Oscars 2024: Barbie and Oppenheimer set to sweep nominations

The 2024 Oscar nominations will be revealed on Tuesday following a successful year for the film industry, with Barbie and Oppenheimer reigning supreme at the box office. Anticipated nominees such as Poor Things, The Holdovers, and Killers of the Flower Moon are expected to make a strong showing during the announcement at 13:30 GMT. 

Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph are all poised to receive nominations for their acting performances. Jimmy Kimmel is set to host the ceremony in Los Angeles on March 10. 

The Barbenheimer phenomenon, a viral trend that led to a surge in fans purchasing tickets to see both films on the same day last summer, has made this year's Oscars more accessible than ever before. 

Which films are competing for best picture? 

Following a rule change a few years ago aimed at expanding the field, the best picture category now has a guaranteed 10 slots available. 

It is widely agreed that Oppenheimer, Barbie, Poor Things, Killers of the Flower Moon and The Holdovers will all secure nominations. 

Anatomy of a Fall, Maestro, The Zone of Interest, Past Lives and American Fiction are also considered strong contenders and highly likely to vie for the Academy's most prestigious award. 

However, there are numerous other films that could easily earn nominations in the top category, such as The Color Purple, Society of the Snow, All of Us Strangers and May December. 

In recent days, there has also been a last-minute push - reminiscent of the one that resulted in Andrea Riseborough's surprising acting nomination last year - for Origin to be recognized at the Oscars, after it was overlooked at several precursor events. 

Who's in the acting race? 

Following a somewhat less competitive field in 2023, this year's category for best actor is exceptionally packed and fierce. 

Leading the pack is Paul Giamatti for his role in The Holdovers, where he portrays a cantankerous teacher forced to remain at his boarding school over Christmas to oversee the students who are staying for the holidays. 

Cillian Murphy is also vying for the award with his portrayal of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, while Bradley Cooper stands a chance for his performance as composer Leonard Bernstein in Maestro. 

Additionally, Colman Domingo from Rustin and Jeffrey Wright are strong contenders for their respective roles as civil rights activist Bayard Rustin and a frustrated author in American Fiction. 

Other potential but slightly less probable contenders include Leonardo DiCaprio from Killers of the Flower Moon, Barry Keoghan from Saltburn, Zac Efron from The Iron Claw, and Andrew Scott from All of Us Strangers. 

What about the directors? 

Many well-established Oscar nominees released films this year and are likely to be nominated in this category, including Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon and Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer. 

There is also potential for recognition for Greta Gerwig for Barbie, Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest, and Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things. 

Alternatively, consideration may be given to Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall, Alexander Payne for The Holdovers, Bradley Cooper for Maestro, and possibly even Celine Song for her impressive directorial debut Past Lives. 

In the past three years, two women have won the best director award, although last year's nominees were all male. 

How to watch the Oscar nominations 

You can watch the Oscar nominations being announced live on the Academ's official website and You Tube account 

Source: Newsroom