Oscar voters lined up behind a classic studio blockbuster on Tuesday, giving 13 nominations to Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer,’ the most of any movie, and setting up the long-awaited coronation of Nolan as Hollywood’s leading filmmaker. It was a shift from recent years, when the academy fixated on unconventional art films unseen by most Americans.
Christopher Nolan’s latest hit ‘Oppenheimer’ has grabbed 13 nominations for Oscar 2024. This has marked the ever-deserving coronation of Nolan as Hollywood’ leading filmmaker. ‘Oppenheimer’ is a epic biographical thriller film which was released on November 22, 2023.
Christopher Nolan has never won the best picture and despite five nominations, the director has never won an Oscar. On Tuesday, Nolan earned his second directing nomination, the initial one being in 2018 for the intricate film “Dunkirk.” Additionally, he secured a nomination for his screenplay ‘Oppenheimer.’
The anticipation for recognition of “Oppenheimer” from Universal Pictures was met as expected. However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences brought surprises to other major categories.
Despite expectations, “Barbie” faced disappointments with no directing nomination for Greta Gerwig and no best actress nomination for Margot Robbie. On a positive note, “Barbie” (Warner Bros.) unexpectedly secured a spot in the supporting actress category, with America Ferrera earning her first nomination for her role as a stressed mother. The film received eight nominations overall, including best picture and the adapted screenplay by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach.
Colman Domingo’s lead performance in “Rustin” was acknowledged, portraying a brilliant yet flawed political organizer, while seven-time nominee and one-time winner Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) was excluded from the best actor race. In the supporting actor category, Sterling K. Brown received his first nomination for his role as a disruptive cosmetic surgeon in “American Fiction,” while Willem Dafoe (“Poor Things”) missed out on a nomination.
Here are the key points to note:
- “Poor Things,” a reimagining of the Frankenstein story from Searchlight Pictures, received the second-highest number of nominations, with a total of 11, including one for best picture.
- The best picture category included smaller, character-driven films like “American Fiction,” a satire on racial stereotypes; “Anatomy of a Fall,” a legal drama set in the French Alps; “The Holdovers,” a bittersweet period comedy at an American prep school; “Maestro,” a divisive black-and-white exploration of Leonard Bernstein’s personal life; “Past Lives,” a romance partly filmed in Korean; and “The Zone of Interest,” set during the Holocaust in the shadow of Auschwitz.
- “Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” rounded out the best picture category.
Best actor contenders included Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”), Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”), and Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”). - Best actress nominees were Annette Bening (“Nyad”), Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”), and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”).
- Best supporting actor nominees included Robert De Niro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”), Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”), and Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”).
- Best supporting actress nominees were Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”), Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Jodie Foster (“Nyad”), and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”).
- The best director category included French filmmaker Justine Triet for “Anatomy of a Fall,” along with Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Glazer, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Martin Scorsese.
- Disney received 20 nominations, the most from any company, while technology companies dominated, with Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon’s MGM division collecting several nods.
- The 96th Academy Awards will be broadcast on March 10, with hopes of increased viewership fueled by the popularity of “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie.”
After a challenging year for the movie industry due to strikes by writers and actors, ballots were cast from over 90 countries, and the Oscars will be broadcast on ABC. Last year’s Oscars saw improved viewership, reaching about 19 million, compared to the significantly lower 10.4 million for the pandemic-altered edition in 2021. The anticipation is that the success of “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” at the box office will contribute to higher viewership for this year’s telecast.