Dune 2 and Wicked Both Got a Ton of Oscar Nominations (But Will Either Win Best Picture?)

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This year, both “Dune: Part Two” and “Wicked” garnered multiple Oscar nominations. These two highly praised blockbusters are among the ten films competing for Best Picture at the 97th Academy Awards. Besides its contention for the top honor, “Dune: Part Two” excelled in technical categories, securing nominations for Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design. Interestingly, it only received a total of five nominations, while its predecessor, “Dune: Part One,” from 2021, earned ten.

In the meantime, Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the popular musical “Wicked” garnered 10 nominations this year, tying with Brady Corbet’s film “The Brutalist” for the second highest number of nominations (only “Emilia Pérez” had more with 13). Besides Best Picture, “Wicked” was also recognized in categories such as Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo), and Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande).

In the awards season, films like “Dune: Part Two” and “Wicked” have consistently earned numerous prestigious recognitions, making them strong candidates for the Best Picture title. These two movies were even nominated for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award, an honor similar to Best Picture given by the Producers Guild. Additionally, both films garnered recognition at the Golden Globes; “Dune: Part Two” was nominated in the Best Picture, Drama category and “Wicked” was contending for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. Unfortunately, neither film won as “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez” were the eventual winners.

The 97th Academy Awards will unfold on March 2nd next Sunday. Back in November 2024, it was disclosed that Conan O’Brien will emcee this event. This is a first for O’Brien as he takes over the hosting duties from Jimmy Kimmel who hosted the past two years.

With the nominations revealed, discussions will now center on which movies stand the best chance to take home the top prize. Between “Dune: Part Two” and “Wicked”, the latter seems to have a stronger likelihood, given it received twice as many nominations, including two acting categories. The fact that “Wicked” was nominated for Best Editing is promising, as historically, this category often indicates a strong contender for Best Picture. On the other hand, “Dune: Part Two” didn’t receive as much support as the original “Dune”, making its path to winning Best Picture more challenging. It may have a better chance of claiming one or two of its technical nominations, potentially repeating “Dune: Part One”‘s win in Best Visual Effects. However, it’s important to note that “Wicked” isn’t necessarily the frontrunner; the results from the Golden Globes suggest that some other films might be preferred by awards voters.

To put it simply, the Golden Globes isn’t always accurate when forecasting the Oscars. For instance, “Oppenheimer” won Best Picture at the Globes, but “Everything Everywhere All at Once” did not. This means there’s a chance for films like “Wicked”, although it might face tough competition. Other movies such as “The Brutalist”, “Emilia Pérez”, “Anora”, “Conclave”, “The Substance”, “A Complete Unknown”, “Nickel Boys”, and “I’m Still Here” have garnered a lot of attention during awards season. The Best Picture race isn’t likely to become clear until more Oscar precursors are announced. It will be intriguing to see how the Academy’s preferential voting system affects the category. A well-liked film like “Wicked” could potentially secure key secondary votes, increasing its chances of winning. However, other nominees could also do the same.

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2025-01-23 18:39