Los Angeles, CA – DGA President Michael Apted today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2007.

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
There Will Be Blood

JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN
No Country For Old Men

TONY GILROY
Michael Clayton

SEAN PENN
Into The Wild

JULIAN SCHNABEL
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

I told you! I said before: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly will be big.
But the race is now between “No Country” and “There will be Blood”. I’m rooting for “There Will Be Blood” for Best Picture and The Coens for Best Director.

What else did we learn?

“Sweeney Todd” is dead.
It was dead when excluded bt the BAFTA’s long-list. It’s now a corpse.
“American Gangster” is dead. GOOD! Mediocre movie with an over-eager producer.
“Juno” is dead.
(At least in the Best Picture race. It’ll walk away with best original screenplay trophy, thus killing Diablo Cody’s career, and an acting nomination for Ellen Page. And that’s it).
“Atonement” is almost dead. I still see it as a best picture nominee (without a director nod), and the clear winner of the costume and set designs, with possible wins for original score.