Oscars preview: Will Emma Stone or Lily Gladstone will best actress?
USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt explains his 2024 Oscar predictions and why it’ll be a big night for “Oppenheimer,” save a few categories.
Hold on to your butts, Hollywood: “Oppenheimer” rolls into the Oscars as an awards-season behemoth that, when the night is over, might even make some history.
Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed atomic-bomb thriller is not only a clear front-runner for best picture at tonight’s 96th Academy Awards but also best actor (Cillian Murphy), supporting actor (Robert Downey Jr.) and director. All told, “Oppenheimer” comes in with a leading 13 nominations and could break the Oscar-night record of 11, currently held by “Ben-Hur,” “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) is favored in the supporting actress race, while the most intriguing category is best actress, which features Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) vs. Emma Stone (“Poor Things”). A Gladstone win would be the first competitive Oscar for an Indigenous actor in long history of the Academy Awards.
But maybe there are some surprises in store? Stay tuned for all the highlights and big winners from the red carpet and main show (ABC, 7 p.m. ET/4 PT).
Things are starting to get busy inside the Dolby Theatre. “American Fiction” actress Erika Alexander and “Killers of the Flower Moon” star Brandon Fraser were among the first to arrive in the fancy (and very exclusive) downstairs bar, which is serving cocktails, salmon pizza, Kobe beef sliders and – mmm, mmm, MMMM – mini tacos. (Chef Wolfgang Puck was spotted wandering out from the kitchen in white Nike slippers and a big grin to hobnob as treys of his hors d’oeuvres passed around.) Arriving with his longtime partner Jeanne Moore, Fraser met Marlee Matlin and they had an animated discussion through a sign-language translator and took a selfie together. Then Fraser sauntered through a exit to the backstage area: Last year’s Oscar best actor winner is a presenter tonight.
Dominic Sessa was also seen enjoying a glass of white wine but it’s totally cool, though: Although he plays a teenager in “The Holdovers,” he’s of drinking age at 21.
Do you smell what The Rock is cooking? Unfortunately, Dwayne Johnson won’t be flipping burgers for attendees – they’re probably pretty hungry, even now – but he will be among the starry contingent handing out trophies at the Academy Awards ceremony. That crew also includes last year’s Oscar winners Brendan Fraser, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, plus Zendaya, Matthew McConaughey, Nicolas Cage, Mahershala Ali, Sam Rockwell, Lupita Nyong’o, Bad Bunny, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence and more.
Just as the Oscars red carpet was opening, protesters rallied for a Gaza cease-fire and snarled traffic near the Dolby Theatre, site of the Academy Awards. “No red carpet during genocide,” read one sign among dozens speaking out about the Israel-Hamas war. They waved Palestinian flags, set off red smoke bombs and chanted as a smaller group of demonstrators waved signs that read “Fear God.” They were demonstrating at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue, just about a block from the red carpet in Hollywood.
Political statements likely will make their way into the Oscars themselves: Artists4Ceasefire has asked attendees to wear red lapel pins representing a call for increased humanitarian aid and the release of hostages.
It’s still early but there’s already some news coming from the carpet: Vanessa Hudgens, 35, revealed her apparent pregnancy ahead of Sunday’s telecast. The co-host of ABC’s red-carpet special, who’s expecting her first child with Seattle Mariners shortstop Cole Tucker, arrived and turned heads in a black gown as she held her belly. USA TODAY has reached out to Hudgens’ and Tucker’s representatives for comment, but in the meantime … congrats, yall!
Jimmy Kimmel is back for a fourth tour of Oscar duty – last year, he returned to send up the Chris Rock/Will Smith slap and also maintain civility, and this time the late-night host says he’s not going to the well of Taylor Swift/Aaron Rodgers jokes but we’ll see how long that lasts.
Although he’s got a ways to go before catching the Oscar-hosting legacies of Billy Crystal (nine times) or Bob Hope (19!), Kimmel is now tied with Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon with No. 4.
After trying to make the “champagne carpet” happen last year – like “fetch,” it didn’t – we’re back to red for the latest parade of A-listers in their Sunday best. (Keep an eye out for fashion maven/best actor nominee Colman Domingo: He tells a different story every carpet.) E!’s “Live From the Red Carpet” kicks off at 4 p.m. ET/1 PT while ABC starts its pre-show coverage at 6:30 ET/3:30 PT hosted by Disney favorites Vanessa Hudgens (“High School Musical” represent!) and Julianne Hough. And check out entertainment.usatoday.com for our own fashion galleries and expert analysis.
We got you, fam. The 2024 Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live at abc.com and the ABC app (if you’re a cable subscriber) via Roku, AppleTV and Amazon Fire TV.
The Academy Awards can also be watched on certain streaming services that carry ABC, such as Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV and FuboTV.
Contributing: Bryan Alexander, Marco della Cava, Amanda Lee Myers and Jay Stahl
Carol Dennis is an entertainment aficionado with an eye for all things pop culture. She dives into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, from movie premieres to music festivals. Carol’s passion for storytelling extends beyond her reporting, as she’s an aspiring screenwriter in her free time.
