sets off on a solitary outing, he finds himself without hope of rescue after a fall leaves his arm pinned by a boulder. With only the limited food and resources he has with him, Aron must find a way to survive and to free himself from his deadly trap.

Stars: James Franco (Aron), Amber Tamblyn (Megan) and Kate Mara (Kristi)

Director: Danny Boyle

Writers: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy and Aron Ralston

Merrick Morton/Courtesy of Sony

The Social Network

Harvard undergraduate Mark Zuckerberg develops a computer program that will eventually become the phenomenally successful social networking site, Facebook. Yet Zuckerberg's lack of social skills in the world outside of the virtual realm in which he excels, leaves him with a trail of broken relationships and questionable ethical choices.

Stars: Jesse Eisenberg (Mark), Andrew Garfield (Eduardo) and Justin Timberlake(Sean)

Director: David Fincher

Writers: Aaron Sorkin, Ben Mezrich

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.

Toy Story 3

As Andy prepares to leave for college, his toys face an uncertain future now that the little boy who played with them is growing up. Their problems seem to be solved when they are donated to a local day care center, but the reality of their new life proves to be quite different from what they had expected.

Star voices: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear) and Joan Cusack (Jessie)

Director: Lee Unkrich

Writers: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich and Michael Arndt

Lorey Sebastian/Courtesy of Paramount.

True Grit

When Mattie Ross's father is murdered and his killer, Chaney, remains free, the determined 14-year-old hires the meanest lawman she can find to pursue him: a hard-drinking U.S. Marshal named Rooster Cogburn. Accompanied by a Texas Ranger with his own agenda, the pair sets off into the Indian territories on Chaney's trail.

Stars: Jeff Bridges (Rooster), Matt Damon (LaBoeuf) and Hailee Steinfeld (Mattie)

Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Writers: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen and Charles Portis

Sebastian Mlynarski/Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

Winter's Bone

With her father absent and her mother suffering from crippling depression, 17-year-old Ree Dolly struggles to provide for her family in the poverty-stricken rural Ozarks. After learning that her father has disappeared while on bail after offering her home as collateral, Ree sets out to find him before the court can seize it.

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence (Ree), John Hawkes (Teardrop) and Garret Dillahunt (Sheriff Baskin)

Director: Debra Granik

Writers: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini and Daniel Woodrell

Franco and Hathaway to serve as co-hosts

Bob D'Amico/ABC           

James Franco and Anne Hathaway

Also announced today by the Academy were this year's co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway. Both have previously appeared on the telecast but not as co-hosts. "James Franco and Anne Hathaway personify the next generation of Hollywood icons -- fresh, exciting and multi-talented. We hope to create an Oscar broadcast that will both showcase their incredible talents and entertain the world on Feb. 27," said 83rd Academy Awards Oscar telecast producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer. "We are completely thrilled that James and Anne will be joining forces with our brilliant creative team to do just that."

Franco, who currently can be seen in the Oscar nominated "127 Hours" is also known for his portrayal of Harry Osborn in the "Spider-Man" trilogy. Hathaway, who was recently seen in "Alice in Wonderland" and currently can be seen in "Love and Other Drugs" was nominated for an Oscar in 2008 for her role in "Rachel Getting Married." It was recently announced that Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle -- the original Catwoman -- in the next "Batman" film, "The Dark Knight Rises."    

For a full list of the nominations in all categories visit The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences