"The Revenant," a harrowing survival thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a 19th century fur trapper, topped the Oscars nominations list Thursday with 12 nods, including for best picture, actor and director.

In second place was dystopian action film "Mad Max: Fury Road," with 10 nominations, followed by space blockbuster "The Martian," about an astronaut stranded on the Red Planet, with seven.

Veteran British actor Alan Rickman, a master of playing menacing screen villains, has died at the age of 69 after suffering from cancer, his family said Thursday.

The Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning film, television and theater star possessed a rich, smooth voice and brooding delivery that helped make him a sex symbol as well as an archetypal "baddie" actor.

Hollywood was waiting with bated breath for the unveiling early Thursday of the list of nominees for this year's Oscars, with "The Revenant," "The Martian," "Spotlight" and "Carol" among the strong contenders.

Industry watchers have been hard-pressed this year to predict which movies and actors will be headed for glory at the Academy Awards on February 28 -- the pinnacle of Tinseltown's awards season -- and many are betting on some surprises.

David Bowie's music has returned to stage after his death, with stars including Madonna and Elton John dedicating emotional tributes to the legend -- by singing his songs.

The British rock legend's death on Sunday at age 69 after an undisclosed battle with cancer has triggered an outpouring of grief from fans and leading artists, many of whom cite him as a towering influence.

Mexico's Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Britain's Ridley Scott on Tuesday topped the list of nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) award -- a strong indicator of Oscar hopes.

Inarritu was nominated for revenge thriller "The Revenant" and Scott for space hit "The Martian," about an astronaut stranded on Mars -- two films seen as top contenders for Academy Awards glory on February 28.

David Bowie's death has plunged fans around the world into grief, but his music lives on -- not only on Earth but in space.

For astronauts and ordinary people who gaze into the mystery of the sky, Bowie was one of their own, fascinated by the possibilities of the universe.

Music legend David Bowie was famously private during his lifetime but also in his death, with a string of questions about the circumstances of his passing still unanswered Tuesday.

News of his death at the age of 69 was announced in a brief posting early Monday on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts, with a request for privacy for his grieving family.  

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch will marry actress and former supermodel Jerry Hall, the couple announced in British newspaper The Times on Tuesday, after a four-month romance.

The couple got engaged over the weekend in Los Angeles, where they attended the 73rd Golden Globes awards gala -- although Hall was not pictured sporting a ring on the red carpet.

Leonardo DiCaprio has taken a leap forward in his quest for his first Oscar, with a Golden Globes win for his intense performance as a 19th century fur trapper in "The Revenant."

All eyes in Hollywood are now on the Oscar nominations, to be announced on Thursday, to see if the "Titanic" star scores his fifth nomination for an acting role as widely expected.

From his birthplace in London to his adopted home in New York, David Bowie fans around the world gathered Monday to mourn a star who many said had shaped their lives.

A crowd of more than 2,000 people spent the evening to the colorful south London district of Brixton where he was born -- some clutching beers, others wearing Bowie t-shirts -- to lay flowers beneath a giant mural of his face.