Oscar Best: Last News

Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament is back. While studios during Covid wildly embraced the theatrical day-and-date model when cinemas were closed, they soon realized there’s nothing more profitable than a theatrical release and the downstreams that come with it. If anything, theatrical is the advertisement for a movie’s longevity in subsequent home entertainment windows. Entering the conversation in 2023 were the streamers, such as Apple, who have also realized the necessity of theatrical to eventize their movies. The financial data pulled together here for Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament is culled by seasoned and trusted sources.

Standing ovations are rare at SXSW, but the Matthew McConaughey starring western/musical/drama The Rivals of Amziah King was far more than alright, alright, alright, earning one from the Austin, TX Paramount Theatre crowd Monday.

EXCLUSIVE: I’m getting word that Elevation Pictures vet Sarah Timlick is being hired as Amazon MGM Studios Head of Theatrical Distribution for Canada. This would mark the streamer and motion picture studio’s first hire in their planned international film distribution division.

Sean Baker’s “Anora” won Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars.The independent film, nominated for six Oscars, won five; in addition to Best Picture, Baker won the awards for Best Director, Film Editing, and Original Screenplay. In doing this, he became only the second person ever to win four Oscars in one night, behind Walt Disney, who achieved the feat in 1953.

The long awards season that began way back in May when the trio of eventual Oscar Best Picture nominees Emilia Pérez, Anora and The Substance took Cannes by storm hits its high point with the 97thOscars, which take place Sunday, March 2, 2025 in Hollywood.

Matt Minton mminton@variety.com This year’s USC Libraries Scripter Awards nominated “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Nickel Boys,” “Sing Sing” and “The Wild Robot” on the film side, while in TV, “Baby Reindeer,” “Ripley,” “Say Nothing,” “Shōgun” and “Slow Horses” were recognized for their outstanding episodes. Considered a strong indicator for the best adapted screenplay category at the Oscars, past Scripter winners that went on to win at the Academy Awards include “12 Years a Slave” (2013), “The Imitation Game” (2014), “The Big Short” (2015), “Moonlight” (2016), “Call Me by Your Name” (2017), “Nomadland” (2020), “Women Talking” (2022) and “American Fiction” (2023).

The awards season is winding down, the nominations are out and the final stretch of the race that concludes at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood with the 97th annual Oscars is on. That means it’s time for Deadline’s Contenders Film: The Nominees, our annual virtual nominees showcase that kicks off this morning at 9 a.m. PT.

This year’s Golden Globe nominations are being revealed with Wicked, Gladiator, Anora, Emilia Perez, A Complete Unknown, Baby Reindeer, The Bear, Shogun and Slow Horses among film and TV projects expected to be in the mix.

Nominations for the 82nd annual Golden Globes are set to be revealed Monday, December 9 beginning at 5:15 a.m. PT/8:30 a.m. ET.

Charlize Theron is set to join the cast of Christopher Nolan’s next film at Universal. He joins a cast that already includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinsonand Lupita Nyong’o.

Robert Pattinson is in talks to join the A-list ensemble of Christopher Nolan’s next film at Universal. He joins a cast that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and Lupita Nyong’o.

Great indie numbers this weekend as Anora turned out highest per-screen-average of 2024 at $90k on six screens for a $540k gross. We Live In Time, the best platform expansion of the year, grossed $4.2 million on 956 screens in week 2 for a $4.5 million cume. Newcomers Union and The Line fared well on one screen each, as did Goodrich on about 1,000.

Paramount Pictures has set a limited theatrical release for Tim Felbaum’s thriller September 5 for Nov. 27 after a great response for the movie out of the Venice and Telluride film festivals.

NEON has dated their fifth Cannes Palme D’Or winner Anora for Oct. 18 per Comscore in what will be a limited release.

Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament is back. While studios during Covid wildly embraced the theatrical day-and-date model when cinemas were closed, they soon realized there’s nothing more profitable than a theatrical release and the downstreams that come with it. If anything, theatrical is the advertisement for a movie’s longevity in subsequent home entertainment windows. Entering the conversation in 2023 were the streamers, such as Apple, who have also realized the necessity of theatrical to eventize their movies. The financial data pulled together here for Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament is culled by seasoned and trusted sources.

Editors note: Filmmaker and producer Davis Guggenheim directed 2006’s An Inconvenient Truth featuring Al Gore. The film won the Oscar and helped put Jeff Skoll‘s social-impact-driven production company then known as Participant Media on the map, and also sounded an alarm about climate change that has become more pronounced since the film was released. In addition to documentaries, Participant was also responsible for Oscar Best Picture winners Spotlight and Green Book, and Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion, another timely topic. Guggenheim is a co-founder of Concordia Studio and most recently directed and produced Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, which  won four Emmys including for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.  He is the only person to direct and produce three distinct films ranking in the top 100 highest-grossing documentaries of all time (An Inconvenient Truth, It Might Get Loud, and Waiting for Superman). Here he penned a guest column for Deadline after learning Participant was shuttering. 

UPDATED with more details: Financier and producer Participant is shuttering after 20 years. Founder Jeff Skoll alerted staff at 10:30 a.m. PT on Tuesday, Deadline has confirmed.

Kelly Osbourne have revealed who they think should play their parents in a biopic about the couple.Speaking on a recent episode of The Osbournes Podcast, the two siblings spoke about the possible project, which was announced to be in development back in 2020, and officially confirmed in 2021.Bringing up the conversation about their movie, Jack asked the question: “Who do you want to play you guys”?, prompting Kelly to say: “I know who I want to play mum — Florence Pugh. I think Florence Pugh would do a fantastic [job].”Pugh, 28, recently starred in the critically acclaimed Dune: Part Two, as well as Oscar Best Picture winner Oppenheimer.Sharon, who has been a contestant on the latest season of Celebrity Big Brother, added: “I think Florence Pugh or the little girl from Game of Thrones,” referring to Maisie Williams.Jack then chimed in with: “You know who I want to play dad? Bill Hader.”He continued: “Everyone thinks I’m fucking crazy until I show a side-by-side picture, and then that guy’s ability to morph.”Jack then showed his father a photograph of the American comedy actor, to which Ozzy responded: “Fuck off!” His wife disagreed, repeatedly agreeing with Jack and saying: “I think he could nail it.”No recent updates to the biopic’s development have been made, however according to the podcast it is set to explore the famous couple’s relationship from 1979 to 1999, covering the rise of Ozzy’s career as the lead vocalist of Black Sabbath.Ozzy made a witty remark on the podcast about the stagnant project saying: “By the time we finish this film I’ll be dead.”Kelly added that she is “staying out of” the movie.

War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film tonight, marking the first Oscar win for filmmakers Dave Mullins and Brad Booker.

Following her whirlwind award season where she won every award she was up for, Da’Vine Joy Randolph completed the sweep as she took home Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in The Holdovers. The historic night was capped off by her being presented the Oscar by past winners Mary Steenburgen, Lupita Nyong’o, Jamie Lee Curtis, Regina King and Rita Moreno.

Getting into the 96th Academy Awards has been complicated by the security measures meant to keep pro-Palestinian protesters at a distance. Sources who are waiting to get in said they’ve been stymied. “The entrance of the Oscars has been shut down,” said a source in a tux. “Hundreds of people are stuck.”