Movie stars, directors and producers are set to come together for Hollywood’s biggest night on Sunday, Feb. 28. The Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars, is an event for people in the world of film to honor fellow colleagues for their work during the past year.
According to the official Oscars website, eight films are nominated for the coveted best picture award, ranging from genres such as action to suspense.
Director Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” is one of the eight films nominated for best picture. Starring Matt Damon, the movie follows the trials of a man who was accidentally left on Mars and now has to wait for help in order to get home. The film won the Golden Globe for best comedy or musical in early January, beating out films such as “Trainwreck,” starring Amy Schumer.
Competing against “The Martian” is “The Revenant” starring Leonardo DiCaprio who plays an infamous animal trapper who seeks to get revenge against the people wronged him. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is no stranger to the Academy Awards, having won best picture and best director last year with his film “Birdman.” Inarritu has already won best director at the Golden Globes this year.
DiCaprio is nominated for actor in a leading role for his role as Hugh Glass. This is Dicaprio’s fifth Oscar nomination, and he has yet to win a trophy for his work. DiCaprio has already won the Golden Globe, the Screen Actor’s Guild Award and the Critics’ Choice Award for this movie. Many commentators from various publications, such as Indie Wire and Entertainment Weekly, predict that he will take the Oscar as well.
But DiCaprio faces tough competition in the category. Matt Damon is also nominated in that same category for his work in “The Martian” and has already won for best performance by an actor—musical or comedy at the Golden Globes. There is also Michael Fassbender, nominated for his role as Steve Jobs in the movie named after the tech mogul, and Bryan Cranston for his work in “Trumbo,” portraying the screenwriter and novelist Dalton Trumbo. Rounding out the category is Eddie Redmayne, who plays a man wanting to become a woman in “The Danish Girl.”
As for the ladies, there are some new and returning faces to the actress in a leading role category. Jennifer Lawrence is back for her third nomination in five years with her role as millionaire inventor Joy in the movie with the same name. Lawrence won the best actress in a motion picture—musical or comedy at the Golden Globes for this role earlier this year.
One of the newcomers in the category is Brie Larson, who is nominated for her work in “Room.” Larson plays the part of Joy “Ma” Newsome, a mother who is kept prisoner for a long period of time with her son. Larson has swept all other awards for her role, from the Golden Globe to the British Academy Film Awards, and is expected to win the Oscar as well.
Regardless of who wins, the Oscars will be a must watch for all movie lovers who look forward to seeing the films and those involved in the process—from the actors to the costume designers—honored for their accomplishments.
The Oscars will be hosted by comedian Chris Rock and will be broadcast live from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood this Sunday, Feb. 28, beginning with red-carpet coverage at 4 p.m. and the awards show at 5:30 p.m. on ABC.