Two blockbusters could help boost Oscar ceremony viewership
It's no secret that Hollywood award shows (and a lot of live events in general) haven't been surefire ratings success in the age of cable cord-cutting, streaming and social media. But the inclusion of two bona fide commercial hits in the best picture race could be a draw for casual viewers.
"Dune: Part Two," a sci-fi spectacle with a sprawling cast of Hollywood up-and-comers, and "Wicked," a colorful adaptation of the popular Broadway production, both scored best picture nods. Cynthia Erivo was recognized for her performance as Elphaba in "Wicked," too.
Last year, "Oppenheimer" and "Barbie" helped deliver a modest but notable ratings bump to the telecast. An estimated 19.5 million people tuned in to watch the show — the largest number in four years.
Oscars by the numbers: A tally of nominations per film
Here's a look at how many nods nominated films picked up.
"Emilia Peréz": 13
"The Brutalist": 10
"Wicked": 10
"A Complete Unknown": 8
"Conclave": 8
"Anora": 6
"Dune: Part Two": 5
"The Substance": 5
"Nosferatu": 4
"I’m Still Here": 3
"Sing Sing": 3
"The Wild Robot": 3
"The Apprentice": 2
"Flow": 2
"Nickel Boys": 2
"A Real Pain": 2
'Wicked' was very popular at the box office. Does it have a shot at taking home any Oscars?
"Wicked," which takes place before, during and after “The Wizard of Oz,” became a huge box office hit after its November release.
The film, directed by Jon Chu, is a cinematic retelling of the acclaimed Broadway musical. Cynthia Erivo is nominated in the best actress category for her role as Elphaba, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West. Ariana Grande is nominated in the best supporting actress category for her role as Galinda/Glinda, who is later called “Glinda the Good."
Part 1 of the film also stars Jonathan Bailey as the love interest, Fiyero, and Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University headmaster Madame Morrible. The second part of the feature film adaptation will debut Nov. 21, 2025.
While the blockbuster received a handful of nominations at the Golden Globes as well, it took home just one statue in the cinematic and box office achievement category. Grande and Erivo continue to be lauded by fans and many in Hollywood, but will that buzz be enough to get them the Oscar statuettes? Time will tell.
(NBC News and Universal Pictures, the film's distributor, share Comcast as a parent company.)
Trump biopic 'The Apprentice' was nominated, but don't bet on a political show
"The Apprentice," a scathing portrait of Donald Trump’s rise to power in Manhattan real estate, landed two nominations this year. Sebastian Stan was recognized for his performance as Trump, and Jeremy Strong earned a nod for his portrayal of Roy Cohn, the notorious New York fixer who mentored the future president.
The film stoked immense controversy ahead of its limited release this fall. Trump's presidential campaign blasted it as "pure malicious defamation" and "garbage," and most big-league distributors refused to touch it.
But don't count on big #Resistance speeches during the ceremony. The response in Hollywood to Trump's election victory and inauguration has been far more muted this time around. The Golden Globes telecast earlier this month was light on political speechifying, as many analysts predicted.
However, some nominees might choose to highlight transgender and nonbinary rights. The talent behind "Emilia Perez," a musical about trans identity, could use their acceptance speeches as a vehicle to criticize the new administration's policy on sex and gender.
'The Brutalist' and 'Wicked' each receive 10 nominations
Brady Corbet's "The Brutalist," a sweeping epic about a brilliant Hungarian architect’s efforts to rebuild his life in the U.S., and "Wicked," the cinematic retelling of the famed Broadway musical, both garnered 10 nominations each.
'Emilia Pérez' leads nominees, with 13 nods
Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez, a genre-busting song-and-dance spectacle about a Mexican drug cartel boss who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, garnered a whopping 13 nominations.
The film scored nods in categories including actress in a supporting role, actress in a leading role, original score, director, international feature film and best picture.
The movies that got locked out altogether
Oscar voters recognized an eclectic mix of nominees this morning, but some of last year's most acclaimed movies were overlooked entirely. We didn't see any recognition for Luca Guadagnino's erotic dramedy "Challengers" or Mike Leigh's tragicomic character study "Hard Truths."
The top awards pundits had also penciled in at least one nod for the steamy drama "Babygirl," but Nicole Kidman was left out of the running for best actress. Similarly, Daniel Craig earned largely positive critical notices for his lead role in Guadagnino’s "Queer," but that movie was shut out, too.
How to watch some of the nominated films
Holiday season releases such as "The Brutalist," "A Complete Unknown" and "Nickel Boys" are still only available to see in brick-and-mortar cinemas. But some of the other films in the Oscar race are available to stream or rent at home.
"Challengers" is on Amazon Prime Video, "Conclave" is on Peacock, “Dune: Part Two” is on Max, "Emilia Pérez" is on Netflix, "Inside Out 2" is on Disney+, "A Real Pain" is on Hulu and "The Substance" is on Mubi.
"Anora" and "Wicked" are available to rent via services such as Apple TV, Google Play and Fandango at Home. "Anora" will eventually land on Hulu, which has a licensing deal with distributor Neon; "Wicked" will wind up on Peacock, the service owned by NBC News' parent company, NBCUniversal.
At least one nominated film, the feature-length documentary "No Other Land," still doesn't have an official theatrical distributor. "No Other Land" centers on the displacement of Palestinian people in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
'Conclave' left out of best director race
“Conclave,” considered one of the powerhouses heading into the Oscar nominations, came up short in one key category: best director.
Edward Berger, who had earlier received a coveted Directors Guild nomination, was left out.
The snub could well undermine “Conclave’s” chances of winning best picture. Only six movies have won the top prize without securing a best director nod. However, three of those have come since 2010: “Argo,” “Green Book” and “CODA.”
Best picture surprise and snubs
The biggest surprise of the day is that "I'm Still Here," a foreign-language film from Brazil, made it into the best picture race. The film didn't appear on most awards predictors' lists and rundowns. But it has been buoyed by strong reviews, including positive appraisals of the lead performance from Fernanda Torres, who was nominated for best actress.
Notably absent: "September 5," "Sing Sing" and "A Real Pain."