THE ACADEMY ANNOUNCES ITS LIST OF NEW VOTERS

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

–news.