The Oscars Are Trying to Be Relevant Again

"This morning's Oscar nominations capped a year marked by a stunning run of critical and commercial success for one of Hollywood's biggest-and most discussed-studios. Warner Bros. dominated proceedings with big hauls for One Battle After Anotherand Sinners. The latter, a vampire story set in 1930s Mississippi, made Academy history by becoming the most nominated film of all time: It earned 16 nods, two higher than the previous record holders, Titanic, La La Land, and All About Eve."

"That success still came with familiar existential baggage for the film industry. Warner Bros., while making creative bets that paid off, has been embroiled in high-stakes merger drama for several months. Netflix and Paramount have both vied to purchase the studio, which in either case would create a corporate behemoth likely less inclined to take the risks that lead to a One Battle, or a Sinners, or even a Weapons(which nabbed a Best Supporting Actress nod for Amy Madigan, who played the antagonist)."

"No matter what the future holds, though, the Warner Bros. triumph can't be undermined: It helped define 2025 as a year in which movies coaxed adult audiences to theaters, by blending action and spectacle with more challenging, trenchant storytelling. Other big nomination-getters included Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, an adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel that especially drew plaudits for its emotionally demanding performances. (Jessie Buckley, who plays a grief-stricken mother, has been the presumed front-runner for Best Actress since awards season began.)"

Oscars nominations highlighted a year of critical and commercial returns for major studios, led by Warner Bros. Warner Bros. earned large hauls for One Battle After Another and Sinners; Sinners, a vampire story set in 1930s Mississippi, received a record 16 nominations, surpassing Titanic, La La Land, and All About Eve. The studio's success coincides with ongoing high-stakes merger negotiations involving Netflix and Paramount, deals that could produce corporate owners less willing to greenlight risky, original projects. The nominations signaled a 2025 trend of films that brought adult audiences back to theaters by mixing spectacle and challenging storytelling. Other notable nominees included Chloé Zhao's Hamnet and A24's Marty Supreme.

Read at The Atlantic