Rogen, Hathaway, Jackman, Franco, Rudd Join the Academy

Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences extends invitations to 134 artists and movie execs to join its voting body

Seth Rogen and James Franco have taken the pineapple express to Oscar credibility.

As if expanding the Best Picture nominee pool and potentially nixing the Best Song category wasn't enough to modernize the usually staid Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, surely its welcoming of cinema's preeminent bong jokesters is.

Rogen and Franco are two of 134 new artists and movie industry executives who have been extended invitations to join the Academy and, in doing so, secure voting rights for all future Oscar ceremonies beginning in 2010.

The smokin' Pineapple Express duo are joined by fellow Judd Apatow repertory players Michael Cera, Paul Rudd and Jane Lynch, along with Casey Affleck, Viola Davis, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Taraji P. Henson, James McAvoy, Tyler Perry, Danny Boyle, Emile Hirsch, Michelle Williams, Amy Ryan, Slumdog soundtracker A.R. Rahman, Peter Gabriel, Tom Cruise's producing partner-in-crime, Paula Wagner, Milk man Dustin Lance Black and Mr. Oscar himself, Hugh Jackman.

"These filmmakers have, over the course of their careers, captured the imagination of audiences around the world," AMPAS head honcho Sid Ganis said in a statement. "It's this kind of talent and creativity that make up the Academy, and I welcome each of them to our ranks."

The new members, which keeps the Academy's voting membership to just under 6,000, will be welcomed at an invitation-only reception in Beverly Hills this September.

Here's the complete list of invitees:

ACTORS

Casey Affleck
Emily Blunt
Michael Cera
Viola Davis
James Franco
Brendan Gleeson
Anne Hathaway
Taraji P. Henson
Emile Hirsch
Hugh Jackman
Melissa Leo
Jane Lynch
Eddie Marsan
James McAvoy
Seth Rogen
Paul Rudd
Amy Ryan
Michael Shannon
Michelle Williams
Jeffrey Wright

ANIMATORS

J.J. Blumenkranz
Konstantin Bronzit
Kendal Cronkhite
Rodolphe Guenoden
Byron Howard
Kunio Kato
Doug Sweetland
Chris Williams

ART DIRECTOR

Andrew Ackland-Snow

AT-LARGE

Matthew D. Loeb
Redmond Morris

CASTING DIRECTORS

John Papsidera
Bernie Telsey

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Russ T. Alsobrook
Anthony Dod Mantle
Henner Hofmann
Claudio Miranda
Rodney Taylor
Mandy Walker

COSTUME DESIGNERS

Deborah Hopper
Louise Mingenbach
Michael O’Connor
Michael Wilkinson

DIRECTORS

Rachid Bouchareb
Danny Boyle
David Frankel
Rod Lurie
Thomas McCarthy
Tyler Perry
Henry Selick

DOCUMENTARY

William Gazecki
Rachel Grady
Rory Kennedy
Scott Hamilton Kennedy
James Marsh
Megan Mylan
Doug Pray

EXECUTIVES

Daniel D.A. Battsek
Steve Beeks
Graham W. Burke
Joe Drake
Erik Feig
Paul Hanneman
Donald P. Harris
Claudia Lewis

FILM EDITORS

Roger Barton
Hank Corwin
Chris Dickens
Elliot Graham
Kathryn Himoff
Leo Trombetta
Brent White
Pam Wise

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILMS

Reto Caffi
Jochen Alexander Freydank
F. Carter Pilcher

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLISTS

Howard Berger
Mike Elizalde
Louis Lazzara
Gerald Quist

MUSIC

Jeff Danna
Andrew Dorfman
Peter Gabriel
Clint Mansell
A.R. Rahman

PRODUCERS

Mark Ciardi
Christian Colson
Gordon Gray
Broderick Johnson
Cathy Konrad
Andrew Kosove
James Lassiter
Russell Smith
Paula Wagner

PRODUCTION DESIGNERS

Donald Graham Burt
Michael Carlin
Jane Ann Stewart
Kevin Thompson

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Michael D. Camp
Marc Cohen
Megan Colligan
James C. Gallagher
David Kaminow
Sal Ladestro
Maria Pekurovskaya
Elizabeth Petit

SET DECORATORS

Rebecca Alleway
Peter Lando
Barbara Munch-Cameron

SCENIC ARTIST

Robert Topol

SOUND

Michael Barry
Derek Casari
Aaron Glascock
Ren Klyce
Peter F. Kurland
Karen Baker Landers
Hamilton Sterling
Deborah Wallach
Kim Waugh

VISUAL EFFECTS

Christopher Bond
Matthew Butler
Chris Corbould
Rob Engle
Scott Gordon
Hal Hickel
Van Ling
Shane Mahan
Steve Preeg
Tim Webber
Edson Williams

WRITERS

John August
Dustin Lance Black
Courtney Hunt
Howard A. Rodman

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