Blogger’s Update (01/15): Revising prediction down to $22.3 million
Robert Downey Jr. can speak to animals in Dolittle, but will the film speak to family audiences when it opens next weekend? The pic takes the well known character (previously played by Rex Harrison and Eddie Murphy) and places him in a pricey $175 million budgeted adventure. Stephen Gaghan, known for directing the 2005 political thriller Syriana, is the rather surprising choice for behind the camera duties. Our marvelous cinematic Iron Man leads the human cast that also includes Harry Collett, Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Jessie Buckley, and Jim Broadbent. Many familiar faces are responsible for voicing the animal cast. That list includes Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, and Marion Cotillard (four Oscar winners among them!).
Dolittle was slated to be released last spring before it underwent reportedly extensive reshoots. The release of a property like this with its budget and leading man in late January is a bit curious and perhaps concerning.
Opening over the long MLK weekend, Dolittle will be in a battle for first place with Bad Boys for Life. Gauging the box office prowess of Downey is tricky nowadays since he’s pretty much only been Tony Stark over the past several years (those movies sell themselves).
Family audiences have had plenty of titles to choose from in the past month including Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Spies in Disguise, and Jumanji: The Next Level. All three should bring in decent amounts of cash over the long frame. However, even with shaky buzz, Dolittle should hit mid to high 20s over the four days and north of $30 million is feasible. That puts it in second position based on my Bad Boys forecast or perhaps even third behind the second frame of 1917.
Dolittle opening weekend prediction: $22.3 million (Friday to Monday estimate)
On a packed awards precursors day that included DGA and PGA announcements, our compadres overseas put out their nominations as well. The British Academy Film Awards (or BAFTAs) went wild for Joker, which led all contenders with 11 nods. The Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood were close behind with 10 and 1917 achieved 9.
The BAFTAs are an often decent harbinger of what follows at the Oscars. In the acting races, they’re often good for 3 or 4 of the eventual contenders stateside. Let’s take a look at the top six races with a little analysis.
Best Picture
The Nominees: 1917, The Irishman, Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Parasite
No real surprises here. If anything, this is another sign that Marriage Story isn’t a real contender to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Yet that’s kind of been the general consensus for a little while.
Best Director
The Nominees: Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite), Sam Mendes (1917), Todd Phillips (Joker), Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
A 5 for 5 match with Picture. Other than Phillips, the other four were pretty much automatic nominees. Phillips gets the slot over Greta Gerwig (Little Women), Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), and today’s surprise DGA player Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit).
Best Actor
The Nominees: Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Adam Driver (Marriage Story), Taron Egerton (Rocketman), Joaquin Phoenix (Joker), Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)
The ultra competitive Best Actor derby continues. Phoenix has to be considered the favorite after his Golden Globes victory and Joker leading the way with nods. It’s another good showing for Egerton after his Globes podium walk. Pryce gets in over Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory) and Robert De Niro in The Irishman. The latter’s exclusion should be noted. De Niro didn’t get a Globe, SAG, or BAFTA nod. For those picking him to get recognition from the Academy, actors left out of all three very rarely make the cut.
Best Actress
The Nominees: Jessie Buckley (Wild Rose), Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story), Saoirse Ronan (Little Women), Charlize Theron (Bombshell), Renee Zellweger (Judy)
Buckley being named is a genuine surprise. She’s not really on the Oscar radar screen at all. She gets in over Cynthia Erivo in Harriet or Awkwafina for The Farewell. Those snubs, among others, got the BAFTAs trending today as no performers of color were nominated.
Best Supporting Actor
The Nominees: Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes), Al Pacino (The Irishman), Joe Pesci (The Irishman), Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Nothing much to speculate about here. This is the same Supporting Actor list as the Globes and could easily be the Academy’s five. In all cases, Pitt is the front runner.
Best Supporting Actress
The Nominees: Laura Dern (Marriage Story), Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit), Florence Pugh (Little Women), Margot Robbie (Bombshell), Margot Robbie (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Johansson is a double nominee in lead and supporting once again. That’s not unexpected. On the other hand, the double nod of Robbie in this category very much is. She’s expected to be recognized for Bombshell, but not Hollywood. This comes at the expense of Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers, who’s generally seen as second in line behind favorite Dern.
Some other quick notes:
It was a bad day for The Farewell. Snubs in the acting races weren’t all that surprising. Being left off Original Screenplay is.
Ford v Ferrari had a poor showing with one nod for Editing (no Sound or Score… where it could contend for Oscars).
And that wraps up a busy day of Oscar precursor coverage! You can expect my final predictions on what the Academy will do on Monday by Friday or Saturday…
Going into this week’s predictions, there was no question that Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman would be the headline. The gangster epic premiered last Friday at the New York Film Festival to overwhelmingly glowing reviews. That reaction has propelled it to the #1 spot in Picture, Director, and kept it there in Adapted Screenplay.
Additionally, the festival greatly increased the chances for Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci to land nominations. De Niro makes an appearance in lead for the first time, pushing out Antonio Banderas. Pacino enters Supporting Actor, displacing Willem Dafoe. And Pesci rises to the #6 slot in that category.
Yet the movement this Thursday extends beyond Irishman. Renee Zellweger’s title performance in Judy is now #1 in Actress. In Supporting Actress, Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers vaults to first position.
In Picture, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood makes its inaugural showing in my top ten projections. That pushes out Little Women, as we await reaction for it.
Finally, it was revealed (fairly unsurprisingly) that Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell will be released in December for awards consideration. I have the film, Clint, Paul Walter Hauser, Kathy Bates, and its Adapted Screenplay mentioned as possibilities.
WINNER OF THE WEEK: The Irishman
LOSER OF THE WEEK: The Lighthouse
Let’s get to it!
BEST PICTURE
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Irishman (Previous Ranking: 3)
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 2)
3. Marriage Story (PR: 1)
4. Jojo Rabbit (PR: 5)
5. Parasite (PR: 6)
6. Ford v Ferrari (PR: 4)
7. 1917 (PR: 7)
8. The Two Popes (PR: 8)
9. The Farewell (PR: 10)
10. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PR: 11)
Other Possibilities:
11. Joker (PR: 12)
12. Little Women (PR: 9)
13. Waves (PR: 13)
14. Just Mercy (PR: 18)
15. Pain and Glory (PR: 14)
16. A Hidden Life (PR: 15)
17. Judy (PR: 23)
18. Booksmart (PR: 21)
19. Richard Jewell (PR: Not Ranked)
20. Bombshell (PR: 16)
21. The Report (PR: 20)
22. Dark Waters (PR: 22)
23. Downton Abbey (PR: Not Ranked)
24. Rocketman (PR: 25)
25. Ad Astra (PR: 17)
Dropped Out:
The Lighthouse
Knives Out
BEST DIRECTOR
Predicted Nominees:
1. Martin Scorsese, The Irishman (PR: 2)
2. Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 1)
3. Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story (PR: 4)
4. Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite (PR: 3)
5. Sam Mendes, 1917 (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit (PR: 6)
7. James Mangold, Ford v Ferrari (PR: 7)
8. Greta Gerwig, Little Women (PR: 8)
9. Pedro Almodovar, Pain and Glory (PR: 10)
10. Fernando Meirelles, The Two Popes (PR: 9)
11. Terrence Malick, A Hidden Life (PR: 11)
12. Lulu Wang, The Farewell (PR: 12)
13. Marielle Heller, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PR: 14)
14. Trey Edward Shults, Waves (PR: 13)
15. Clint Eastwood, Richard Jewell (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Todd Phillips, Joker
BEST ACTOR
Predicted Nominees:
1. Adam Driver, Marriage Story (PR: 1)
2. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker (PR: 2)
3. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 5)
4. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes (PR: 3)
5. Robert De Niro, The Irishman (PR: 6)
Other Possibilities:
6. Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory (PR: 4)
7. Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name (PR: 8)
8. Taron Egerton, Rocketman (PR: 7)
9. Brad Pitt, Ad Astra (PR: 9)
10. Paul Walter Hauser, Richard Jewell (PR: Not Ranked)
11. Michael B. Jordan, Just Mercy (PR: 11)
12. Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems (PR: 10)
13. Ian McKellen, The Good Liar (PR: 13)
14. Mark Ruffalo, Dark Waters (PR: 12)
15. Matt Damon, Ford v Ferrari (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse
Daniel Kaluuya, Queen and Slim
BEST ACTRESS
Predicted Nominees:
1. Renee Zellweger, Judy (PR: 2)
2. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story (PR: 1)
3. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet (PR: 3)
4. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women (PR: 4)
5. Alfre Woodard, Clemency (PR: 6)
Other Possibilities:
6. Awkwafina, The Farewell (PR: 5)
7. Charlize Theron, Bombshell (PR: 8)
8. Lupita Nyong’o, Us (PR: 7)
9. Helen Mirren, The Good Liar (PR: 9)
10. Jodie Turner-Smith, Queen and Slim (PR: 10)
11. Isabelle Huppert, Frankie (PR: Not Ranked)
12. Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell (PR: 13)
13. Julianne Moore, Gloria Bell (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Felicity Jones, The Aeronauts (PR: 12)
15. Kristen Stewart, Seberg (PR: 14)
Dropped Out:
Lesley Manville, Ordinary Love
Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Predicted Nominees:
1. Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers (PR: 3)
2. Laura Dern, Marriage Story (PR: 1)
3. Annette Bening, The Report (PR: 2)
4. Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 5)
5. Shuzhen Zhou, The Farewell (PR: 4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit (PR: 6)
7. Meryl Streep, Little Women (PR: 7)
8. Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey (PR: 11)
9. Florence Pugh, Little Women (PR: 8)
10. Nicole Kidman, Bombshell (PR: 12)
11. Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit (PR: Not Ranked)
12. Jennifer Hudson, Cats (PR: 9)
13. Margot Robbie, Bombshell (PR: 13)
14. Penelope Cruz, Pain and Glory (PR: Not Ranked)
15. Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Meryl Streep, The Laundromat
Anna Paquin, The Irishman
Octavia Spencer, Luce
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Predicted Nominees:
1. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 1)
2. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PR: 2)
When it comes to Oscar prognosticating, it’s been a fairly quiet weekend without any festivals or particularly high profile screenings. Yet that’s bound to change tomorrow because The Irishman cometh.
Two months ahead of its Netflix debut, Martin Scorsese’s epic gangster drama with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci will open the New York Film Festival. There are a few notable Academy hopefuls that haven’t screened like 1917, Bombshell, Little Women, and Dark Waters. Mr. Scorsese’s latest is the most eagerly awaited and we will know its potential Oscar viability in just a few hours (expect my individual post for it no later than Saturday).
So as we await that verdict, there were some developments in the past week:
I have moved Christian Bale from lead actor to supporting and that means he’s in for the first time, replacing Jamie Foxx.
Awkwafina gets the Best Actress #5 spot over Alfre Woodard.
The Two Popes has shifted to Adapted Screenplay and that takes Joker out.
The misfortune for Joker continues as I’ve moved it out of my top ten Picture projections in favor of The Farewell.
With Popes removed from Original Screenplay, Waves takes its slot.
WINNER OF THE WEEK: The Farewell
LOSER OF THE WEEK: Joker
Let’s get to it!
BEST PICTURE
Predicted Nominees:
1. Marriage Story (Previous Ranking: 1)
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 2)
3. The Irishman (PR: 3)
4. Ford v Ferrari (PR: 4)
5. Jojo Rabbit (PR: 7)
6. Parasite (PR: 5)
7. 1917 (PR: 6)
8. The Two Popes (PR: 8)
9. Little Women (PR: 10)
10. The Farewell (PR: 13)
Other Possibilities:
11. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PR: 11)
12. Joker (PR: 9)
13. Waves (PR: 12)
14. Pain and Glory (PR: 18)
15. A Hidden Life (PR: 15)
16. Bombshell (PR: 16)
17. Ad Astra (PR: 23)
18. Just Mercy (PR: 14)
19. The Lighthouse (PR: 17)
20. The Report (PR: 21)
21. Booksmart (PR: 19)
22. Dark Waters (PR: 20)
23. Judy (Not Ranked)
24. Rocketman (PR: 24)
25. Knives Out (PR: 22)
Dropped Out:
The Good Liar
BEST DIRECTOR
Predicted Nominees:
1. Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 1)
2. Martin Scorsese, The Irishman (PR: 3)
3. Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite (PR: 4)
4. Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story (PR: 2)
5. Sam Mendes, 1917 (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit (PR: 7)
7. James Mangold, Ford v Ferrari (PR: 6)
8. Greta Gerwig, Little Women (PR: 8)
9. Fernando Meirelles, The Two Popes (PR: 9)
10. Pedro Almodovar, Pain and Glory (PR: 10)
11. Terrence Malick, A Hidden Life (PR: 12)
12. Lulu Wang, The Farewell (PR: 14)
13. Trey Edward Shults, Waves (PR: 15)
14. Marielle Heller, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PR: 11)
15. James Gray, Ad Astra (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Todd Phillips, Joker
BEST ACTRESS
Predicted Nominees:
1. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story (PR: 1)
2. Renee Zellweger, Judy (PR: 2)
3. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet (PR: 4)
4. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women (PR: 3)
5. Awkwafina, The Farewell (PR: 6)
Other Possibilities:
6. Alfre Woodard, Clemency (PR: 6)
7. Lupita Nyong’o, Us (PR: 8)
8. Charlize Theron, Bombshell (PR: 7)
9. Helen Mirren, The Good Liar (PR: 10)
10. Jodie Turner-Smith, Queen and Slim (PR: 11)
11. Lesley Manville, Ordinary Love (PR: 9)
12. Felicity Jones, The Aeronauts (PR: 12)
13. Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell (PR: 13)
14. Kristen Stewart, Seberg (PR: 14)
15. Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Elle Fanning, Teen Spirit
BEST ACTOR
Predicted Nominees:
1. Adam Driver, Marriage Story (PR: 1)
2. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker (PR: 2)
3. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes (PR: 3)
4. Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory (PR: 5)
5. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Robert De Niro, The Irishman (PR: 6)
7. Taron Egerton, Rocketman (PR: 9)
8. Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name (PR: 8)
9. Brad Pitt, Ad Astra (PR: 13)
10. Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems (PR: 10)
11. Michael B. Jordan, Just Mercy (PR: 12)
12. Mark Ruffalo, Dark Waters (PR: 14)
13. Ian McKellen, The Good Liar (PR: 11)
14. Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse (PR: 15)
15. Daniel Kaluuya, Queen and Slim (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari (moved to Supporting)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Predicted Nominees:
1. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 1)
2. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PR: 2)
3. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes (PR: 3)
4. Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse (PR: 4)
5. Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari (PR: Not Ranked – moved from lead)
OtherPossibilities:
6. Al Pacino, The Irishman (PR: 6)
7. Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy (PR: 5)
8. Sterling K. Brown, Waves (PR: 7)
9. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit (PR: 8)
10. Joe Pesci, The Irishman (PR: 9)
11. Alan Alda, Marriage Story (PR: 10)
12. John Lithgow, Bombshell (PR: 11)
13. Tracy Letts, Ford v Ferrari (PR: 13)
14. Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy (PR: 12)
15. Chris Evans, Knives Out (PR: 14)
Dropped Out:
Jamie Bell, Rocketman
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Predicted Nominees:
1. Laura Dern, Marriage Story (PR: 1)
2. Annette Bening, The Report (PR: 2)
3. Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers (PR: 3)
4. Shuzhen Zhou, The Farewell (PR: 4)
5. Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 5)
OtherPossibilities:
6. Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit (PR: 7)
7. Meryl Streep, Little Women (PR: 6)
8. Florence Pugh, Little Women (PR: 8)
9. Jennifer Hudson, Cats (PR: 12)
10. Meryl Streep, The Laundromat (PR: 11)
11. Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey (PR: Not Ranked)
12. Nicole Kidman, Bombshell (PR: 9)
13. Margot Robbie, Bombshell (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Anna Paquin, The Irishman (PR: 13)
15. Octavia Spencer, Luce (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Penelope Cruz, Pain and Glory
Anne Hathaway, Dark Waters
Ana de Armas, Knives Out
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Irishman (PR: 1)
2. Jojo Rabbit (PR: 2)
3. The Two Popes (PR: Not Ranked – moved from Original)
Flying into Telluride this weekend is the hot air balloon adventure TheAeronauts, which reunites TheTheoryofEverything costars Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne. The Amazon Studios production comes with high hopes (a reported $80 million budget) and early reviews suggest it’s fast paced and fun entertainment. Tom Harper directs. Earlier this year, he put out the indie country music drama WildRose with an acclaimed performance from Jessie Buckley.
Jones and Redmayne both nabbed Academy nods five years ago for Theory with the latter winning Best Actor. Since then, they’ve moved on to franchise material like RogueOne: AStarWarsStory and the FantasticBeasts pics. Their reunion is highly unlikely to make them return nominees.
If TheAeronauts can factor in anywhere, perhaps it’s Visual Effects. Yet that could be a tall order considering competition that could include heavy hitters such as Avengers: Endgame, TheLionKing, and this December’s StarWars: TheRiseofSkywalker. Production Design and Costume Design might be reachable as well. My Oscar Watch posts will continue…
It’s been quite some time since Renee Zellweger has been in the minds of Oscar voters for consideration, but that looks to change in 2019 with Judy. The film finds the actress portraying screen legend Judy Garland in the final tumultuous year of her life. Rupert Goold directs with a supporting cast including Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell, and Michael Gambon.
While reviews for the picture itself are of a mixed nature, critics are praising Zellweger’s work as the troubled star. At the beginning of this century, the performer was recognized three years in a row. In 2001 and 2002, she scored back to back nods in lead actress for BridgetJones’sDiary and Chicago. 2003 brought Zellweger a Supporting Actress win for ColdMountain.
Academy folks love a good comeback story and Zellweger looks primed for a fourth nomination here as Judy. I’d suspect that would be the extent of any recognition for Judy as a whole. My Oscar Watch posts will continue…
We are officially at the midpoint of this thing called 2019 and that means a midyear Oscar report is before you today on the blog. First things first: as awards watchers already know, the bulk of the eventual nominees will come your way in the second half of the year. It will likely be festivals such as Toronto and Venice that produce their initial screenings.
We have, however, already had Cannes and Sundance producing first looks at some contenders. The most high profile is Quentin Tarantino’s OnceUponaTimeinHollywood, which is out July 26 but debuted in the French Riviera. The celebrated auteur’s ninth feature immediately became a player in Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Leonardo DiCaprio (Actor), Brad Pitt (probably Supporting Actor), and Margot Robbie (Supporting Actress), as well as down the line tech races.
Cannes also served as the launching point for two contenders in the newly termed Best International Feature Film. They are Pedro Almodovar’s PainandGlory and Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, which won the Palme d’Or. With Glory, expect lots of chatter for its star Antonio Banderas to receive his first nod in Actor.
As for other possibilities in the lead Actor derby, we have Taron Egerton’s portrayal of Elton John in Rocketman. If Rami Malek could take home the gold last year for BohemianRhapsody, it’s certainly feasible that Egerton will have his supporters. Cannes also debuted the horror pic TheLighthouse with raves for Willem Dafoe. And though it’s a reach, there could be a push for Robert Downey Jr. to garner recognition for his decade plus embodiment of Tony Stark/Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame.
When it comes to Endgame, I would anticipate talk for a Picture nod, especially after BlackPanther became the first comic book pic to get one last year. At this juncture, I’ll say it gets plenty of chatter and no nomination. Yet that paradigm could shift.
Sundance gave us the true life political drama TheReport. That pic features both Adam Driver and Annette Bening in roles that drew acclaim. It’s out stateside in late September and is one to keep an eye on.
2019 has produced numerous female lead performances that could all be classified as dark horse contenders. The list includes Lupita Nyong’o (Us), Julianne Moore (GloriaBell), Awkwafina (TheFarewell), Elisabeth Moss (HerSmell), Elle Fanning (TeenSpirit), Florence Pugh (Midsommar), and Jessie Buckley (WildRose).
Despite its disappointing box office grosses, Olivia Wilde’s coming of age comedy Booksmart might be considered in Original Screenplay. Same goes for TheFarewell ahead of its release in a couple weeks.
For Best Animated Feature, ToyStory4 looks to be a slam dunk for a nomination and that also holds true for HowtoTrainYourDragon: TheHiddenWorld. Already released titles such as MissingLink and TheSecretLifeofPets2 are likely on the outside looking in.
As for documentaries, keep an eye on Apollo11, TheBiggestLittleFarm, and RollingThunderRevue: ABobDylanStoryByMartinScorsese. I would say Apollo is a strong contender for inclusion.
And that’s your report, ladies and gentlemen! Get ready for a whole bunch of Oscar speculation in the second half of the year…
After premiering at the Toronto Film Festival last fall, WildRose was released stateside in limited fashion this weekend. The musical drama casts Jessie Buckley as an ex con and mother of two who aspires to be a country crooner. Tom Harper directs and costars include Julie Walters and Sophie Okonedo.
Reviews have been strong and the pic stands at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Special attention has especially been paid to Buckley, who is also among the cast of HBO’s huge miniseries hit Chernobyl.
Rose struggled to blossom at the box office this weekend on four screens. It’s doubtful it will post significant numbers in multiplexes. Yet there could be a sizable push for Buckley to nab a Best Actress nod (and maybe Nicole Taylor’s original screenplay). My Oscar Watch posts will continue…
