After a winter barrage of award shows — the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Grammys — the grandaddy of them all, the Academy Awards, are around the corner. The 96th Oscars may be a coronation for “Oppenheimer,” which comes in with a leading 13 nominations, though other films, including “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things” are in the mix.
Quick Read
- The 96th Oscars are set for Sunday, March 10, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, starting at 7 p.m. EDT, with a preshow at 6:30 p.m. EDT, coinciding with the start of daylight saving time in the U.S.
- Presenters include last year’s acting winners Brendan Fraser, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis, along with stars like Michelle Pfeiffer, Al Pacino, Zendaya, and more.
- The Oscars can be streamed on ABC.com, the ABC app, and various services like Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, and FuboTV, with a cable subscription.
- Jimmy Kimmel returns as host for the fourth time, tying with Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon for repeat hosting gigs.
- Best Picture nominees include “Oppenheimer,” “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and others, with “Oppenheimer” leading the nominations.
- Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” is the frontrunner, with tight races expected in acting categories, especially Best Actress and Best Actor.
- “Barbie,” despite its box-office success, faced notable snubs in the directing and best actress categories, sparking discussions about the challenges comedies face at the Oscars.
- No significant changes to the Oscars format this year, with all awards broadcast live and a new award for best casting to be introduced in the 2026 Oscars.
- Special mentions include John Williams’ 49th best-score nomination, Godzilla’s first Oscar nod for best visual effects, and the inclusion of two non-English language films, “The Zone of Interest” and “Anatomy of a Fall,” in the Best Picture category.
The Associated Press has the story:
Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer will present awards at the Oscars
Newslooks- LOS ANGELES (AP) —
After a winter barrage of award shows — the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Grammys — the grandaddy of them all, the Academy Awards, are around the corner. The 96th Oscars may be a coronation for “Oppenheimer,” which comes in with a leading 13 nominations, though other films, including “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things” are in the mix.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s show:
WHEN ARE THE OSCARS?
The Oscars will be held Sunday, March 10, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony is set to begin at 7 p.m. EDT — one hour earlier than usual — and be broadcast live on ABC. A preshow will begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT. This is your early reminder to set your clocks accordingly — it’s the first day of daylight saving time in the U.S.
WHO’S PRESENTING AT THE OSCARS?
Last year’s big acting winners are all coming back to present at the show (a tradition), including Brendan Fraser, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis. The academy also announced that “Scarface” co-stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino are set to hand out awards as well (no word on whether it’s together or not). Other celebrities set to grace the Dolby stage include Zendaya, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Lange, Nicolas Cage, Mahershala Ali, Sam Rockwell and Luptia Nyong’o. More names will be revealed as show day gets closer.
ARE THE OSCARS STREAMING?
The show will be available to stream via ABC.com and the ABC app with a cable subscription. You can also watch through services including Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV.
WHO’S HOSTING THE OSCARS?
Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted last year’s ceremony, will emcee for the fourth time. That ties him with fellow four-timers Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon, and leaves Kimmel trailing only Johnny Carson (five), Billy Crystal (nine) and Bob Hope (11) among repeat Oscar hosts. “I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times,” said Kimmel.
WHAT’S NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE AT THE 2024 OSCARS?
The ten nominees for best picture are: “American Fiction”; “Anatomy of a Fall”; “Barbie”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Past Lives”; “Poor Things”; and “The Zone of Interest.”
WHO ARE THE FAVORITES?
Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” is the frontrunner. Nolan, the best director favorite, is also poised to win his first Oscar. The best actress category could be a nail-biter between Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”).
If Gladstone were to win, she would be the first Native American to win an Oscar. Best actor, too, could be a close contest between Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”). Both would be first-time winners. Giamatti’s co-star Da’Vine Joy Randolph is favored to win best-supporting actress, while Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”) is expected to win best-supporting actor. His closest competition is considered Ryan Gosling for “Barbie.”
WHAT’S UP WITH THE ‘BARBIE’ SNUBS?
While “Barbie,” 2023’s biggest box-office hit, comes in with eight nominations, much discussion has revolved around the nominations the film didn’t receive. Greta Gerwig was left out of the directing category and Margot Robbie missed on best actress. In those omissions, some have seen reflections of the misogyny parodied in “Barbie,” while others have noted the tough reception comedies have historically had at the Oscars. The nominations for “Barbie” include best-adapted screenplay (by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach), best supporting actress for America Ferrera and two best song nominees in Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” and the Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt composition “I’m Just Ken.”
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO THE OSCARS THIS YEAR?
Though recent Oscars have been marked by everything from slaps,envelope snafus and controversies over which awards are presented live during the telecast, this year’s show comes in with no big changes (besides starting an hour earlier). All of the awards are to be broadcast live (though honorary prizes remain separated in the earlier, untelevised Governors Awards ). The academy is adding a new award for best casting, but that trophy won’t be presented until the 2026 Oscars.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO LOOK FOR?
Composer John Williams is nominated for his record 49th best-score Oscar, for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” and 54th overall. Godzilla is going to the Oscars for the first time, with “Godzilla Minus One” notching a nomination for best visual effects. And for the first time, two non-English language films are up for best picture: the German language Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest” and the French courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall.”
