“Oppenheimer” Christopher Nolan’s masterly portrait of the father of the atomic bomb topped the Oscars nominations Tuesday, earning an impressive 13 nods including for best picture.
It was followed by “Poor Things,” a female-focused take on the Frankenstein myth, on 11, and Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” on 10, in the race for Hollywood’s most prestigious awards.
But it was a somewhat disappointing morning for “Barbie,” the other half of last summer’s “Barbenheimer” box office phenomenon and the year’s highest-grossing film.
The comedy had to settle for eight nods not bad for a satire based on a popular line of plastic dolls, but lower than many had predicted, and missing out on key nominations for Greta Gerwig as director, and star Margot Robbie in best actress.
“Oppenheimer,” which came out in theaters on the same day, and itself almost grossed $1 billion, led the way with nods for its director Nolan, and stars Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt.
The film which is the clear favorite to win best picture, the industry’s top prize, at the 96th Academy Awards on March 10 also racked up nods in an array of technical categories.
“Killers of the Flower Moon,” Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour true crime opus on murders ripping through the oil-rich Osage community in early 20th century Oklahoma, made history.
Star Lily Gladstone became the Oscars’ first Native American nominee for best actress.
She will now go head-to-head with Emma Stone, the star of “Poor Things,” which also earned an acting nod for Mark Ruffalo, along with a swathe of technical nominations, from cinematography to costume design.
But there was disappointment for “Killers” star Leonardo DiCaprio, who failed to earn a best actor nomination, and the movie also missed out on best adapted screenplay.
Record year for women directors
It proved to be a record year for female directors.
Three movies helmed by women French courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Barbie” and “Past Lives” were nominated for best picture, for the first time in more than nine decades of Academy Awards.
Only 19 films by female directors had previously ever been nominated for best picture.
Tuesday’s announcement was a big success for “Anatomy” despite it not being France’s official entry in the international film category, a decision that has caused a little hand-wringing in Paris.
As well as earning expected best picture and best actress (Sandra Huller) nominations, director Justine Triet secured a nod that had been widely predicted to go to Gerwig, and it also earned recognition for editing and original screenplay.
Bradley Cooper earned an impressive three individual nominations for acting in, producing and writing “Maestro.” The Leonard Bernstein biopic, which Cooper also directed, took seven nominations.
Other strong performers included Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers,” about a teacher, a cook and a student holed up in a boarding school over the festive season.
It took five nominations, including acting nods for Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who are both now considered strong contenders in their respective categories.
And it was a good morning for “American Fiction,” a deft satire on race, publishing and Hollywood, which also had five nominations including for stars Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown.
The best picture category was rounded out by “Past Lives,” a Korean-American production about love, friendship and how things change but stay the same, and bleak Nazi drama “The Zone of Interest.”
Actors Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid hosted the nominations announcement from a still-dark Los Angeles at 5:30 am (1330 GMT) Tuesday.
Oscar nominees in main categories
Here are the nominees in key categories for the 96th Academy Awards, to be handed out in Hollywood on March 10.
“Poor Things,” a female take on the Frankenstein story set in the Victorian era, came second with 11, followed by Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” at 10.
Best picture
“American Fiction”
“Anatomy of a Fall”
“Barbie”
“The Holdovers”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Maestro”
“Oppenheimer”
“Past Lives”
“Poor Things”
“The Zone of Interest”
Best director
Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest”
Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things”
Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”
Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall”
Best actor
Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”
Colman Domingo, “Rustin”
Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”
Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”
Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”
Best actress
Annette Bening, “Nyad”
Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Sandra Huller, “Anatomy of a Fall”
Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”
Emma Stone, “Poor Things”
Best supporting actor
Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”
Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Robert Downey Jr, “Oppenheimer”
Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”
Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”
Best supporting actress
Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”
Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”
America Ferrera, “Barbie”
Jodie Foster, “Nyad”
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”
– Best international feature film –
“Io Capitano” (Italy)
“Perfect Days” (Japan)
“Society of the Snow” (Spain)
“The Teachers’ Lounge” (Germany)
“The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom)
Best animated feature
“The Boy and the Heron”
“Elemental”
“Nimona”
“Robot Dreams”
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse”
Best documentary feature
“Bobi Wine: The People’s President”
“The Eternal Memory”
“Four Daughters”
“To Kill a Tiger”
“20 Days in Mariupol”
Films with seven or more nominations
“Oppenheimer” – 13
“Poor Things” – 11
“Killers of the Flower Moon” – 10
“Barbie” – 8
“Maestro” – 7
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