Russell Brand, Beyoncé invited to join AMPAS

Russell Brand, Beyoncé and Bradley Cooper are amongst the 178 film industry experts who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The trio were notable entries on a list that also included Juno pair Ellen Page and Jennifer Garner, Black Swan star Mila Kunis, Gerard Butler and The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg.

Despite mainly approaching younger famous faces, the Academy also extended invites to veteran actors such as Robbie Coltrane, David Duchovny and Tea Leoni.

Restrepo co-director Tim Hetherington, who was killed filming conflict in Libya back in April, also received the AMPAS's first posthumous invitation.

The 178 performers and filmmakers were selected to join the AMPAS after the group's committee deemed their bodies of work worthy of membership. New members will now be eligible to vote in next year's Academy Awards.

The Academy voted earlier this week to change the nominations procedure for the' 'Best Picture' Oscar, choosing to allow between five and ten films to contest the prize from 2012.