In 2011, Woody Allen earned a revival in relevance and praise thanks to his nostalgic romance Midnight in Paris, which not only earned Allen a Best Director Oscar nod and a win for Best Original Screenplay, but also made a whopping $150 million worldwide. His follow-up, To Rome With Love, was not too warmly received by critics (okay, they hated it), but it still made an impressive $73 million worldwide.

Last year's surprise Woody Allen hit Midnight in Paris paid tribute to all kinds of great authors and artists from the 20th century, with many of them-- like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald-- making hilarious appearances in the flesh. William Faulkner, another contemporary of those times, didn't appear in person but was quoted by Owen Wilson's lead character

We'll have a full report on this weekend's box office later today, but it seems worth highlighting the limited release-- especially the fact that Woody Allen, so late in his career, has hit yet another one out of the park. Last year's Midnight in Paris was the highest-grossing film of Allen's career

Woody Allen is, in a word, a legend. Since 1966 he has made more than 40 films, some of them considered among the greatest of all time, including Annie Hall and Hannah and Her Sisters. But how Allen look back on those great titles? With disappointment.

While Woody Allen is famously known as one of the quint-essential New York directors, he hasn't filmed a movie in the United States in nearly a decade. In 2004 he made Melinda and Melinda in NYC, but since then it's been all about Europe, making movies like Vicky Christina Barcelona, Match Point, Midnight and Paris, and the upcoming To Rome With Love in locals like Spain, England, France and Italy.

Michael Emerson has had a pretty seamlessly successful career on television, going from an Emmy win for his guest role on The Practice to his unforgettable role as Ben Linus on Lost to a starring role now on Person of Interest

Even if you don't know Bobby Cannavale by name, you've undoubtedly seen him steal a scene. The character actor and Broadway veteran, with a loud voice and a brash attitude, has done stints on TV shows like Nurse Jackie, Will & Grace and Six Feet Under, and popped up in supporting roles

Allen has approached the Happy-Go-Lucky star to take on one of the untitled feature's two female leads. Word has it Cate Blanchett is being considered for the other. Should she sign on, Hawkins will be playing a spirited but neurotic woman described as "rough around the edges," while Blanchett is being eyed for a more sophisticated lady, whose life is more enviable at the outset. Also said to be circling is Bradley Cooper, who seems poised to join the sure-to-be star-studded ensemble.

Woody Allen's been spending a lot of time shooting his movies in Europe lately, and a lot of them have turned out to be the best of his career-- Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris all got substantial critical love and awards attention

Armed with an ensemble cast that includes Jesse Eisenberg, Alec Baldwin, Penelope Cruz, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Alison Pill, Roberto Benigni, Judy Davis and Allen himself, To Rome With Love follows a group of people - some Italian, some not - as they experience adventure and romance in the Italian capital.

You can see virtually everyone from Allen’s cast, including the director himself both in front of and behind the lens. The film stars Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penélope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page. Like most of Allen’s latest features, it showcases a new European city as the backdrop for an ensemble dra-medy. The movie is currently in post-production and will arrive in theaters on June 22.

Woody Allen's writing and directing career may still be flourishing, but he's been absent from the acting game for quite a while now. While the filmmaker used to star in almost all of his own films, Allen hasn't been in a movie since 2006's Scoop and the last time he had a credited role in another director's work was 2000's Picking Up The Pieces (which was made by Alfonso Arau).

Allen’s writing is every bit as charming and funny as the other light-hearted Best Picture contender, The Artist, but most importantly, MiP is a smart comedy that actually has something significant to say about tour collective problem with viewing the past through rose colored glasses

Of all the things associated with Woody Allen, Hip-Hop isn't usually one of them. While the auteur has tackled a myriad of subjects and themes, African-American culture hasn't really been explored through his his Jewish neurotic worldview. However, that doesn't mean his latest romp, and multiple Academy Award nominee, Midnight in Paris isn't well suited for an 'urban' appropriating.

So what do we know about Nero Fiddled? It stars a typically random but intriguing collection of stars, among them Jesse Eisenberg (seemingly tailor-made to play an Allen surrogate in a film), Ellen Page, Alec Baldwin, Greta Gerwig, Penelope Cruz (who won an Oscar for Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, you might remember), and Roberto Benigni