Host Conan O’Brien headed to the Dolby Theatre last week for the ceremonial rolling out of the red carpet.
Controversy over nominee “The Brutalist” began stirring in January after film editor Dávid Jancsó said in an interview with tech magazine Red Shark News that AI was used to enhance the lead actors’ Hungarian accents.
The Brady Corbet film, which stars Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, follows an architect who survives World War II and escapes Europe to America to rebuild his life.
Corbet said that his lead actors’ performances are “completely their own” and that they worked “for months” with a dialect coach to perfect their Hungarian accents.
“Innovative Respeecher technology was used in Hungarian language dialogue editing only, specifically to refine certain vowels and letters for accuracy. No English language was changed. This was a manual process, done by our sound team and Respeecher in post-production,” Corbet said in a statement. “The aim was to preserve the authenticity of Adrien and Felicity’s performances in another language, not to replace or alter them and done with the utmost respect for the craft.”
A representative for Harrison Ford confirmed that the actor will no longer present at the Oscars after he was diagnosed with shingles, a viral infection that leads to painful rashes.
Ford is doing OK and has been resting after his diagnosis this weekend, Entertainment Weekly first reported.
In addition to a performance from “Wicked” stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, singers Doja Cat, Raye and Lisa of the K-pop girl band Blackpink will also be gracing the Oscars stage.
Queen Latifah is expected to take part in a performance paying tribute to late music icon and producer Quincy Jones, who was posthumously awarded an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards in November.
“We planned and curated a beautiful moment that will uplift the room and celebrate his greatness,” Raj Kapoor, executive producer and showrunner of this year’s Academy Awards, told reporters on Wednesday. “It is a beautiful moment and will make everybody feel good.”
Get ready for a musical number that is sure to be “popular.” After weeks of rumors, “Wicked” co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are officially set to hit the stage at the 2025 Academy Awards.
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof learned he had been sentenced to eight years in prison while he was completing his latest film, the tense political thriller “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
NBC News recently spoke with Rasoulof, a fierce critic of Iran’s theocratic regime who escaped the country on foot after he made the Golden Globe-nominated film.
“The Brutalist” is the fifth film collaboration between director Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold, his partner.
It’s a heavyweight contender tonight, nominated for 10 Oscars, including best picture. Corbet is nominated for best director, while he and Fastvold are up for best original screenplay.
The partners take turns in the director’s chair from project to project. Their previous collaborations include 2018’s “Vox Lux” starring Natalie Portman and the 2020 release “The World to Come” featuring Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby. The dynamic will continue this year with their latest film, “Ann Lee,” a historical musical drama starring Amanda Seyfried. Fastvold directed, and Corbet co-wrote it with her.
“Brady likes to write at night, and I write early in the morning,” Fastvold, 38, said. “And then we write together in the middle of the day.”
Bob Dylan has nothing but praise for Timothée Chalamet, who plays the famed singer-songwriter in “A Complete Unknown.”
Dylan took to X in December to share his excitement for the biopic and his faith in Chalamet’s taking on the role.
“Timothee Chalamet is starring in the lead role,” Dylan wrote. “Timmy’s a brilliant actor so I’m sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me.”
The message “floored” Chalamet, he said.
Throughout awards season, Demi Moore’s pup Pilaf has become a regular site, both on Instagram and at various events with her Oscar-nominated mom.
We want to know whether Pilaf will be “The Substance” star’s plus-one tonight.
If yes, it wouldn’t be the first time a dog has made its way to Hollywood’s biggest night. After all, it wasn’t long ago that Messi, the dog who starred in “Anatomy of a Fall,” stole the Oscars show.
Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez,” a musical film about a Mexican cartel kingpin who fakes their death in order to transition into a woman, scored a massive 13 nominations when Oscar contenders were announced last month. But growing scrutiny of social media posts from the film’s star could jeopardize its Oscar chances.
Karla Sofia Gascón, who is the first openly transgender woman to be nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role, has become the center of backlash online after users resurfaced deleted posts in which she appeared to comment on Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars.
In January, Gascón issued an apology via Netflix. In February, Deadline published an interview with director Jacques Audiard, who called Gascón’s purported old posts “inexcusable.” Hours later, Gascón posted to Instagram addressing his remarks.
“Following Jacques interview that I understand, I decided, for the film, for Jacques, for the cast, for the incredible crew who deserves it, for the beautiful adventure we all had together, to let the work talk for itself, hoping my silence will allow the film to be appreciated for what it is, a beautiful ode to love and difference,” she wrote. “I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been hurt along the way.”
Every show needs a run through, with Hollywood’s biggest night being noe exception. Here’s a look inside the Dolby Theatre the day before the ceremony.
Workers move an Oscar statue through the red carpet area before the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday.Jae C. Hong / AP
Workers set up an Oscar statue in the red carpet area on Saturday.Jae C. Hong / AP
People take photos of statues in the red carpet area on Saturday.John Locher / AP
Workers move a lift in the red carpet area on Friday.John Locher / AP
Oscar presenters Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Oprah and Whoopi Goldberg were among the stars who cycled in and out of the Dolby Theatre on Saturday to rehearse before the show, the Associated Press reported.
For the 23rd straight year, Oscar nominees will be receiving the “Everybody Wins” gift bag from L.A.-based marketing company Distinctive Assets. This year’s bag — which is not affiliated with the Academy Awards — is valued at nearly $220,000, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
Now well into his third decade of putting the gift bags together, Distinctive Assets founder Lash Fary says that the task only gets easier each year. Rather than try to outdo himself, Fary only tries to achieve one thing.
“My goal when I’m building this bag is that I go, ‘There’s some cool s–t here that I would love to get if I were a celebrity,’” he tells CNBC Make It.
This year’s bag, which is filled with more than 60 gifts ranging from cannabis pre rolls to an invitation to a $23,000 stay at a Maldives resort, is being delivered to nominees in luggage from high-end bag brand Nomatic.
“Nickel Boys” director RaMell Ross’ first narrative feature is set at the fictional Nickel Academy, based on the notoriously cruel Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys near Tallahassee, Florida, which operated for 111 years before the Justice Department shut it down in 2011.
Ross and producer Joslyn Barnes adapted the film from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2019 novel, “The Nickel Boys.”
The film is nominated in two categories: best picture and best adapted screenplay.
Oscar voters honored an eclectic mix of films and performances this year — but of course, as with any awards season, there wasn’t room for everyone.
Daniel Craig, star of Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer,” failed to land a best actor nomination. Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” an erotic drama starring Zendaya, got shut out entirely. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who earned some of the best reviews of the year for her starring role in Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths,” didn’t appear in the best actress race.
Three acclaimed dramas that were seen as best picture contenders — “A Real Pain,” “September 5” and “Sing Sing” — didn’t make the cut, though they were all recognized in other categories.
NBC News’ Gadi Schwartz explains what goes into betting on an actor and the history of the gamble.
At Fanny’s, the Academy Museum’s restaurant and café, films like “A Complete Unknown” and “Anora” aren’t just Oscar nominees — they’re cocktails too.
The restaurant is now offering an Oscar-themed cocktail menu featuring a signature drink for each best picture nominee.
The festive drinks encapsulate each film’s unique persona — “The Substance” is adorned with a boozy syringe, “Dune: Part Two” is dusted with desert-like graham cracker crumbs, and “Wicked” features a pink cream foam reminiscent of Glinda’s bubble.
Sean Baker’s Brooklyn comedy “Anora” took top honors at both the Producers Guild Awards and the Directors Guild Awards in February, catapulting it to Oscar favorite status.
Both guild ceremonies were held in Beverly Hills, California. The PGA’s top prize, the Darryl F. Zanuck Award, has matched the Oscar winner for best picture in 16 of the last 21 years. Since 2009, when the guild and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences both adopted a preferential ballot to pick a winner from 10 nominees, they’ve corresponded all but three times.
Hollywood’s award season has been uncharacteristically up for grabs, with half a dozen films viewed as legitimate best picture contenders. Some had pegged “Anora” as the front-runner going into the season after the film won the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
From breakout stars to veteran actors who have graced our screens for generations, these 13 artists have received their first Oscar nominations in this year’s acting categories.
- Mikey Madison — nominated for best actress for her role as Ani in “Anora.”
- Demi Moore — nominated for best actress for transforming into Elisabeth Sparkle in body-horror film “The Substance.”
- Ariana Grande — nominated for best supporting actress for her dazzling performance as Galinda/Glinda (if you know, you know) in the musical film “Wicked.”
- Monica Barbaro — nominated for best supporting actress for portraying folk icon Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.”
- Yura Borisov — nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Igor in “Anora.”
- Kieran Culkin — nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Benji in Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain.”
- Karla Sofía Gascón — nominated for best actress for her performance in the titular role of Jacques Audiard’s highly debated film “Emilia Pérez.” She is the first openly trans actor ever nominated for an Oscar.
- Zoe Saldaña — nominated for best supporting actress for her performance as Rita Mora Castro, an unappreciated lawyer searching for her worth in “Emilia Pérez.”
- Sebastian Stan — nominated for best actor for playing a young Donald Trump in “The Apprentice.”
- Jeremy Strong — nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Trump’s notorious fixer, attorney Roy Cohn, in “The Apprentice.”
- Guy Pearce — nominated for best supporting actor for his role as wealthy Pennsylvania businessman Harrison Lee Van Buren in “The Brutalist.”
- Isabella Rossellini — nominated for best supporting actress for her role as Sister Agnes in “Conclave.”
- Fernanda Torres — nominated for best actress for her role as Eunice Paiva in “I’m Still Here.”
The battle for best picture has been filled with twists and turns.
“Emilia Pérez” started off as a front-runner, winning best musical/comedy film and best foreign language film at the Golden Globes, but controversial social media posts from the movie’s star appear to have doomed its Oscar chances.
“The Brutalist” nabbed best drama film at the Globes and then “Conclave” snagged top honors at the British Academy Film Awards. But they could both be edged aside by “Anora,” which won the marquee prizes from Hollywood’s producers, directors and writers guilds.
The papal thriller “Conclave” won best ensemble and Timothée Chalamet took best actor at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards last month, a pair of twists that added a few final wrinkles to an unusually unpredictable awards season.
“Wow,” said “Conclave” star Ralph Fiennes taking the stage. “I’ve not been elected to speak. I’ve been designated to speak on behalf of our conclave, our ensemble.”
The late night legend is set for his first outing as Oscar emcee.
But he’s no stranger to the awards circuit, having previously hosted the Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2006 as well as the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in 1995 and 2013.
“The Oscars, it’s the pinnacle,” O’Brien said in a recent promotional video posted to ABC’s Instagram account. “It’s the one you dream about hosting when you’re a child. As long as the pay is good. Looking into that.”
In an interview with The Associated Press, Oscars executive producer Katy Mullan described O’Brien as “this great, exciting, warm hug” who will “guide us through the night.”
“He’s got some surprises up his sleeve,” she said, “which is fantastic because we love to keep people guessing.”
Sean Baker’s “Anora” won best film, best director and best actor for Mikey Madison at the Independent Spirit Awards in February. The film about a Brooklyn sex worker and her whirlwind affair with a Russian oligarch’s son has emerged in recent weeks as an awards season front-runner.
The Spirit Awards, held in a beachside tent in Santa Monica, California, is the shaggier, more irreverent sister to the Academy Awards, celebrating the best in independent film and television.
In accepting the directing prize, Baker spoke passionately about the difficulty of making independent films in an industry that is no longer able to fund riskier films. He said indies are in danger of becoming calling card films — movies made only as a means to get hired for bigger projects.
“The system has to change because this is simply unsustainable,” Baker said to enthusiastic applause. “We shouldn’t be barely getting by.”
Stills from “Anora,” “The Brutalist” and “Conclave.”
Even though it’s Oscars Sunday, it’s not too late to binge one (or two) of the best picture nominees.
Many of the films are available to stream. Just hurry!
The Oscars ceremony concludes the busy awards season, which this year was upended by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
The fires, fueled by severe winds and dry conditions, killed at least 29 people and reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble. Thousands across the city were impacted, including many in the entertainment industry.
In January, the Oscar nominations announcement was delayed for a second time due to the natural disasters. But the the academy remained committed to putting on tonight’s show as planned at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
At that time, the academy donated $750,000 to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, which supports entertainment community members, according to Variety.
Host Conan O’Brien told The Associated Press that the show organizers “want to make sure that that show reflects what’s happening and that we put a light on the right people in the right way.”
Oscars executive producer Katy Mullan elaborated in a more recent interview with the AP ahead of the show, telling the publication that the wildfires will be acknowledged in the ceremony.
“The Grammys did an incredible job with their show and how it was treated,” Mullan said. “Our show being a month after that and Conan having been affected himself, we’re just looking at the right way to calibrate it so that it feels like the right show for March 2 — that we do acknowledge it and reflect on it but also allow people the chance to step on that stage and have their moment and celebrate their talent.”
The three-and-a-half-hour telecast will air live on ABC starting at 7 p.m. ET — and in a big first, the ceremony will stream in real time on Hulu.
Best picture:
—”Anora”
—”The Brutalist”
—”A Complete Unknown”
—”Conclave “
—”Dune: Part Two”
—”Emilia Pérez”
—”I’m Still Here”
—”Nickel Boys”
—”The Substance”
—”Wicked”
Directing:
—Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez”
—Sean Baker, “Anora”
—Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”
—Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”
—James Mangold, “A Complete Unknown”
Actor in a leading role:
—Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
—Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
—Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
—Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”
—Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”
Actress in a leading role:
—Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”
—Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
—Mikey Madison, “Anora”
—Demi Moore, “The Substance”
—Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”
Actor in a supporting role:
—Yura Borisov, “Anora”
—Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
—Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
—Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”
—Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”
Actress in a supporting role
—Monica Barbaro, “A Complete Unknown”
—Ariana Grande, “Wicked”
—Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”
—Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
—Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”
Writing (adapted screenplay)
—”A Complete Unknown,” James Mangold and Jay Cocks
—”Conclave,” Peter Straughan
—”Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard; in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi
—”Nickel Boys,” RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
—”Sing Sing,” Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield
Writing (original screenplay)
—”Anora,” Sean Baker
—”The Brutalist,” Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
—”A Real Pain,” Jesse Eisenberg
—”September 5,” Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; co-written by Alex David
—”The Substance,” Coralie Fargeat
Animated feature film
—”Flow”
—”Inside Out 2″
—”Memoir of a Snail”
—”Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”
—”The Wild Robot”
Animated short film
—”Beautiful Men”
—”In the Shadow of the Cypress”
—”Magic Candies”
—”Wander to Wonder”
—”Yuck!”
Cinematography
—”The Brutalist,” Lol Crawley
—”Dune: Part Two,” Greig Fraser
—”Emilia Pérez,” Paul Guilhaume
—”Maria,” Ed Lachman
—”Nosferatu,” Jarin Blaschke
Costume design
—”A Complete Unknown,” Arianne Phillips
—”Conclave,” Lisy Christl
—”Gladiator II,” Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
—”Nosferatu,” Linda Muir
—”Wicked,” Paul Tazewell
Film editing
—”Anora,” Sean Baker
—”The Brutalist,” David Jancso
—”Conclave,” Nick Emerson
—”Emilia Pérez,” Juliette Welfling
—”Wicked,” Myron Kerstein
Makeup and hairstyling
—”A Different Man,” Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado
—”Emilia Pérez,” Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini
—”Nosferatu,” David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne Stokes-Munton
—”The Substance,” Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli
—”Wicked,” Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth
Live-action short film
—”A Lien”
—”Anuja”
—”I’m Not a Robot”
—”The Last Ranger”
—”The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent”
Music (original score)
—”The Brutalist,” Daniel Blumberg
—”Conclave,” Volker Bertelmann
—”Emilia Pérez,” Clément Ducol and Camille
—”Wicked,” John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
—”The Wild Robot,” Kris Bowers
Music (original song)
—“El Mal,” from “Emilia Pérez.” Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard.
—“The Journey,” from “The Six Triple Eight.” Music and lyrics by Diane Warren.
—“Like a Bird,” from “Sing Sing.” Music and lyrics by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada.
—“Mi Camino,” from “Emilia Pérez.” Music and lyrics by Camille and Clément Ducol.
—“Never Too Late,” from “Elton John: Never Too Late.” Music and Lyrics by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin.
Documentary feature film
—”Black Box Diaries”
—”No Other Land”
—”Porcelain War”
—”Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”
—”Sugarcane”
Documentary short film
—”Death by Numbers”
—”I Am Ready, Warden”
—”Incident”
—”Instruments of a Beating Heart”
—”The Only Girl in the Orchestra”
International feature film
—”I’m Still Here” (Brazil)
—”The Girl With the Needle” (Denmark)
—”Emilia Pérez” (France)
—”The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Germany)
—”Flow” (Latvia)
Production design
—”The Brutalist”
—”Conclave”
—”Dune: Part Two”
—”Nosferatu”
—”Wicked”
Sound
—”A Complete Unknown”
—”Dune: Part Two”
—”Emilia Pérez”
—”Wicked”
—”The Wild Robot”
Visual effects
—”Alien: Romulus”
—”Better Man”
—”Dune: Part Two”
—”Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
—”Wicked”
