Tom Hanks Nominated for Three ‘Razzies’

Tom Hanks was short-listed by the tongue-in-cheek Razzies for his roles as Gepetto in Disney's 'Pinocchio' remake, and in 'Elvis' as the star's manager © ANGELA WEISS / AFP/File
Tom Hanks was short-listed by the tongue-in-cheek Razzies for his roles as Gepetto in Disney's 'Pinocchio' remake, and in 'Elvis' as the star's manager © ANGELA WEISS / AFP/File
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Tom Hanks Nominated for Three ‘Razzies’

Tom Hanks was short-listed by the tongue-in-cheek Razzies for his roles as Gepetto in Disney's 'Pinocchio' remake, and in 'Elvis' as the star's manager © ANGELA WEISS / AFP/File
Tom Hanks was short-listed by the tongue-in-cheek Razzies for his roles as Gepetto in Disney's 'Pinocchio' remake, and in 'Elvis' as the star's manager © ANGELA WEISS / AFP/File

His recent hit film "Elvis" is an Oscars frontrunner, but Tom Hanks was left all shook up Monday as he earned three nominations from the Razzies, which "celebrate" the year's worst films.

Hanks was short-listed by the tongue-in-cheek awards for his roles as Presley's manager in rock 'n' roll biopic "Elvis," and Geppetto in Disney's critically slated live-action "Pinocchio" remake.

A press release from organizers of the Razzies dubbed Hanks' "Elvis" role as "2022's most widely derided performance," and piled on a further nomination for "worst screen couple" to "Tom Hanks & His Latex-Laden Face (and Ludicrous Accent)."

While "Elvis" and its star Austin Butler have generally received acclaim, Hanks' appearance as his exploitative manager Colonel Tom Parker was panned by many critics.

A New York Times review said Hanks appears "with a mountain of prosthetic goo, a bizarre accent and a yes-it's-really-me twinkle in his eyes," and portrays Parker as "part small-time grifter, part full-blown Mephistopheles."

"Disney's Pinocchio" was among five "worst picture" nominees for the annual Golden Raspberry -- or Razzie -- awards, as was the controversial Marilyn Monroe biopic "Blonde."

Also in the running were regular Razzies punching bag Jared Leto, and his Spider-Man spinoff "Morbius."

Just last year, Leto was named worst supporting actor for his flamboyant performance -- complete with a campy Italian accent and heavy prosthetics -- in "House of Gucci."

The Razzies are usually announced the day before the Oscars, serving to mock the following night's self-congratulatory Tinseltown back-slapping, AFP reported.

But last year, the Razzies themselves were left embarrassed, after jokingly creating a new category labelled "Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie" to accommodate all of the former "Die Hard" star's questionable output.

Organizers rescinded the prize after his family revealed Willis suffered from a cognitive illness called aphasia.

Nominations for this year's Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday.



Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Aya Nakamura: Set for Olympics Opening Ceremony?

Lady Gaga said she was recording a new album. Tolga Akmen / AFP/File
Lady Gaga said she was recording a new album. Tolga Akmen / AFP/File
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Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Aya Nakamura: Set for Olympics Opening Ceremony?

Lady Gaga said she was recording a new album. Tolga Akmen / AFP/File
Lady Gaga said she was recording a new album. Tolga Akmen / AFP/File

World-famous stars are in line to perform at Friday's opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, which will take place along the Seine river.
The exact line-up is a tightly guarded secret, but here are three performers strongly rumored to be appearing:
Lady Gaga
One of the world's biggest-selling artists, pop queen Lady Gaga -- real name Stefani Germanotta -- brings extravagant showmanship and costumes to the stage, along with her infectious electropop beats.
She won an Oscar for "Shallow", a song she co-wrote for the 2018 film remake "A Star is Born".
In that film she sang the classic "La Vie en rose" by French legend Edith Piaf -- whose songs are expected to feature in the Olympics extravaganza.
Lady Gaga was seen arriving at a hotel in the French capital days ahead of the opening bash.
Her anticipated Olympic turn comes during a busy year for the Oscar-winning US songwriter, 38.
Earlier this month she announced she was back in the studio at work on a new album.
She also appears as love-interest Harley Quinn in the new "Joker" movie, screening at the Venice Film Festival that starts in late August.
"Music is one of the most powerful things the world has to offer," she said prior to her electrifying 2017 Super Bowl halftime show performance.
"No matter what race or religion or nationality or sexual orientation or gender that you are, it has the power to unite us."
Celine Dion
Canadian superstar singer Dion is set to return to the spotlight after her fight against a rare illness was laid bare in a recent documentary.
She has been posing for selfies with fans around Paris since the start of the week.
Sources have indicated she may sing Piaf's stirring love anthem "Hymne A l'Amour" at the ceremony.
If she performs it will be the 56-year-old Dion's second time at the Games, after the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Last month she vowed she would fight her way back from the debilitating rare neurological condition that has kept her off stage.
Dion first disclosed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disorder.
But she told US network NBC in June: "I'm going to go back onstage, even if I have to crawl. Even if I have to talk with my hands, I will. I will."
She has sold more than 250 million albums during a career spanning decades, and picked up two Grammys for her rendition of "My Heart Will Go On", the hit song from the 1997 epic "Titanic".
Aya Nakamura
Franco-Malian R&B superstar Aya Nakamura, 29, is the most listened to French-speaking singer in the world, with seven billion streams online.
She is known for hits such as "Djadja", which has close to a billion streams on YouTube alone, and "Pookie".
She faced down a wave of abuse from right-wing activists over her mooted Olympics appearance.
The backlash came after media reports suggested she had discussed performing a song by Piaf at a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.
Neither party confirmed the claim but Macron publicly backed the singer for the Olympics ceremony.
Far-right politicians and conservatives have accused her of "vulgarity" and disrespecting the French language in her lyrics.
Born Aya Danioko in the Malian capital Bamako in 1995 into a family of traditional musicians, she moved with her parents to the Paris suburbs as a child.
She told AFP in an interview in 2020 her music was about "feelings of love in all their aspects".
"I have made my own musical universe and that is what I am most proud of. I make the music I like, even if people try to pigeon-hole me."