Big-screen movies sweep post-pandemic Oscar nominations
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| New York
The multiverse-skipping sci-fi indie hit 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥 led nominations to the 95th Academy Awards as Hollywood heaped honors on big-screen spectacles like 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥 and 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water鈥 a year after a streaming service won best picture for the first time.
Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan鈥檚 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥 landed a leading 11 nominations on Tuesday, including nods for Michelle Yeoh and comeback kid Ke Huy Quan, the former child star of 鈥淚ndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.鈥 Released back in March, the A24 film has proved an unlikely Oscar heavyweight against the expectations of even its makers. Ms. Yeoh became the first Asian actor nominated for best actress.
The 10 movies up for best picture are: 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once,鈥 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin,鈥 鈥淭he Fabelmans,鈥 鈥淭谩r,鈥 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick,鈥 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water,鈥 鈥淓lvis,鈥 鈥淎ll Quiet on the Western Front,鈥 鈥淲omen Talking,鈥 and 鈥淭riangle of Sadness.鈥
Nominations were announced Tuesday from the academy鈥檚 Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams. If last year鈥檚 Oscars were dominated by streaming 鈥 Apple TV+鈥檚 鈥淐ODA鈥 won best picture and Netflix landed a leading 27 nominations 鈥 movies that drew moviegoers to multiplexes after two years of pandemic make up many of this year鈥檚 top contenders.
For the first time, two sequels 鈥 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥 and 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water鈥 鈥 were nominated for best picture. The two films together account for some $3.5 billion in box office sales. Tom Cruise missed out on an acting nomination, but 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥 鈥 often credited with bringing many moviegoers back to theaters 鈥 walked away with seven nominations, including best sound, best visual effects, and best song for Lada Gaga鈥檚 鈥淗old My Hand.鈥 Ryan Coogler鈥檚 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever,鈥 made in the wake of Chadwick Boseman鈥檚 death, also scored five nominations, including the first acting nod for a performance in a Marvel movie: Angela Bassett, the likely favorite to win best supporting actress.
Going by earlier guild nominations, Martin McDonagh鈥檚 Ireland-set dark comedy 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin鈥 may be the stiffest competition for 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥 at the Oscars. The Searchlight Pictures film landed nine nominations Tuesday, including nods for Mr. McDonagh鈥檚 directing and screenplay, and a quartet of acting nominations: Colin Farrell for best actor, Kerry Condon for best supporting actress, and both Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan for best supporting actor.
Baz Luhrmann鈥檚 bedazzled biopic 鈥淓lvis鈥 came away with eight nominations, including a best actor nod for star Austin Butler and nominations for its costumes, sound, and production design.
Though Steven Spielberg鈥檚 鈥淭he Fabelmans鈥 struggled to catch on with audiences, the director鈥檚 autobiographical coming-of-age tale landed Spielberg his 20th Oscar nomination and eighth nod for best-director. John Williams, his longtime composer, extended his record for the most Oscar nominations for a living person. Williams鈥 53rd nominations trails only Walt Disney鈥檚 59. 鈥淭he Fabelmans鈥 marks Spielberg鈥檚 12th nomination as a producer for best picture.
In the ultra-competitive best actress race, 鈥淔abelmans鈥 star Michelle Williams was nominated after being passed over by the Screen Actors Guild. The other nominees for best actress are: Ana de Armas, 鈥淏londe鈥; Cate Blanchett, 鈥淭谩r鈥; and Andrea Riseborough, who emerged as a late contender after celebrities rallied around her performance as an alcoholic West Texas mother in the little-seen 鈥淭o Leslie.鈥 Notably left out of the category were Viola Davis (鈥淲oman King鈥) and Danielle Deadwyler (鈥淭ill鈥).
Only one streaming title broke into the best picture field: the German WWI film 鈥淎ll Quiet on the Western Front.鈥 Though Netflix for the first time in years lacks a possible best picture frontrunner, 鈥淎ll Quiet on the Western Front鈥 landed a better-than-expected nine nominations. The streaming service also has the top animated film contender in 鈥淕uillermo del Toro鈥檚 Pinocchio,鈥 which was nominated for best animated feature.
The nominees for best actor are: Brendan Fraser, 鈥淭he Whale鈥; Colin Farrell, 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin鈥; Austin Butler, 鈥淓lvis鈥; Bill Nighy, 鈥淟iving鈥; and Paul Mescal, 鈥淎ftersun.鈥
The nominees for best supporting actress are: Ms. Bassett, 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever鈥; Hong Chau, 鈥淭he Whale鈥; Kerry Condon, 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin鈥; and Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu, both for 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once.鈥
The nominees for best supporting actor are Brian Tyree Henry, 鈥淐auseway鈥; Judd Hirsch, 鈥淭he Fabelmans鈥; Gleeson, 鈥淏anshees of Inisherin鈥; Barry Keoghan, 鈥淏anshees of Inisherin鈥; and Quan for 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once.鈥
The nominees for international film are: 鈥淎ll Quiet on the Western Front鈥 (Germany); 鈥淎rgentina, 1985鈥 (Argentina); 鈥淐lose鈥 (Belgium); 鈥淓O鈥 (Poland); and 鈥淭he Quiet Girl鈥 (Ireland).
The nominees for original screenplay are: 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥; 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin鈥; 鈥淭he Fabelmans鈥; 鈥淭谩r鈥; and 鈥淭riangle of Sadness.鈥
The nominees for best original score are: Volker Bertelmann, 鈥淎ll Quiet on the Western Front鈥; Justin Hurwitz, 鈥淏abylon鈥; Carter Burwell, 鈥淭he Banshees of Inisherin鈥; Son Lux, 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥; and John Williams, 鈥淭he Fabelmans.鈥
The nominees for best animated film are: 鈥淕uillermo del Toro鈥檚 Pinocchio,鈥 鈥淢arcel the Shell With Shoes On,鈥 鈥淧uss in Boots: The Last Wish,鈥 鈥淭he Sea Beast,鈥 and 鈥淭urning Red.鈥
Last year鈥檚 Oscars broadcast drew 15.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen, up 56% from the record-low audience of 10.5 million for the pandemic-marred 2021 telecast. This year, ABC is bringing back Jimmy Kimmel to host the March 12 ceremony, one that will surely be seen as a return to the site of the slap.
But larger concerns are swirling around the movie business. Last year saw flashes of triumphant resurrection for theaters, like the success of 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick,鈥 after two years of pandemic. But partially due to a less steady stream of major releases, ticket sales for the year recovered only about 70% of pre-pandemic business. Regal Cinemas, the nation鈥檚 second-largest chain, announced the closure of 39 cinemas this month.
At the same time, storm clouds swept into the streaming world after years of once-seemingly boundless growth. Stocks plunged as Wall Street looked to streaming services to earn profits, not just add subscribers. A retrenchment has followed, as the industry again enters an uncertain chapter.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.