Physicist biopic Oppenheimer lead the way with 13 nominations for the forthcoming Oscars and while Barbie, the biggest grossing film of the year, had eight, there were notable omissions for its star and director.
As expected, Oppenheimer scored the most nominations. Recognition for the film about theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, which was a critical and box office success, included nominations for Christopher Nolan in the best director category and star Cillian Murphy for best actor. Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr also received nominations in the supporting actor categories.
But there was surprise as there were no nominations for Barbie’s director, Greta Gerwig, or star, Margot Robbie, in the main best director and best actress categories, given that Barbie was the biggest grossing film of 2023, bringing in $1.44 billion at the box office. Although Robbie was noted as a producer in Barbie’s nomination for best picture and Gerwig is nominated in the best adapted screenplay category.
However, there were nominations for actors in Barbie in the best supporting actress and actor categories for America Ferrera and Ryan Gosling respectively. Meanwhile, ‘I’m Just Ken’, which Gosling sings in the movie, is up for best original song, as is Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I Made For?’.
Indeed, Barbie only got the fourth highest number of nominations. Poor Things, a film set in Victorian London about a young woman who was brought back from the dead but with a child’s mind, and her subsequent journey of discovery, received 11 nominations.
Meanwhile, Killers of the Flower Moon received 10 nominations. Directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, the film, set in the 1920s, focuses on the murders of members of the Osage Nation after oil was discovered on land they owned, and a corrupt local politician’s bid to steal their wealth.
Two of its stars had notable nominations. Lily Gladstone became the first person of Native American heritage to be nominated, while Robert De Niro set a new record for the longest time between a first and most recent nomination – 49 years, beating Catherine Hepburn’s previous record of 48.
You can find out who takes home the famous golden statues when the ceremony takes place on March 10. Jimmy Kimmel is on hosting duties this year.
