'Chicago' wins producers' award
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With its Producers' Guild and Directors' Guild awards, "Chicago" is the odds-on favorite to dominate the Oscars.
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LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- "Chicago" picked up its second major film industry award in two days Sunday night, firmly establishing itself as the movie to beat in the race for the Oscars later this month.
The hit musical about high-kicking homicidal showgirls was named the best picture of the year by the Producers Guild of America just a night after the Directors Guild of America selected its director, first time film maker Rob Marshall, as its director of the year.
With producers and directors united, "Chicago," which has 13 Oscar nominations and which has grossed over $100 million, now has front-runner status in the fight for the Academy Awards on March 23.
The two weekend awards, which surprised some but confirmed the expectations of many others, appeared to end a short-lived boomlet for Roman Polanski's searing Holocaust-survival drama "The Pianist," which in late February snatched the top film honors offered by Britain and France.
Other films vying for best picture are "The Hours," "Gangs of New York" and "The Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers."
The next test for the five films nominated comes next Sunday when the Screen Actors Guild gives out its awards, especially the award for best ensemble cast.
Both the Producers Guild and Directors Guild awards have been reliable, if not perfect, indicators of who wins what at the Oscars. Nine of the 13 PGA winners went on to win best picture at the Oscars while 49 of 54 DGA winners went on to win best directing Oscars.
