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'Oppenheimer' Poised To Dominate The Oscars
Cillian Murphy in "Oppenheimer."
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Universal
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Topline:
The 96th annual Academy Awards are Sunday, March 10, and Oppenheimer is the favorite to win not only Best Picture but also most of the 13 Oscars for which the Christopher Nolan film is nominated.
Why it matters: Oppenheimer would be the most successful film to win Best Picture since 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Twenty years ago, the third film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy grossed $379 million domestically and almost $1.2 billion worldwide. By comparison, Oppenheimer has racked up $329 million at the U.S. box office and $957.7 million globally. Interest in Oppenheimer, director and writer Christopher Nolan, as well as other popular films this year, including Barbie, Poor Things, and The Holdovers, could draw more viewers to Sunday night’s Oscar telecast on ABC, which has suffered years of declining ratings.
Races to watch: Although Oppenheimer is the runaway favorite to win Best Picture, (The Ankler’s Gregg Kilday lays out the pros and cons for all 10 best picture nominees here) it is possible that Academy voters choose to anoint Nolan Best Director but then look elsewhere for a surprise Best Picture winner.
Emma Stone (Poor Things) versus Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) for Best Actress is a compelling matchup. If Gladstone wins, she’ll be the first Indigenous person to do so. Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) versus Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) for Best Actor is another potential dramatic moment.
Expect great television and viral clips if Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) takes home Best Supporting Actor and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) wins Best Supporting Actress.
For more ... read several Oscar race previews on The Ankler.
This story is published in partnership with The Ankler, a paid subscription publication about the entertainment industry.
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