Oscars Night: Five Things to Watch

 Oscars statue cutouts rest on a table along the red carpet ahead of the 96th Academy Awards Friday, March 8, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP)
Oscars statue cutouts rest on a table along the red carpet ahead of the 96th Academy Awards Friday, March 8, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP)
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Oscars Night: Five Things to Watch

 Oscars statue cutouts rest on a table along the red carpet ahead of the 96th Academy Awards Friday, March 8, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP)
Oscars statue cutouts rest on a table along the red carpet ahead of the 96th Academy Awards Friday, March 8, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP)

Will "Oppenheimer" make Oscars history? Who will win the closely contested best actress race? And could Martin Scorsese go home empty-handed again?

Variety awards editor Clayton Davis suggests five things to watch out for this Sunday at the 96th Academy Awards:

'Oppenheimer' record-breaker?

There is no doubt Christopher Nolan's atomic blockbuster "Oppenheimer" will win multiple Oscars. But how many?

Even a "really conservative" eight would be the most for a film since "Slumdog Millionaire" in 2009, explained Davis.

The record of 11 is probably just out of reach. But 10 -- achievable if it wins close races like best actor and best adapted screenplay -- would put it tied with "West Side Story" (1961).

After years of small, indie hits taking best picture, "Oppenheimer" would be the highest-grossing winner since "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in 2004, and the third-highest of all time (also behind "Titanic").

It seems certain to be the top grossing film in history to win Oscars for its actors, in Robert Downey Jr and -- potentially -- Cillian Murphy.

And it would be only the second film to win best picture produced by a married couple -- Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas -- after "Driving Miss Daisy."

'Barbie' avalanche

While not likely to win more than a couple of Oscars, "Barbie" will be omnipresent throughout Sunday's gala.

Both Billie Eilish and Ryan Gosling are set to perform Oscar-nominated songs from the movie, and host Jimmy Kimmel is certain to pepper his opening monologue with jokes about the smash hit comedy.

"I can't imagine an entire evening that doesn't reference 'Barbie' multiple, if not hundreds of times," joked Davis.

Expect quips about the so-called "snubs" for Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, who were not nominated for directing and starring in the year's highest-grossing film, and many references to all things pink.

"It's going to be an avalanche of Barbie content. That might annoy a couple people," said Davis.

Best actress nail-biter

No major race is harder to predict than best actress, where Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone are neck-and-neck among the pundits' picks.

Davis is calling it for "Killers of the Flower Moon" star Gladstone, but admits his answer changes "at different moments."

As the first Native American actor to win, Gladstone would provide the gala with a historic moment, though some voters don't see her as the true "lead" of a film in which Leonardo DiCaprio dominates the three-and-a-half hours of screen time.

Stone's performance in Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos's "Poor Things" is popular among the Academy's "international vote" -- but could suffer if some of that bloc splinters off for Sandra Hueller, of French courtroom drama "Anatomy of a Fall."

"This is where it comes down to math," said Davis.

Scorsese's losses

Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest living directors, is hardly short of accolades.

But if Gladstone loses, "Killers" will likely become the third of Scorsese's movies to enter an Oscars with a whopping 10 nominations, and yet leave empty-handed.

Scorsese suffered the same with "The Irishman" and "Gangs of New York."

"It's like 'first world problems,' to have 30 Oscar nominations and you didn't win any of them," joked Davis. "But that is a lot."

America, America

As usual, the list of Oscars presenters is a who's who of Hollywood.

At a press conference this week, organizers revealed that five previous winners of each acting category will take to the stage to introduce the five nominees this year.

That could mean Jennifer Lawrence introducing Emma Stone, Matthew McConaughey announcing Paul Giamatti, and Tim Robbins praising Robert Downey Jr.

It is an approach borrowed from the 2009 Oscars, and brings a "lovely connection and that human interaction," said this year's showrunner Raj Kapoor.

The combination Davis is most hoping for?

"Rita Moreno is a presenter. And putting two and two together, there's no reason why she doesn't introduce America Ferrera's nomination for 'Barbie' and say 'America, America!'"

"I'm gonna cry. I'm gonna be in tears. And I can't wait."



'Shrek' Director Tackles Taboo in Netflix Fairy Tale 'Spellbound'

(L-R) US actress Jenifer Lewis, US-Australian actress Nicole Kidman, US actor Tituss Burgess, US actress Rachel Zegler, Spanish actor Javier Bardem and US actor Nathan Lane arrive for the New York premiere of Netflix's animated film "Spellbound," on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)
(L-R) US actress Jenifer Lewis, US-Australian actress Nicole Kidman, US actor Tituss Burgess, US actress Rachel Zegler, Spanish actor Javier Bardem and US actor Nathan Lane arrive for the New York premiere of Netflix's animated film "Spellbound," on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)
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'Shrek' Director Tackles Taboo in Netflix Fairy Tale 'Spellbound'

(L-R) US actress Jenifer Lewis, US-Australian actress Nicole Kidman, US actor Tituss Burgess, US actress Rachel Zegler, Spanish actor Javier Bardem and US actor Nathan Lane arrive for the New York premiere of Netflix's animated film "Spellbound," on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)
(L-R) US actress Jenifer Lewis, US-Australian actress Nicole Kidman, US actor Tituss Burgess, US actress Rachel Zegler, Spanish actor Javier Bardem and US actor Nathan Lane arrive for the New York premiere of Netflix's animated film "Spellbound," on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)

Animated films tackling parent separation and divorce are few and far between.

While live-action kids' classics like "The Parent Trap" and "Mrs. Doubtfire" have used the concept as a launchpad for humorous antics, animation has tended to steer entirely clear of the issue.

"Isn't that funny... you can kill off a parent in a movie like 'Lion King,' or 'Bambi,'" said Vicky Jenson, best known for co-directing "Shrek."

"Disney moms are often dead -- the only time anyone remarries is because the other spouse is dead. This topic of separation, of parents not being able to live together... it's taboo."

But in Jenson's new film, "Spellbound," a princess's parents have been transformed by a dastardly spell into literal monsters.

It is an allegorical device that forces young Ellian to try to "fix" her mother and father, and their broken family.

"We encountered some resistance when we were looking for someone to help bring the movie to the world, a partner to distribute the movie," Jenson told AFP.

"They all reacted the same way, like: 'What a beautiful movie, what a great message.' And then they ghosted us!"

The movie went through a number of different studios, including Paramount and Apple TV+, before ultimately landing at Netflix, which will release the film Friday.

"I credit Netflix for stepping up bravely and partnering with us on this," said Jenson.

"In this environment, it does feel like stories that push the boundaries are more accessible on streaming.

"Theaters are kind of filled with superheroes right now... the big safe bets."

- 'Monsters' -

As the film starts, tenacious teen princess Ellian (voiced by Rachel Zegler) is desperately seeking a cure for the mysterious spell that has transformed her parents, Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman) and King Solon (Javier Bardem).

To make matters worse, she must hide the whole mess from the oblivious citizens of Lumbria.

When the secret gets out, and panic spreads throughout the kingdom, Ellian is forced on a dangerous quest to undo the curse.

But even if she succeeds, she soon learns that her family may never go back to the way it once was.

To make Ellian's reaction to her -- literally -- monstrous parents believable and accurate, filmmakers employed the consulting services of a family psychologist and therapist who specialized in divorce.

"Kids feel like it's their responsibility to fix this. They don't understand that something happened to their parents -- they're acting like monsters," explained Jenson.

The director, and cast and crew, also drew on their own experiences, "because we all know our parents are monsters at one point -- and as parents, we're all monsters at one point," she joked.

- An inverse 'Shrek'? -

The end result is a thoroughly contemporary parable, set in a magical fairytale kingdom.

That has clear echoes of Jenson's smash-hit directing debut "Shrek," but with cause and effect reversed.

"'Shrek' was the modern take on fairy tales. This was a fairy tale take on a modern story," she said.

For Jenson and the filmmakers -- including legendary composer Alan Menken, of "The Little Mermaid,Beauty and the Beast" and countless more -- it was important to bring this "truth about family life" to the screen.

It "is there for so many of us, but hadn't been approached as a myth or as a new fairy tale before," said Jenson.

"Now, a new fairy tale is out there for that experience that so many kids, so many parents, so many families need help through."