21st Century Fox (FOX) Stock Up After Oscar Nominations

Other familiar faces are returning, as well, like last year’s best actor victor, Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”), Jennifer Lawrence (a record fourth nomination for the 25 year-old for “Joy“) and mainstay composer John Williams, who notched, staggeringly, his 50th nomination.

“Mad Max: Fury Road” is second with an impressive 10 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for George Miller, although its cast missed out on acting nods.

But he was excited to see the film in line for an awards season sweep, with three wins at the Golden Globes on Sunday and a field-leading 12 nominations at the Oscars. They will compete against rising star Brie Larson for psychological thriller “Room”, Charlotte Rampling for British drama “45 Years” and Saoirse Ronan for Irish immigrant tale “Brooklyn”.

Maybe Academy Award voters just wanted to make sure Oscars host Chris Rock had something to talk about? “I’m going to start crying now, but to get Best Actress and to get Best Picture means the absolute world to us”. With that said, here’s where you can see Thursday’s major Oscar-nominated films. Jennifer Jason Leigh picked up a (deserved) supporting actress nomination, and Ennio Morricone’s score and Robert Richardson’s cinematography were honored, but not being nominated for best picture, director, or original screenplay?

The full list of best picture nominees consists of “The Big Short”, “Bridge of Spies”, “Brooklyn”, “Mad Max: Fury Road”, “The Martian”, “The Revenant”, “Room”, and “Spotlight”.

Best actor in a supporting role: Christian Bale, “The Big Short”; Tom Hardy, “The Revenant”; Mark Ruffalo, “Spotlight”; Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies”; Sylvester Stallone, “Creed”. It would be his first Academy Award.

THE REVENANT is now playing in cinemas nationwide, It is in No 2 position (after Star Wars: The Force Awakens) at the NZ box office. Worth noting: Academy members opted for eight best picture nominees – and they could have gone for 10.

The nominees for best adapted screenplay are Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, “The Big Short”; Nick Hornby, “Brooklyn”; Phyllis Nagy, “Carol”; Drew Goddard, “The Martian”; Emma Donoghue, “Room”; Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, “Bridge of Spies”.

Film historian Mark Harris pointed out that both “Creed” and “Straight Outta Compton” weren’t completely snubbed – it’s just that both their nominations went to white actors and writers.

For best supporting actor, though, let’s run through a handful of the blistering and brilliant performances that did not make this cut: Benicio Del Toro (Sicario), Josh Brolin (Sicario), Paul Dano (Love & Mercy), and most grievously, Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina).

Leonardo DiCaprio poses for the shutterbugs upon arrival.

The 88th Academy Awards will take place on February 28 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will be televised live by ABC at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT.