‘Barbie,’ ‘Oppenheimer’ and Netflix Aim to Dominate During Oscars Shortlist Voting

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor has made some changes in her life. We’ve all grown to know her as the two-time Emmy nominated actress from “When They See Us” and “Lovecraft Country” and her Oscar-nominated performance in “King Richard,” all of which came under her initial professional name: Aunjanue Ellis. When the first promotional materials were released for her new film “Origin” from writer and director Ava DuVernay, a natural question began circulating regarding the hyphenated addition of “Taylor” to her professional name.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Oscar voters tend to be big-screen enthusiasts. But the reality is that not every awards contender will be seen in the cinema — and that’s especially true during the holiday season, when all the family commitments, shopping and big meals can turn even a movie theater evangelist like Christopher Nolan into a couch potato. The allure of a theater’s dim, cool ambience and sharing the experience with strangers is what many filmmakers envision for their creations.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Who says you can’t laugh and win Oscars, too? In a stunning year for cinema, the candidates for the coveted best picture category are overflowing with prime comedic endeavors that surpass their dramatic counterparts. From a toy doll to an author with a triumphant “Black book” to a reverse Frankenstein tale that shows a whole lot of sex, the Academy has an opportunity to invite the softer side of cinema to its ceremony.

Ashley Benson is showing off her growing baby bump during a date night with husband Brandon Davis.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the shortlists for the 2024 Oscars this morning and there were few surprises in the usually competitive International Film category. Despite some top-tier candidates, the overall field was generally considered weaker than usual.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming 96th Oscars ceremony. Overall, Greta Gerwig’s meta-comedy “Barbie” had the most mentions with five including sound, original song for its three submissions from Billie Eilish (“What I Was Made For?”), Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”) and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (“I’m Just Ken”), and original score, from the latter duo. The big miss for “Barbie” was in makeup and hairstyling, which was the category that yielded the most surprises.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Get in, loser. We’re riding with Rachel McAdams because she’s still Queen Bee. Since she’s become a mother, life has changed.

George Strait, Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Garth Brooks as well as up and coming icons like Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs and Tyler Childers.Plus, if you ask us, any year that promises Southern Fried rockers Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Nathaniel Rateliff on tour will surely be a good time.Alright, no more line dancing around it.Here are the 50 biggest country concert tours that just might be coming to a city near you in 2024.Feat. Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town.Runs May 4 through Dec. 7.Feat. Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker on select dates.Runs April 20 through Aug. 25.Runs Feb. 7 through May 11. Feat. Carly PearceRuns Feb. 3 through June 29.Feat. Whiskey Myers, Neal McCoy, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Charley Crockett, Marty Stuart and Old Crow Medicine Show on select dates.Runs April 5 through Sept. 14.Runs April 26 through June 29.Feat. Dustin Lynch and Emily Ann Roberts.Runs Feb. 22 through May 4.Runs Feb. 7 through May 10.Runs Jan. 18 through Feb. 3.Runs Jan. 31 through June 26.Runs Jan. 15 through Feb. 27.Runs Jan. 5 through March 2.Runs Jan. 19 through March 21.Runs March 1 through July 20.Feat. Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman, Jon Pardi, Nate Smith, Bryan Martin, Lauren Watkins and Ella Langley on select dates.Runs April 4 through Aug. 9.Feat. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Sheryl Crow, Sierra Ferrell, the Middle East, Matt Maeson and Levi Turner on select dates.Runs Feb. 9 through Dec. 19.Feat. The Avett Brothers, Cody Jinks, Charles Wesley Godwin, Hailey Whitters, The Wilder Blue, Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, Drew Parker and Colby Acuff.Runs April 12 through Aug. 16.Feat. S.G. Goodman, Wynonna, Shovels & Rope, Allison Russell and Sylvan Esso on select dates.Ru

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The Oscars shortlist voting period has closed as of 5:00 p.m. PT. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the finalists in 10 categories — documentary feature (15), documentary short subject (15), international feature (15), makeup and hairstyling (10), sound (10), original score (15), original song (15), animated short film (15), live action short film (15), and visual effects (10) — on Thursday, Dec.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Danielle Brooks is having one of the most significant moments in her career, playing Sofia in “The Color Purple.” It’s a role that she portrayed on Broadway and received her first Tony nomination — but it wasn’t easy for the critically-acclaimed performer to get here. As the spirited and no-nonsense wife to Harpo (Corey Hawkins), Brooks’ Sofia is positioned as the hopeful and joyous anchor in a narrative that, at times, carries a thematic weight, craving moments of levity.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor It didn’t take long for America Ferrera to find the personal connection in the speech she delivers as Gloria in the box-office smash “Barbie.” “I think when we’re not historically meant to be in a room, it’s very difficult to show up in those spaces as your whole self,” she says on Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “Because you are taught to be grateful, you’re in the room.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Awards Circuit Column: It’s not just about “Barbenheimer” and biographical dramas. Awards voters need to look beyond the shiniest Oscar contenders to find under-heralded gems. From documentaries about musical greats to coming-of-age stories that brilliantly tap into the tribulations of being a tween, several movies deserve to be in the conversation for top prizes.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The top 20 finalists for the visual effects Oscar have been notified they have made it to the next round of voting. With Oscars shortlist voting opening in eight categories on Thursday, Dec. 14, Variety has learned exclusively that the visual effects finalists include Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire” and the lone animated feature contender, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.

Variety FYC Fest on Dec. 6 in Los Angeles. Variety‘s senior awards editor Clayton Davis, Senior Artisans Editor Jazz Tangcay and Senior Entertainment & Media Writer Matt Donnelly moderated several panels throughout the event.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The Academy has revealed the list of eligible films for consideration in best animated, documentary and international feature of the year, encompassing a broad range of blockbusters and critically acclaimed titles. GKids’ “The Boy and the Heron,” Pixar’s “Elemental,” Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” are among the 33 animated films in the running.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The “Barbenheimer” craze continues with Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” being named among AFI Awards 2023 top 10 best films of the year. Netflix led studios with two movies making the list — Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro” and Todd Haynes’ black comedy “May December.” With an eclectic mix of critically acclaimed and consumer friendly titles, the list of top movies also includes films by newcomers (Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction” and Celine Song’s “Past Lives”), veterans (Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers”) and stylish visionaries (Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” and Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor “Killers of the Flower Moon” has been named best picture by the National Board of Review, the organization announced on Wednesday. Co-distributed by Apple Original Films and Paramount Pictures, the crime epic also nabbed prizes for director Martin Scorsese and actress Lily Gladstone.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Netflix’s “May December” In Netflix’s “May December,” one of the most memorable scenes features Joe Yoo (played by Charles Melton) arriving at the hotel to deliver a letter from his wife Gracie (Julianne Moore) to actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman). Their encounter leads to a brief yet intense sexual liaison on the floor, culminating in a conspicuous silhouette shot of Joe’s penis. Amid Samy Burch’s narrative brilliance and Todd Haynes’ tantalizing direction, one might imagine Melton — known for his role in The CW’s “Riverdale” — felt immense pressure acting opposite Oscar winner Portman, who also produced the film.

In the wake of a Donald Trump presidency of 2016, in addition to the rise of anti-Gay legislation which poised a threat to the marriage equality decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, filmmaker Melinda Maerker and producer David Clayton Miller took the time to check in on the LGBTQIA+ community in the Midwest.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, a day before the National Board of Review will weigh in on its selections for the best films and performances of 2023. They’ll be following the New York Film Critics Circle who kicked off the season last week by crowning Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” as its top choice. Its West Coast counterpart, Los Angeles Film Critics, will drop their choices on Sunday.