Pals Leonardo DiCaprio and Thomas Hardy team up for The Revenant

Other nominees, including The Danish Girl leads Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, The Martian star Matt Damon, Joy actress Jennifer Lawrence, Room breakouts Brie Larson, Jason Tremblay, and Lenny Abrahamson, and several others recount what it meant to bring their stories and characters to life.

“The Revenant”, an ambitious pioneer-era saga, led with 12 nominations, including best picture, best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio and best director for Mexico’s Alejandro Inarritu, who won the top Oscar previous year for the dark showbiz comedy “Birdman”.

Sylvester Stallone, enjoying a new wave of popularity, scored a supporting actor nod for reprising his career-defining role as boxer Rocky Balboa in “Creed“.

But it took a seven-month, sub-zero shoot, and a role in which he barely speaks to give him his best shot at finally winning an Oscar. Other 2016 nominees are Ennio Morricone (The Hateful Eight), Thomas Newman (Bridge of Spies), Carter Burwell (Carol) and Johan Johannsson (Sicario).

The nominees announced Thursday mark the second year in a row of controversy over the lack of racial diversity in the major categories.

Last year, The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as World War II encryption expert Alan Turing, won only one Academy Award, for best adapted screenplay; the $14 million period piece wound up making a stunning $216 million globally on the strength of the story’s interest in Britain and Cumberbatch’s dedicated fan following.

One of the stars of the film, Ice Cube, was interviewed on the “Wendy Williams“.

Many Twitter users voiced their opinions using the hashtag #Oscarssowhite, which originally debuted previous year when Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris commented that they were honouring the “best and whitest” at the 2015 ceremony. The rapper and his co-stars were snubbed out of the “Best Picture” and acting categories.

“I’m not pissed”, Ice Cube told Wendy Williams. I’m not surprised. It’s the Oscars – they do what they do. The people supported the movie.

Despite the box office success, Thursday’s announcement was not universally popular. Over $200 million worldwide. “I can’t be mad”.