Could this be the end of Oscar snubbing? Well, probably not. There will always be films people think didn’t get the recognition they deserved, but at least now there will be less of them. Academy Motion Picture Arts and Science President Sid Ganis said “After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year. The final outcome, of course, will be the same – one Best Picture winner – but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009.” I see no harm in including more films in the running. While it will make voting more difficult for the Academy, more films will get proper recognition rather than being pushed into other categories. Nominees will be announced on February 10th, 2010 and the Oscars will be presented on March 7th.

We know he can do Bond, but can Daniel Craig thrive in a psychological thriller? After seeing “The Invasion” I have my doubts, but working with a director like Jim Sheridan could give him a shot at success. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Morgan Creek is negotiating with Craig to play the lead role in “Dream House.” He’d play a man that moves into a new house with his family to find it’s being haunted by its former occupants who were murdered there.

Zac Efron backed out of “Footloose” in an attempt to break free of his teen singing and dancing image and he’s clearly determined to take his career in a completely different direction. Variety reports Efron has just joined the cast of Mandate Pictures’ untitled thriller. Leslie Dixon is writing the script but keeping plot details confidential.

Kevin Spacey will be in good company in “Invention.” The Hollywood Reporter says Craig Robinson, Heather Graham, Johnny Knoxville and Camilla Belle will all join Spacey in the film about a billionaire inventor (Spacey) who must endure eight years in prison after something goes seriously wrong with one of his inventions. After his release, he does all he can to rebuild his reputation, career and family. Robinson will play the defamed inventor’s wife’s new husband, Belle his daughter and Graham her lesbian roommate who catches Spacey’s eye. Knoxville will play a storeowner who hires the inventor after his release.

It had to happen at some point. We could see work progressing on a Facebook movie shortly. According to Variety, director David Fincher has expressed interest in the Columbia Pictures film called ‘The Social Network.” The main character will be something we all know much too well, Facebook. It’ll take a look at the site’s creation by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg and how it became a haven for over 200 million people. Production is expected to begin this year.

We know anything Greg Berlanti touches turns to gold when it comes to TV, but can he have the same effect on a film? Berlanti has worked on some of my favorite TV shows including “Everwood” and “Brothers and Sisters” and now he’s moving on to the dramatic feature “Life As We Know It.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, Katherine Heigle will join him as one of the film’s lead characters, one of two single people who agree to take care of a young girl when her parents are killed in an accident. The project is expected to be fast-tracked.

Considering I didn’t love the full trailer for “Halloween II,” I’m surprised to be impressed by the new poster. I can’t tell what creeps me out more, the giant knife in Michael’s right hand or what he’s got in the left. We’ll see which of the two most accurately represents the horror flick when it hits theaters on August 28th.

James Cameron unveiled some of his $300 million baby at the Cinema Expo in Amsterdam. The Hollywood Reporter says Cameron introduced a 24-minute montage, much of which came from the first third of the film. Sam Worthington plays the titular character, an avatar. He’s a remote-controlled character created by molding his crippled human form into a super-human being. Cameron says the film is packed with action especially in the final portions of the film. According to Marketsaw, “The consensus of those chosen ones who filled the seats of the RAI Auditorium for the Avatar presentation is that they witnessed something historic … Awe is the second major reaction.”

“District 9” better be as good as its advertising campaign. Not only did I love the film’s full trailer, but every image and video promoting the film has been immensely pleasurable to see. My favorite is still the ‘Support Non-Human Rights’ poster, but these new viral videos are pretty clever. Watch these two videos and be sure to check out the film’s official website which has a ton of fun material