By Jake Coyle, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Famous people are arriving at the 96th Academy Awards, where protests against the war in Gaza by Israel are happening near the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
There were scattered demonstrations near the Oscars on Sunday. The Los Angeles police, who were expecting protests, increased their already large presence. The Dolby Theatre and the pathway into it are closed off for several blocks in every direction, but protesters caused traffic problems for some people going to the awards.
Among the early arrivals Sunday were Jamie Lee Curtis, last year’s best supporting actress winner, Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin and members of the Osage Nation, who will join Scott George to perform “Wahzhazhe” from “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
The Oscars, starting on ABC at 7 p.m. EST Sunday, are moving an hour ahead earlier than usual due to daylight saving time. But other than the time change, this year’s show is following many well-known Academy Awards traditions. Jimmy Kimmel is back as host. Past winners are returning as presenters. And a big studio epic is set for a major awards win.
“Oppenheimer,” the popular biographical film, is widely expected to dominate all competition — including its release-date companion, “Barbie” — at an election-year Oscars that could become a celebration for Christopher Nolan.
But there is a lot of talk about this year’s show. Apart from the Israel-Hamas war, the conflict in Ukraine will be on some attendees’ minds, particularly those of the journalist filmmakers behind the documentary favorite, “20 Days in Mariupol.” And with the presidential election in full swing, politics could be an unavoidable topic despite an awards season that’s played out largely in a vacuum.
Hollywood also has a lot of its own problems to worry about.
The 2023 movie year was defined by a prolonged strike over the future of an industry that’s dealing with the onset of streaming, artificial intelligence and changing moviegoer preferences that have tested even the most successful brands. The academy, while also widely nominating films like “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things,” embraced both “Oppenheimer,” the top nominee with 13 nods, and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” the year’s biggest hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales and eight nominations.
HOW TO WATCH
Before the broadcast on ABC, a red carpet preshow will start at 6:30 p.m. EST. E! will start its red-carpet coverage at 4 p.m. EST and arrivals are being streamed on YouTube by The Associated Press.
The show will be available to stream via ABC.com and the ABC app with a cable subscription. You can also watch through services including Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV.
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE TELECAST
Five past winners in each acting category will together announce winners for the first time since 2009. Among the many announced presenters are: Zendaya, Al Pacino, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Yeoh, Steven Spielberg, Dwayne Johnson, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage and Bad Bunny.
All of the top original song nominees will be performed, including the most probable winner, “What Was I Made For” from “Barbie,” to be sung by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. The other songs are: “I’m Just Ken,” with Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson; “The Fire Inside,” from “Flamin’ Hot,” to be performed by Becky G; Jon Batiste’s “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony”; and “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” from “Killers of the Flower Moon,” to be performed by Scott George and the Osage Singers.
WHO ARE THE FAVORITES?
“Oppenheimer” arrives having won at the producers, directors and actors guilds, making it the clear front-runner for best picture. The film is widely expected to win in a number of other categories as well. Nolan is expected to win his first best director Oscar, while Robert Downey Jr. (best supporting actor) and Cillian Murphy (best actor) are also expected to win their first Academy Award. Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) could compete with Murphy.
With the predicted “Oppenheimer” sweep, the night’s biggest drama is in the best actress category. Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) and Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) are nearly even-odds to win. While an Oscar for Stone, who won for her performance “La La Land,” would be her second statuette, a win for Gladstone would make Academy Awards history. No Native American has ever won a competitive Oscar.
While “Barbie” outperformed (and helped boost) “Oppenheimer” at the box office, it seems likely it will take a back seat to Nolan’s film at the Oscars. Gerwig was notably snubbed for best director, sparking an outcry that some, even Hillary Clinton, said mimicked the patriarchy parodied in the film.
In supporting actress, Da’Vine Joy Randolph has been a lock all season for her performance in Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers.”
WHAT ELSE TO LOOK FOR
Composer John Williams, 92, is expected to attend the ceremony where he’s nominated for the 49th time for best score, for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ” Meanwhile Godzilla is going to the Oscars for the first time, with “Godzilla Minus One” notching a nomination for best visual effects.
Also for the first time, two non-English language films are up for best picture: the German-language Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest” and the French courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall.” “The Zone of Interest” is the heavy favorite to win best international film.
Historically, having big movies in the mix for the Oscars’ top awards has been good for broadcast ratings. The Academy Awards’ largest audience ever came when James Cameron’s “Titanic” swept the 1998 Oscars.
Last year’s ceremony, where a very different best-picture contender in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” triumphed, was watched by 18.7 million people, up 12% from the year prior. ABC and the academy are hoping to continue the upward trend after a nadir in 2021, when 9.85 million watched a pandemic-diminished telecast relocated to Los Angeles’ Union Station.
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP.
