ACADEMY INVITES ECLECTIC GROUP OF 115 TO JOIN RANKS (VAR, THR, ENV)

By Nancy Vialatte

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has extended an invitation to 115 artists and execs to join its ranks. Among the big names are recent Oscar winners and nominees Jennifer Hudson, Ryan Gosling, Jackie Earle Haley, Eddie Murphy and Paul Greengrass.

Variety notes that this marks the fourth year the org has gone public with its list of invitees.

The writers branch offered spots to Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, William Monahan and Michael Arndt. While others making the cut include actors Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Steve Carell, Daniel Craig, Aaron Eckhart and Chiwetel Ejiofor; producers Agustin Almodovar, Jonathan Glickman and Jane Rosenthal; directors Peter Berg, D.J. Caruso and Simon West; composers Carter Burwell, Alexandre Desplat, Javier Navarrete and Gustavo Santaolalla; animators Sharon Calahan and Torill Kove; and docu filmmakers Steve James, James Longley and Brett Morgen.

The Hollywood Reporter quotes Acad president Sid Ganis who said, "These individuals are all exceptionally accomplished in their respective fields. We're looking forward to having them join the Academy's ranks."

The membership policies that the Academy adopted four years ago in order to slow the growth of the organization would have allowed a maximum of nearly 150 new members in 2007, but as in the previous three years, the branch committees endorsed far fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members for four years. (THR)

"The numbers are stabilizing nicely, but at the same time some interesting changes are occurring," Academy executive director Bruce Davis said. "Like the recent lists of Oscar nominees, our last few membership invitation lists have been increasingly international." (THR)

New members will be welcomed at a September ceremony at the Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills.