By JAKE COYLE
NEW YORK (AP) — The multiverse-hopping indie sci-fi hit “Everything Everywhere All at Once” led nominations at the 95th Academy Awards as Hollywood racked up honors in big-screen shows like “Top Gun.” : Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” a year after a streaming service won best picture for the first time.
Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” earned 11 top nominations Tuesday, including nominations for Michelle Yeoh and returning kid Ke Huy Quan, the former “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” child star. Released in March, the A24 film has proven an unlikely Oscar heavyweight even against its creators’ expectations. Yeoh became the first Asian actor to be nominated for Best Actress.
The 10 films nominated for best picture are: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, “The Banshees of Inisherin”, “The Fabelmans”, “Tár”, “Top Gun: Maverick”, “Avatar: The Way of Water”, “Elvis”, “All Quiet on the Western Front”, “Women Talking” and “Triangle of Sadness”.
The nominations were announced Tuesday from the academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams. If last year’s Oscars were dominated by streaming (Apple TV+’s CODA won best picture and Netflix scored a top 27 nominations), the movies that drew viewers to multiplexes after two years of the pandemic make up many of the top contenders this year.
For the first time, two sequels, “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water,” were nominated for best picture. The two films together represent about $3.5 billion at the box office. Tom Cruise missed out on an acting nomination, but the movie credited with bringing many moviegoers back to theaters picked up seven nominations. Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” made in the aftermath of the death of Chadwick Boseman, earned five nominations, including the first acting nomination for a performance in a Marvel movie: Angela Bassett, likely favorite to win the award for Best Supporting Actress.
Baz Luhrmann’s dazzling biopic “Elvis” earned eight nominations, including a best actor nomination for star Austin Butler and nominations for costumes, sound and production design.
Although Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” struggled to capture the public’s attention, the director’s autobiographical coming-of-age story earned Spielberg his 20th Oscar nomination and eighth Best Director nomination. John Williams, his lifelong songwriter, extended his record for the most Oscar nominations for a living person. Williams’ 53 nominations only trail Walt Disney’s 59.
Only one broadcast title entered the best picture field: the German World War I film “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Though Netflix for the first time in years lacks a potential best picture nominee, “All Quiet on the Western Front” scored a better-than-expected nine nominations.
The other nominees for best actress are: Ana de Armas, “Blonde”; Cate Blanchett, “Tár”; Andrea Riseborough, “For Leslie”; Michelle Williams, “The Fabelmans”;
Best Actor nominees: Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”; Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”; Austin Butler, “Elvis”; Bill Nighy, “Living”; Paul Mescal, “After the Sun”
Best Supporting Actress nominees are: Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”; Hong Chau, “The Whale”; Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin”; Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything, Everywhere, All at the Same Time”; Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere, All At Once.”
The nominees for best supporting actor are: Brian Tyree Henry, for “Causeway”; Judd Hirsch, “The Fabelmans”; Brendan Gleeson, “Banshees of Inisherin”; Barry Keoghan, “Banshees of Inisherin”; Ke Huy Quan, “Everything everywhere, all at once.”
The international film nominees are: “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany); “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina); “Close” (Belgium); “EO” (Poland); “The quiet girl” (Ireland).
The original screenplay nominees are: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”; “The lost souls of Inisherin”; “The Fabelmans”; “Tar”; “Triangle of Sadness”.
Nominees for Best Original Score are: Volker Bertelmann, “All Quiet on the Western Front”; Justin Hurwitz, “Babylon”; Carter Burwell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”; They are Lux, “Everything at once, everywhere”; John Williams, “The Fabelmans.”
The nominees for best animated film are: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”; “Marcel the shell with his shoes on”; “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”; “The Sea Beast”; “Turning red.”
Last year’s broadcast drew 15.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen, 56% more than the record audience of 10.5 million for the 2021 broadcast marred by the pandemic. This year, ABC will bring back Jimmy Kimmel to host the March 12 ceremony, one that is sure to be seen as a return to the slap spot.
But bigger concerns revolve around the movie business. Last year saw glimpses of a triumphant resurrection for theaters, like the success of “Top Gun: Maverick,” after two years of a pandemic. But partly due to a less steady stream of major releases, ticket sales for the year recaptured only about 70% of pre-pandemic business. Regal Cinemas, the second largest chain in the country, announced the closure of 39 theaters this month.
At the same time, storm clouds swept across the world of streaming after years of seemingly limitless growth. Stocks plunged as Wall Street turned to streaming services to make a profit, not just add subscribers. A drawdown has followed, as the industry once again enters an uncertain chapter.
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For more information on this year’s Oscars, visit: http://www.apnews.com/academy-awards
