In the wake of that struck at the heart of the movie industry, an embattled Hollywood lined up behind the Netflix narco-musical about trans identity BԪַEmilia PérezBԪַ in Thursday.
Jacques AudiardBԪַs BԪַEmilia Pérez,BԪַ a Spanish language, French-made film, dominated the nominations with a leading 13 nominations, including best picture and best actress for making her the first openly trans actor ever nominated for an Oscar. The film also landed nominations for directing, original screenplay, two of its songs and for Zoe Saldaña.
Netflix, despite its starring role in Hollywood, has never won best picture. Many of its top contenders have previously racked up large numbers of nominations (including BԪַMank,BԪַ BԪַThe IrishmanBԪַ and BԪַRomaBԪַ) but gone home with only a handful of trophies.
BԪַEmilia Pérez,BԪַ though, may be its best chance yet. It became the most nominated non-English language film ever, surpassing NetflixBԪַs own BԪַRoma,BԪַ which scored 10 nominations. Only three films BԪַ BԪַAll About Eve,BԪַ BԪַTitanicBԪַ and BԪַLa La LandBԪַ BԪַ have scored more nominations in Academy Awards history.
Another musical BԪַ BԪַWicked,BԪַ the smash Broadway adaptation BԪַ came away with nearly as many nominations. Jon M. ChuBԪַs lavish BԪַWizard of OzBԪַ riff scored 10 nominations, including best picture and acting nods for its stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
filmed in VistaVision, also came away with a commanding 10 nominations, including best picture, best director and nominations for actor Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones. The A24 release
The nominees for best picture are: BԪַAnoraBԪַ; BԪַThe BrutalistBԪַ; BԪַA Complete UnknownBԪַ; BԪַConclaveBԪַ; BԪַDune: Part TwoBԪַ; BԪַEmilia PérezBԪַ; BԪַIBԪַm Still Here.BԪַ; BԪַNickel BoysBԪַ; BԪַThe SubstanceBԪַ; BԪַWicked.BԪַ
In a wide-open Oscar race, the six most honored films BԪַ BԪַ BԪַEmilia Pérez,BԪַ BԪַWicked,BԪַ BԪַThe Brutalist,BԪַ BԪַAnoraBԪַ (six nominations) BԪַConclaveBԪַ (eight nominations) and BԪַA Complete UnknownBԪַ (eight nominations) BԪַ all fared as expected. The biggest surprises were the Brazilian film BԪַIBԪַm Still Here,BԪַ which also landed Fernanda Torres a best actress nomination, and RaMell RossBԪַ BԪַNickel Boys,BԪַ a POV-shot drama that had been overlooked by many guilds in earlier voting.
Those nominees likely displaced a few best-picture possibilities in BԪַSing Sing,BԪַ BԪַSeptember 5BԪַ and BԪַA Real Pain,BԪַ though those films all landed nominations elsewhere.
One of 2024BԪַs most audacious films, BԪַ landed a surprising pair of nominations, for Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. The film dramatizes the formative years of s emergence in New York real estate under the tutelage of attorney Roy Cohn. Trump has called those involved with the film BԪַhuman scum.BԪַ
In the best actor category, where Stan and Brody were nominated, the other nominees were Timothée Chalamet (BԪַA Complete UnknownBԪַ), Colman Domingo (BԪַSing SingBԪַ) and Ralph Fiennes (BԪַConclaveBԪַ). Most notably left out was Daniel Craig, acclaimed for his very un-James Bond performance in BԪַQueer.BԪַ
Best actress, a category that Demi Moore has appeared to have locked up for her full-bodied performance in BԪַThe Substance,BԪַ saw nominations for Moore, Gascón, Torres, Erivo and the star of BԪַAnora,BԪַ Mikey Madison. Arguably the yearBԪַs most competitive category, that left out Marianne Jean-Baptiste (BԪַHard TruthsBԪַ), Pamela Anderson, BԪַThe Last ShowgirlBԪַ), Nicole Kidman (BԪַBabygirlBԪַ) and Angelina Jolie (BԪַMariaBԪַ).
In the directing category, BԪַThe SubstanceBԪַ filmmaker Coralie Fargeat managed to crack into the otherwise all-male group of Sean Baker (BԪַAnoraBԪַ), Corbet, Audiard and James Mangold (BԪַA Complete UnknownBԪַ). Most had expected Edward Berger to be nominated for directing the papal thriller BԪַConclave.BԪַ
Supporting actor was led by Kieran Culkin, the favorite for the award, for his performance in BԪַA Real Pain.BԪַ The other nominees were: Yura Borisov (BԪַAnoraBԪַ), Guy Pearce (BԪַThe BrutalistBԪַ), Edward Norton (BԪַA Complete UnknownBԪַ) and Strong.
The supporting actress nominations went to Grande, Saldaña, Jones, Monica Barbaro (BԪַA Complete UnknownBԪַ) and Isabella Rossellini (BԪַConclaveBԪַ).
The nominations had originally been planned for Jan. 17. But after wildfires on Jan. 7 began burning through the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other areas around Los Angeles, leaving behind historic levels of destruction, the academy extended its voting window and twice postponed the nominations announcement. Fresh fires outside Los Angeles continued Thursday.
With so many in the film industry reeling from the fires, some called on the academy to cancel the Oscars altogether. Academy leaders have argued the March 2 ceremony must go ahead, for their economic impact on Los Angeles and as a symbol of resilience for the industry. Organizers have vowed this yearBԪַs awards will BԪַcelebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires.BԪַ
BԪַWe will reflect on the recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism that defines Los Angeles and our industry,BԪַ Bill Kramer, academy chief executive, and Yang said in an email to members Wednesday.
But much of the usual frothiness HollywoodBԪַs award season has been . The film academy canceled its annual nominees luncheon. Other events have been postponed or downsized. On Wednesday, Kramer and Yang said original song nominees wonBԪַt be performed this year. , whose Pacific Palisades home was spared by the fires, .
The Oscar nominations followed a up-and-down year for Hollywood that saw expansive post-strike delays, wide swaths of unemployed workers due to an industry-wide production slowdown and the tragedy of the California fires in January. Most humbling, perhaps, was the presidential election that returned Trump to office in a race where podcaster Joe Rogan seemed to hold more sway than all A-listers combined.
At the same time, even amidst a downturn for the superhero film, the industry rallied behind some galvanizing hits, including Universal PicturesBԪַ BԪַWicked,BԪַ and three Walt Disney Co. $1 billion grossers in BԪַInside Out 2,BԪַ BԪַDeadpool and WolverineBԪַ and BԪַMoana 2,BԪַ a film originally developed as a series for Disney+. Those films missed nominations Thursday, except for BԪַInside Out 2,BԪַ which joined the best animated nominees of BԪַThe Wild Robot,BԪַ BԪַFlow,BԪַ BԪַMemoir of a SnailBԪַ and BԪַWallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.BԪַBԪַ
That uncertain state of the movies seemed to be reflected in the Oscar nominations, which were spread across films both widely seen and little noticed, theatrically released and predominantly streaming.
But unlike last year, when Hollywood rallied around the success of BԪַOppenheimer,BԪַ the 2024 movie year offered up no clear frontrunner for the industryBԪַs top honor.
With five weeks to go until the Oscar ceremony, at least four or five movies BԪַ including BԪַThe Brutalist,BԪַ BԪַEmilia Pérez,BԪַ BԪַAnora,BԪַ BԪַConclaveBԪַ and BԪַWickedBԪַ BԪַ are seen having a shot at best picture.