“The Dark Knight,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Iron Man” will face off for the title of favorite movie of the year Jan. 7 at the 35th annual People’s Choice Awards, hosted by Queen Latifah.
The annual popularity contest will be broadcast by CBS from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Marking its own 35th anniversary, People magazine is teaming with People’s Choice to present the first People’s Choice Award for favorite star under 35. Fans can vote at PCAvote.com, logging their choices in all the film, TV and music categories.
Bruce Gowers is directing the special, produced by Procter & Gamble Prods. and executive producer Carol Donovan.
In addition to the favorite movie award, the People’s Choice includes five other film categories. The three favorite movie nominees also will vie in the action movie category.
Nominated for favorite family movie are “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “WALL-E.” Duking it out for favorite movie comedy are “27 Dresses,” “Get Smart” and “Mamma Mia!” The drama lineup consists of “21,” “Eagle Eye” and “The Secret Life of Bees.” “Bees” also is nominated for favorite independent movie along with “The Duchess” and “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.”
In the TV categories, the drama field consists of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “House.” Vying for top comedy series honors are “Two and a Half Men,” “Ugly Betty” and “Samantha Who?”
Patrick Dempsey (“Grey’s”), “House” star Hugh Laurie and Charlie Sheen (“Two and a Half Men”) are up for favorite male TV star, while “Samantha Who?” lead Christina Applegate will vie with Sally Field of “Brothers and Sisters” and Mariska Hargitay of “Law & Order: SVU” for female TV star honors.
On the film side, the People’s Choice offers up nine acting categories.
Competing for favorite casts are “Dark Knight,” “Mamma Mia!” and “Sex and the City.” The favorite onscreen matchup contest makes for a disparate mix: Christian Bale and Heath Ledger in “Dark Knight,” Tina Fey and Amy Poehler of “Baby Mama” and Harrison Ford and Shia LaBeouf in “Crystal Skull.”
Bale also will compete for best leading man against Brad Pitt and Mark Wahlberg and for favorite action star against Robert Downey Jr. and Will Smith. The action star trio reprise their noms in the favorite superhero category. Downey and Smith also are nominated for favorite male movie star along with Ford.
The nominees for favorite female movie star are Angelina Jolie, Keira Knightley and Reese Witherspoon; favorite leading lady noms are Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson and Queen Latifah; and favorite female action star pits Cate Blanchett against Hathaway and Jolie.
