Comic-book adaptation leads Royal film in award stakes

Comic book adaptation Kick-Ass leads the field ahead of Oscar favourite The King’s Speech in the nomination stakes for this year’s Jameson Empire Awards.

Matthew Vaughn’s film, which starred Aaron Johnson as the comic-book fan turned self-made superhero, is nominated for six awards including Best Film and Best Director.

Also in the running for the Best Film award are futuristic thriller Inception, Facebook film The Social Network, The King’s Speech and another comic book adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

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The gongs will be given out at an event hosted by Irish comedian Dara O Briain at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on Sunday March 27.

He said: “It’s a great privilege to be presenting these awards for the third time and to be in the same room as so many enormously-talented filmmakers, to whom I can pass my script about an Irish comedian who solves murders.”

Best Actor nominations go to Johnson, Inception star Leonardo DiCaprio, James Franco for 127 Hours, Colin Firth for The King’s Speech and Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network.

The battle for Best Actress sees Black Swan star Natalie Portman up against Noomi Rapace for her role as Swedish hacker Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Olivia Williams in The Ghost, Harry Potter star Emma Watson and Helena Bonham Carter for her role as the Queen Mother alongside Firth. The King’s Speech got a total of five nominations and Inception picked up four, with The Social Network and 127 Hours getting three each.

King’s Speech director Tom Hooper will turn judge when he joins a panel to decide the country’s top amateur filmmaker.

Nominated films were chosen by readers of Empire Magazine.

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