Jennifer Lawrence Trades the Bow & Arrow for a Shotgun in "Joy" Trailer

Love them or hate them, Jennifer Lawrence and David O.Russell are back for their third collaboration. After the success of "Silver Linings Playbook" (which won Lawrence the Oscar for Best Actress) and "American Hustle" (which almost won Lawrence the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress), it would only make sense the two would pair up again. This time, O.Russell has cast Lawrence as Joy Mangano (otherwise known as the inventor of the Miracle Mop) and cast her alongside past co-stars Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.

Based on her success with not only the Academy, but box office wise, it would be foolish to bet against Lawrence's Oscar chances. Though the trailer is light on dialogue, it would seem there's a lot for the actress to sink her teeth into. I'm sure Lawrence will also find a way to put her signature quirky spin on the character as she's done with past O.Russell creations.

While I think Best Actress is too crowded this year for the usual favorite to sneak in, the fact she has one more "Hunger Games" film being released a month before this film may pole vault her into the awards race. It's still too early to tell, but you can make your mind up about the film's teaser, which you can watch below.

"Joy" will be released in theaters everywhere Christmas Day.

"Birdman" Poised to Win Best Picture

In what must be the most unexpected surge towards Best Picture in recent history, director Alejandro González Iñárritu picked up the big win at last night's DGA awards, fresh off of his film's wins with the PGA and SAG a few weeks ago. Though it certainly seemed like this would b Richard Linklater's trophy to lose, "Birdman" has solidified itself as the film to beat for the top prize with the Oscars in a few weeks.

"American Sniper" and "Selma": The Problem No One is Talking About

It seems all anyone has been talking about for the past week is Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper". I have to admit, I did not take it seriously as a contender until the very last minute, when it nabbed critical DGA and PGA nominations over "Selma". The film's late release date, and the middling reception kept it from truly registering on my radar. But the Academy had different ideas about the film; they bestowed it with 6 nominations, including surprising ones for Bradley Cooper and the film's screenplay.

I've already talked about how sickening it was on the Academy's part to not only heap such praise onto the film, but at the expense of other (better) films such as Selma, or even "Gone Girl" and "Nightcrawler". Even more disappointing, and sickening, is that not one person of color was nominated in a major category, and to make it worse, none of the nominees outside of the actress categories are women. But all that aside, what's truly the most problematic thing about this whole thing, is American Sniper's existence in the first place.

Natalie Portman's "Jane Got A Gun FINALLY Has a Release Date

It's been a long time since we've seen Natalie Portman challenge herself as an actress. After delivering the performance of a lifetime in the smash-hit "Black Swan" (and winning an Oscar for Best Actress in the process), Portman took some (much) needed time off after she announced she was pregnant with her first child. The Oscar win inspired interest in projects she had filmed prior to Black Swan's release, but were never put out to the public. Following Black Swan's success, "No Strings Attached", "Thor" "The Other Woman" and "Your Highness" were released all in 2011 right as she began her hiatus.

After giving birth, Portman (contractually) appeared in "Thor 2", while filming her directorial debut (entitled "A Tale of Love and Darkness in which she plays the protagonist's mother as well) and 2 yet-to-be-seen Terrence Malick films. Though she's been a busy bee,  it's been awhile since we've actually seen a compelling Natalie Portman performance.

New Images from "Serena" starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

After the success of David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook", it was announced that Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence would team up (again) as the leads in Susanne Bier's "Serena".

The film is based on the novel of the same name, set in a depression era North Carolina. George Pemberton (Cooper) is struggling to manage his business while learning his wife Serena (Lawrence) cannot bear children.

The film was supposed to be released last year. A few pundits had predicted that come Oscar time, Lawrence would be a double-nominee (a Leading nomination for Serena and a Supporting nomination for American Hustle), but alas, the film was never released. It was reported that apparently several people involved with the making of the film didn't want it released (for reasons unknown) which is weird because of Lawrence's hot popularity at the moment and the overall success of Silver Linings Playbook.

Screen Actors Guild Award Predictions: Big Night for American Hustle?

The cast of American Hustle looks poised to con the award for Best Ensemble. 

The Screen Actors Guild is one of the most important precursor awards to have behind you or the film your in; the actors are the largest voting body in the Academy, and though SAG is significantly smaller than the AMPAS voting actors, it's very telling of which performances could win at the Oscars.

Unlike the Globes, the SAG awards take place before voting, so they have the power to influence voters. The Academy likes voting for winners, and a winner who can deliver a great speech is like catnip to them.

However, winners at SAG haven't always gone on to win the Oscar; Viola Davis not only won the Leading Actress award, but a shared award with the ensemble of The Help. Sadly, none of this was enough to conquer Meryl Streep, who went on to win her 3rd Oscar for The Iron Lady. Streep's Oscar narrative was just too strong I suppose.

So if you win the SAG award, its not set in stone that you will win an Oscar, just like being nominated does not guarantee you an Oscar nomination (.... Helen Mirren and Emma Thompson anyone?).

So where does that bring us in terms of this year? 12 Years A Slave will face off with American Hustle (Gravity has one nomination in Sandra Bullock, in no fault of its own as the cast is made up of her and George Clooney) for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Lawrence vs. Lupita Nyong'o) and the Ensemble award (SAG's equivalent to Best Picture). Lawrence won the Globe, but Nyong'o just won the Broadcast Critics' Award, which tends to line up with Oscar more often than not, so the edge is with Nyong'o on this one. But American Hustle's starry cast is almost irresistible, and the acting is really the movie's only true strength.

Expect Hustle to take the Ensemble award, it's almost stupid to bet otherwise. If there were more support for Lee Daniels': The Butler or August: Osage County, they could surprise and win it, but those ensembles are just lucky to be there honestly. I suppose 12 Years A Slave could upset... it did land more nominations than American Hustle did, but the popularity of American Hustle is just too hard to ignore.

But this will not be the end of the Best Picture race... that will come with the announcement of the PGA, on Sunday.

Read my official predictions below:

American Hustle: A Entertaining Mess

Amy Adams & Bradley Cooper strut their stuff in O.Russel's wild caper. 

"Some of this actually happened" David O. Russel tells us at the very beginning of American Hustle before leading into a long take of Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) fixing his, as Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) describes it, "elaborate" comb over. And boy, is it elaborate. But what we'll come to know through Irving's comb over is that he's just as elaborate; not what he seems at all, and consisting of many layers. He's a con man, but he has to be to survive.

And that's what the film is truly about; At the center of American Hustle's loud, obnoxious and zany retelling of the FBI led ABSAM scandal of the 70's, is a survival story.

First American Hustle Screenings: Jennifer Lawrence is on Track for Oscar nomination #3

That's right! The biggest question mark in this year's Oscar race has finally been unveiled. Kris Tapley of incontention.com reports that after many test screenings and editing sessions, Sony Pictures held a screening of the film for various press members, among them are SAG members who will be voting on this year's nominations in just a few weeks.