Feb 18, 2024,04:09pm EST
TOPLINE: “Oppenheimer” dominated the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday, securing wins for Best Film, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, while Emma Stone triumphed for “Poor Things.” Meanwhile, “Barbie,” “Maestro,” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” faced disappointment just weeks ahead of the Oscars in Los Angeles.
KEY FACTS:
- “Oppenheimer” led the nominations with 13 nods and clinched seven awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), Best Cinematography, Editing, and Original Score.
- “Poor Things” received 11 nominations and also triumphed in categories such as Best Costume Design, Makeup and Hair, Production Design, and Special Visual Effects.
- Despite five nominations, “Barbie” failed to secure any wins, along with “Maestro,” a biographical drama on Leonard Bernstein’s life, which was up for seven awards, and Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which received nine nominations.
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph earned the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in “The Holdovers,” which garnered seven nominations and also won for Best Casting.
- “The Zone of Interest,” tied with “Killers of the Flower Moon” with nine nominations, took home three awards for Foreign Language Film, Outstanding British Film, and Sound.
- “Anatomy of a Fall,” with seven nominations, won Best Original Screenplay, edging out “Barbie,” “The Holdovers,” “Maestro,” and “Past Lives” in the category.
Producer Emma Thomas and her husband, Director Christopher Nolan, pose with the Best Film Award for ... [+]GARETH CATTERMOLE/GETTY IMAGES FOR BAFTA
CRUCIAL QUOTE In his acceptance speech at the BAFTAs, Cillian Murphy expressed gratitude to his fellow nominees and his “Oppenhomies,” stating, “I know it’s a cliché to say I’m in awe of you, but I genuinely am in awe.”
SURPRISING FACT While the Academy Awards and the BAFTAs typically diverge in their choices for Best Picture, the BAFTAs historically serve as a reliable indicator for winners in other categories. However, in 2023, the two events took different paths. While winners aligned in 15 out of 19 shared categories in 2022, last year saw discrepancies in eight major categories, including the top four acting awards, Best Picture, and Best Director.
KEY BACKGROUND The highly anticipated films “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” debuted on the same day, July 21, last summer, creating the cultural phenomenon dubbed “Barbenheimer,” which attracted fans to theaters. “Barbie” emerged as the highest-grossing film of the year, raking in $1.44 billion worldwide, while “Oppenheimer” secured third place at the global box office in 2023 with a gross of $957 million. Both films were expected to receive numerous award nominations, yet “Barbie” enthusiasts voiced disappointment over the snubs for Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig in the Best Actress and Best Director categories. Both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, alongside other contenders such as “Maestro,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Poor Things,” “The Holdovers,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest,” “American Fiction,” and “Past Lives.”
BIG NUMBER 21: The number of Oscars “Barbenheimer” is contending for. “Barbie” received eight nominations, while “Oppenheimer” is up for 13 awards.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR The Oscars ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, March 12th.