The Dark Knight dominates the 35th Annual Saturn Awards with 11 nominations

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror films has announced the nominations for the 35th Annual Saturn Awards. Leading the charge was Christopher Nolan’s super-hero crime thriller “The Dark Knight” with 11 nominations. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Iron Man” followed closely behind with 9 and 8 nominations, respectively. While MGM/UA’s WW2 thriller “Valkyrie” spied 7 nominations, and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Changeling” received 6 nominations each.

Paramount Pictures’ triple threat of Benjamin Button, Iron Man and Indiana Jones led all film studios with a total of 30 nominations. Also with strong showings were Universal and Warner Bros. with 15 and 13 nominations, respectively. Fox and Marvel earned 10 and 9 nominations, while Lucasfilm, Ltd., MGM/UA, Sony Pictures and Walt Disney, followed with an impressive 7 nominations each.

In the television categories, “Lost” once again found its way to the top with 11 nominations. NBC’s “Heroes” rescued 6 nominations, followed closely by Sci Fi’s “Battlestar Galactica” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” with 4 nominations. Showtime’s “Dexter,” garnered 3 nominations. Fox’s “Fringe”, HBO’s “True Blood”, Fox’s “Fringe”, AMC’s “Breaking Bad” and TNT’s “The Closer” and “The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice” uncovered 2 nominations.

The Academy was founded in 1972 to honor and recognize genre filmmaking. Over the years, the Academy has expanded their reach to include other film genres. The organization also honors television, and home entertainment. Robert Holguin presently serves as President of the 37 year old organization.

The organization has honored many leading visionaries in its’ history including: Gene Roddenberry, Rod Serling, Fritz Lang, Robert Wise, J.J. Abrams, Zach Snyder, Christopher Nolan, Bryan Singer, Ray Bradbury, Ray Harryhausen, James Cameron, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg.

The show will take place on June 25 at a site to be announced.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 35th ANNUAL SATURN AWARDS

Best Science Fiction Film
The Day the Earth Stood Still (20th Century Fox)
Eagle Eye (Paramount/DreamWorks)
The Incredible Hulk (Universal/Marvel)
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount/Lucasfilm)
Iron Man (Paramount/Marvel)
Jumper (20th Century Fox)

Best Fantasy Film
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Walt Disney Studios)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount)
Hancock (Sony)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount)
Twilight (Summit Entertainment)
Wanted (Universal)

Best Horror Film
The Happening (20th Century Fox)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Universal)
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Universal)
Quarantine (Sony)
Splinter (Magnolia/Magnet)
The Strangers (Rogue/Universal)

Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film
Changeling (Universal)
The Dark Knight (Warner Brothers)
Gran Torino (Warner Brothers)
Quantum of Solace (Sony)
Traitor (Overture)
Valkyrie (MGM/UA)

Best Actor
Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
Tom Cruise (Valkyrie, MGM/UA)
Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Paramount/Marvel)
Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount/Lucasfilm)
Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paramount)
Will Smith (Hancock, Sony)

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paramount)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
Angelina Jolie (Changeling, Universal)
Julianne Moore (Blindness, Miramax)
Emily Mortimer (Transsiberian, First Look Studios)
Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man, Paramount/Marvel)

Best Supporting Actor
Jeff Bridges (Iron Man, Paramount/Marvel)
Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
Woody Harrelson (Transsiberian, First Look Studios)
Shia LaBeouf (Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount/Lucasfilm)
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
Bill Nighy (Valkyrie, MGM/UA)

Best Supporting Actress
Joan Allen (Death Race, Universal)
Judi Dench (Quantum of Solace, Sony)
Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Sony)
Tilda Swinton (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paramount)
Charlize Theron (Hancock, Sony)
Carice Van Houten (Valkyrie, MGM/UA)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor
Freddie Highmore (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Paramount)
Lina Leandersson (Let the Right One In, Magnolia/Magnet)
Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, Fox Searchlight)
Jaden Christopher Smith (The Day the Earth Stood Still, 20th Century Fox)
Catinca Untaru (The Fall, Roadside Attractions)
Brandon Walters (Australia, 20th Century Fox)

Best Director
Clint Eastwood (Changeling, Universal)
Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Paramount/Marvel)
David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paramount)
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
Bryan Singer (Valkyrie, MGM/UA)
Steven Spielberg (Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount/Lucasfilm)
Andrew Stanton (Wall-E, Walt Disney Studios)

Best Writing
Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway (Iron Man, Paramount/Marvel)
David Koepp, John Kamps (Ghost Town, Paramount/DreamWorks)
John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let the Right One In, Magnolia/Magnet)
Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
Eric Roth (Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paramount)
J. Michael Straczynski (Changeling, Universal)

Best Music
Alexandre Desplat (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paramount)
Clint Eastwood (Changeling, Universal)
James Newton Howard (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
John Ottman (Valkyrie, MGM/UA)
John Powell (Jumper, 20th Century Fox)
Hans Zimmer (Iron Man, Paramount/Marvel)

Best Costume
Lindy Hemming (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
Deborah Hooper (Changeling, Universal)
Joanna Johnston (Valkyrie, MGM/UA)
Catherine Martin (Australia, 20th Century Fox)
Isis Mussenden (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Walt Disney Studios)
Mary Zophres (Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount/Lucasfilm)

Best Makeup
John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullian (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
Greg Cannom (Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paramount)
Mike Elizalde (Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Universal)
Paul Hyett (Doomsday, Universal)
Gregory Nicotero, Paul Engelen (Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Walt Disney Studios)
Gerald Quist (Tropic Thunder, Paramount/DreamWorks)

Best Special Effects
Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paramount)
Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber, Paul Franklin (The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers)
Pablo Helman, Dan Sudick (Indiana Jones & Kingdom of Crystal Skull, Paramount/Lucasfilm)
John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick, Shane Mahan (Iron Man, Paramount/Marvel)
Michael J. Wassel, Adrian De Wet, Andrew Chapman, Eamonn Butler (Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Universal)
Dean Wright, Wendy Rogers (Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Walt Disney Studios)

Best International Film
The Bank Job (Lionsgate)
Forbidden Kingdom (Lionsgate)
In Bruges (Focus)
Let the Right One In (Magnolia/Magnet)
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight)
Transsiberian (First Looks Studios)

Best Animated Film
Bolt (Walt Disney Studios)
Horton Hears a Who (20th Century Fox)
Kung Fu Panda (Paramount/DreamWorks)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (Paramount/DreamWorks)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Warner Brothers/Lucasfilm)
Wall-E (Walt Disney Studios)

Best Network Television Series
Fringe (Fox)
Heroes (NBC)
Life on Mars (ABC)
Lost (ABC)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)
Supernatural (CW)

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series
Battlestar Galactica (SCI FI)
The Closer (TNT)
Dexter (Showtime)
Leverage (TNT)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Cartoon Network)
True Blood (HBO)

Best Presentation on Television
24: Redemption (Fox)
The Andromeda Strain (A&E)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Jericho (CBS)
The Last Templar (NBC)
The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (TNT)

Best Actor in Television
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, AMC)
Matthew Fox (Lost, ABC)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Showtime)
Timothy Hutton (Leverage, TNT)
Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica, SCI FI)
Noah Wiley (The Librarian: The Curse of The Judas Chalice, TNT)

Best Actress in Television
Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Fox)
Jennifer Love Hewitt (The Ghost Whisperer, CBS)
Evangeline Lilly (Lost, ABC)
Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica, SCI FI)
Anna Paquin (True Blood, HBO)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer, TNT)
Anna Torv (Fringe, ABC)

Best Supporting Actor in Television
Henry Ian Cusick (Lost, ABC)
Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Fox)
Michael Emerson (Lost, ABC)
Josh Holloway (Lost, ABC)
Adrian Pasdar (Heroes, NBC)
Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes, NBC)

Best Supporting Actress in Television
Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter, Showtime)
Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Fox)
Yunjin Kim (Lost, ABC)
Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost, ABC)
Hayden Panettiere (Heroes, NBC)
Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, SCI FI)

Best Guest Starring Role in a Television Series
Kristen Bell (Heroes, NBC)
Alan Dale (Lost, ABC)
Kevin Durand (Lost, ABC)
Robert Forster (Heroes, NBC)
Jimmy Smits (Dexter, Showtime)
Sonya Walger (Lost, ABC)

Best DVD Release
Cold Prey (Anchor Bay)
The Deaths of Ian Stone (Lionsgate)
Jack Brooks Monster Slayer (Anchor Bay)
Resident Evil: Degeneration (Sony)
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (Sony)
Stuck (Image)

Best DVD Special Edition Release
Brotherhood of the Wolf (Director's Cut, Universal)
Dark City (The Director's Cut, New Line/Warner)
The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition, Warner)
L.A. Confidential (Two-Disc Special Edition, Warner)
Stephen King's The Mist (Two-Disc Collector's Edition, Genius)
Zodiac: The Director's Cut (Paramount)

Best DVD Classic Film Release
Casablanca (Ultimate Collector's Edition, Warner)
Heathers (20th High School Reunion Edition, Anchor Bay)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Walt Disney)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Warner)
Psycho (Universal Legacy Series, Universal)
Sleeping Beauty (Walt Disney)

Best DVD Collection
Abbott & Costello (Complete Universal Series Collection, Universal)
Dirty Harry (Ultimate Collector's Edition, Warner)
Ghost House Underground Eight Film Collection (Lionsgate)
The Godfather (The Coppola Restoration, Paramount)
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (20th Anniversary Edition, Shout Factory)
Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection (Blu Ray, Fox)

Best Television Series Release on DVD
Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series (BBC Warner)
Heroes: Season 2 (Universal)
Lost: The Complete Fourth Season (Walt Disney)
Moonlight: The Complete Series (Warner)
Reaper: Season One (Lionsgate)
Torchwood: Season 2 (BBC Warner)
The Tudors: The Complete Second Season(Paramount/Showtime)

Best Retro Television Series Release on DVD
Columbo: Mystery Movie Collection 1990 (Universal)
Early Edition: Season One (Paramount)
The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Series (Universal)
The Invaders: The First & Second Seasons (Paramount)
Mission Impossible: The Fourth & Fifth Seasons (Paramount)
Spaced: The Complete Series (BBC Warner)