Seemingly out of nowhere, Conan O’Brien is hosting the 97th Academy Awards. The announcement was made by ABC and The Academy early this morning, on a Friday, no less, with a subdued amount of fanfare. This will be O’Brien’s first time emceeing the Oscars.

The Breakdown: Sign up for Gregory Ellwood’s new newsletter column and get Oscar Predictions before they are posted online. You don’t want to miss this.

Continue reading Conan O’Brien Is Your Surprise 2025 Oscars Host at The Playlist.

[This edition of the Contender Countdown was originally published in The Breakdown newsletter on Monday, Nov 11. Get all of The Playlist’s Oscar rankings including Best Picture, Best Actress, and more in The Breakdown first. Subscribe here.]

A week before Thanksgiving we will know. By that point, all the films that are potential Best Picture contenders will have screened for AMPAS, guild, and the media (assuming we still have any influence).

Continue reading ‘Nosferatu’ Steps Out From The Oscars Shadows [Contender Countdown] at The Playlist.

Steve McQueen will tell you the toughest part of making his new WW II period drama wasn’t the set pieces. It wasn’t the visual effects. It was finding “the love.” For the two-time Oscar winner, the most important part of “Blitz” was capturing the relationship between a young boy (Elliott Heffernan) and the mother (Saoirse Ronan) who sends him to the British countryside for his safety when the Nazis bombed London relentlessly during eight months beginning in 1940.

Continue reading Steve McQueen Reflects On The “Useful & Urgent’ Message Of ‘Blitz’ at The Playlist.

If you are curious as to what films Oscar voters overseas may be inclined to support, look no further than the nominees for the 37th European Film Awards. The European Film Academy revealed this year’s crop of honorees this morning and two potential Best Picture nominees, Pedro Almodovar’s “The Room Next Door” and Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez” led all films with four nominations including Best European Film. Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” also earned a Best European Film nom as well as Director and Screenplay.

Continue reading ‘The Room Next Door’ & ‘Emelia Perez’ Top 2024 European Film Awards Nominations at The Playlist.

Here’s the thing. Will Sharpe has taste. He’s starred in Joe Barton‘s critically acclaimed series “Girl/Haji.” He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed HBO limited series “Landscapers,” and he earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the smash second season of Mike White’s “The White Lotus.” And, now, he’s a key figure in Jesse Eisenberg’s Sundance breakout, “A Real Pain” which just delivered the third-best per-screen average of 2024.

Continue reading How Will Sharpe Found A Complicated Character In ‘A Real Pain’ at The Playlist.

This impressive Saoirse Ronan performance in Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” wasn’t supposed to happen. Her role as Rita, a young mother protecting her son George (newcomer Elliott Hefferman) during the Nazi bombing of London in World War II could have gone to someone else. Because, in theory, Ronan was looking for a long, extended break.

READ MORE: ‘Blitz’ Review: Steven McQueen’s WWII London Bombing Drama Is Dazzling [NYFF]

“I had been gone from the 5th of January in Australia for about four months [filming ‘Foe‘], and then I went straight into ‘The Outrun’ and essentially prepping that and shooting that over about six months,” Ronan explains.

Continue reading Saoirse Ronan Sings In ‘Blitz’ But Wants Greta Gerwig To Direct Her In A Musical at The Playlist.

An October, well, November surprise has arrived this awards season. Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked,” which some early box office forecasts have penciled in for a $100 million+ U.S. opening the weekend of November 14, has screened for select members of the media and the current Broadway cast. A formal review is prohibited, but we are currently allowed to discuss its charms in terms of awards season. And that surprise we just mentioned? It’s none other than Ariana Grande.

Continue reading Ariana Grande Will Cast A Spectacular Spell As ‘Wicked’ Drops On Oscar Season at The Playlist.

The first real bellwether of the 2025 awards season has arrived. The nominee for the 34th Gotham Awards have been revealed, and it was quite a good morning for NEON, A24, and Amazon MGM Studios, in particular. And, in not a surprise, Sean Baker‘s Palme d’Or winning “Anora” led all nominees with four nominations including Best Feature, Best Director (Baker), Outstanding Lead Performance (Mikey Madison), and Supporting Performance (Yura Burisov).

Continue reading ‘Anora’ & ‘Nickel Boys’ Tops 2024 Gotham Awards Nominations at The Playlist.

There is always a shortlist of actors deserving of an Academy Award. Ralph Fiennes is one of them. He earned a Supporting Actor nomination in 1994 for “Schindler’s List,” but lost out to Martin Landeau for “Ed Wood.” He landed a Best Actor nod in 1997 for “The English Patient,” but Geoffrey Rush had that one in the bag for “Shine.” And in the almost three decades since, he’s been overlooked for incredible work in films such as “The End of the Affair,” “The Constant Gardner,” “Coriolanus,” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” That may change with his celebrated performance as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence in Edward Berger’s adaptation of Robert Harris‘ novel, “Conclave.”

READ MORE: For his contemporary “Conclave,” Edward Berger embraces the discourse [Interview]

The fact Fiennes is not synonymous with the Oscars is sort of head-scratching.

Continue reading Ralph Fiennes Isn’t Distracted By Oscar Buzz For ‘Conclave,’ Just Doing “Good Work” at The Playlist.

Some of the best films of the year are finally arriving in theaters. This week’s entry is “Conclave,” a sly thriller from Edward Berger that has been generating strong reviews and audience enthusiasm since its debut at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival. And while the movie’s trailers have been selling the movie’s twists and pack of scheming cardinals, it is also a decidedly modern depiction of a papal selection.

READ MORE: ‘Conclave’ Review: Ralph Fiennes smolders in slow burn Vatican thriller [Telluride]

Adapted from Robert Harris‘ 2016 novel, the Focus Features release finds Ralph Fiennes portraying Cardinal Lawrence, a member of the Vatican who is put in charge of managing the Papal conclave after the unexpected passing of the Pope.

Continue reading For His Contemporary ‘Conclave,’ Edward Berger Embraces The Discourse [Interview] at The Playlist.

We’ve seen enough. It’s time to rank the Best Picture players for the 2025 Academy Awards. This year’s race may still be unsettled, but Sean Baker’s “Anora” has rolled through festival season, earning genuine adoration and respect. It arrives in limited release on Friday with a chance to notch one of the top per-screen averages of the year. If AMPAS and guild members weren’t aware of it already, those box office headlines should grab their attention.

Continue reading The First Best Picture ‘Blitz’ Arrives With More Still To Come at The Playlist.

We’ve caught Mikey Madison before the roller coaster truly begins. Over the past five months, the “veteran” 25-year-old actress has witnessed her film “Anora” win the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and experienced rapturous screenings at the Telluride, Toronto, and the New York Film Festivals. There is so much more to come, though. A long list of awards show invitations await, including a ticket to the Dolby Theater in March.

Continue reading Mikey Madison Is Enjoying Her Breakout ‘Anora’ Ride at The Playlist.

It’s like something out of a celebrity reporter’s dream. Two stars of the landmark series “Succession,” Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong, have already faced off for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Award. Despite Strong having won in 2020, Culkin took the honor for the show’s final season this past January. Now, not even a year later, Culkin and Strong are favorites to face off again in the Supporting Actress category at the 77th Academy Awards.

Continue reading Best Supporting Actor Oscars 2025 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

Good news for Danielle Deadwyler fans. The Atlanta native was snubbed for her celebrated performance in 2022’s “Till,” but that likely won’t happen this season. Assuming enough members watch “The Piano Lesson” – a major assumption – Deadwyler may be the safest nominee in a Supporting Actress Oscars class that is more wide open than it might initially seem. And there is a familiar reason why.

READ MORE: Best Actor Oscars 2025 Predictions and Contenders

As we noted in our Best Actress rundown, “Emilia Perez’s” Zoe Saldana‘s inclusion in this category is fluid.

Continue reading Best Supporting Actress Oscars 2025 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

The art-house hit of the summer wasn’t an A24, Focus Features, NEON, or Searchlight Pictures release. In a surprise to anyone who didn’t see it at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, this year’s box office breakout was Josh Margolin’s directorial debut, “Thelma.” The Magnolia Films pickup centers on the title character, an elderly woman who travels across the San Fernando Valley on a mission to find out who scammed her out of a chunk of money.

Continue reading June Squibb Is Ready For Another Awards Season Spotlight at The Playlist.

If the Best Actor race is just trying to find five worthy nominees, the Best Actress Oscar class for 2025 is a potential bloodbath. And, no, we’re not just talking about potential “The Substance” nominee Demi Moore. At this date, the only guaranteed nom, in theory, is “Anora’s” Mikey Madison. Beyond that, there are a slew of former winners and nominees attempting to make the field.

READ MORE: Best Picture Contenders and Predictions for 2025

Beyond Moore, who will have to campaign from coast to coast like her life depends on it to get members to watch the Cannes favorite, the field also features Venice Best Actress winner and former winner Nicole Kidman for the sexy thriller “Babygirl.” Marianne Jean-Baptiste is looking for her first nomination in 28 years for a spectacular turn in “Hard Truths.” “Maria’s” Angelina Jolie won Supporting Actress in 2000 and is hoping to be Pablo Larrain‘s third Best Actress nominee out of his last four films.

Continue reading Best Actress Oscars 2025 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

Is it wrong to ask for just a mildly competitive Best Actor race? Just once? Granted, we’ve had them before. The 2015 class, in particular, saw arguably five potential winners snubbed from a nomination. But, for the most part, the actors making the final five have featured, at most, one surprise, if at all, in the decade since. The 2025 Oscars class does not look like it will break that streak.

READ MORE: Best Picture Contenders and Predictions for 2025

At the moment, there are three locks for a nod.

Continue reading Best Actor Oscars 2025 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

What a weird and strange Best Picture race that has been thrust upon us. The major studios’ selections are slim, every potential winner has major question marks, and by the time nomination voting comes around, enough contenders may have fallen off that unexpected titles from earlier in the year rise to make the field of 10. If there is one thing we know for sure, it’s that Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez,” and Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” are your safest nomination bets.

Continue reading Best Picture Oscars 2025 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

The Playlist’s critic at the 2024 Venice Film Festival did not appreciate Pablo Larrain’s “Maria” as much as this pundit, but there are few awards observers who don’t believe the film’s star, Angelina Jolie, isn’t in the running for her third Best Actress nomination. The 2020 Best Supporting Actress winner portrays the legendary Opera diva Maria Callas in her final days in 1970s Paris. Netflix, who acquired the movie after Venice, released the first teaser trailer which you can find embedded in this post.

Continue reading ‘Maria’ Teaser Trailer: Angelina Jolie Is Ready To Sing In Pablo Larrain’s Latest Drama at The Playlist.

As a fan of “His Three Daughters” even before its 2023 Toronto International Film Festival debut, it’s been a long wait for the rest of the world to finally see it. Not only has Azazel Jacobs‘ sublime drama ended up as one of the most acclaimed films released in 2024, but it had a very strong debut on Netflix this past weekend, landing at no. 5 on the streamer’s movie top 10 list in less than a week of views.

Continue reading Elizabeth Olsen Digs Deep For A Career Best In ‘His Three Daughters’ [Interview] at The Playlist.

It’s a very busy time for Carrie Coon. Earlier this year, she was in Thailand filming the highly anticipated third season of Mike White’s “The White Lotus.” And, after landing her first Emmy nomination for season two, she is currently shooting the third season of “The Gilded Age.” Somewhere in between, she’s been promoting her role in Azazel Jacobs‘s “His Three Daughters.” Which, after debuting at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, has finally been released on Netflix and is officially one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2024.

Continue reading Carrie Coon Fails To Convince Us She Could Have Been Better In ‘His Three Daughters’ [Interview] at The Playlist.

Upon a second screening of Coralie Fargeat’s incredible opus “The Substance,” there is one thing that stands out. It’s not Stanislas Reydellet’s stellar production design or the exquisite cinematography from Benjamin Kracun that half a dozen young filmmakers and commercial directors will rip off over the next 18 months. Nor is it Emmanuelle Youchnovski’s runway-friendly costume design that will have everyone hunting for a bold yellow long coat for the Winter.

Continue reading Coralie Fargeat Illuminates The “Risk” Demi Moore Took With ‘The Substance’ at The Playlist.

France may just want to win the International Oscar for the first time since 1993. The nation’s selection committee for the 97th Academy Awards selected Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez” as its submission. A not unexpected pick based on the film’s Cannes reception and Netflix’s acquisition following the festival.

READ MORE: Contender Countdown: An Unsettled Best Picture Race Rolls Along

A movie musical set almost entirely in Mexico, performed in Spanish and featuring a non-French cast including Cannes Best Actress winners Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz, might not seem like the optimal French selection at first.

Continue reading ‘Emilia Perez’ Makes The Cut As France’s International Oscar Submission at The Playlist.

There was a moment during the Cannes Film Festival when a veteran awards consultant remarked to this pundit about how weird the 2025 Oscar season would be. Having been in this game much too long myself, I have heard this line before every season gets rolling too often to count. Usually, by the time the festival trifecta of Venice, Telluride, and Toronto have unfurled, there are at least a few strong Best Picture frontrunners to quell those fears.

Continue reading Contender Countdown: An Unsettled Best Picture Race Rolls Along at The Playlist.

The Venice Film Festival has begun and the Toronto International Film Festival is a week away, but in the mountains of Colorado, perhaps one of the most influential festivals in the world has finally announced its slate. The 2024 Telluride Film Festival will screen nearly 60 feature films including world premieres of Malcolm Washington’s “The Piano Lesson,” Edward Berger’s “Conclave,” Michael Gracey’s “Better Man,” Scott McPhee and David Siegel’s “The Friend,” Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night,” Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The End,” and RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys.” Documentary screenings include Morgan Neville’s “Piece by Piece” and Errol Morris’ “Separated.”

READ MORE: Venice Film Festival Preview: 15 must-see movies including “Maria,” “Queer” & “Joker: Folie à Deux”

The festival will also screen Sean Baker’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Anora” as well as award winners such as Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez,” Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” and Jesse Eisenberg’s Sundance screenwriting winner “A Real Pain.” Additionally, Pablo Larrain’s “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie, and Tim Fehlbaum’s “September 5” and Alfonso Cuarón’s “Disclaimer” will make the trip from Venice to Telluride to screen at the festival.

Continue reading Telluride Film Festival: ‘The Piano Lesson,’ ‘Conclave,’ & ‘Saturday Night’ Are 2024 World Premieres at The Playlist.