By Lisa Richwine and Danielle Broadway
BEVERLY HILLS, California – Director Greta Gerwig and actress Margot Robbie, the women who helped make “Barbie” the runaway box office success of 2023, failed to land directing and lead actress Oscar nominations on Tuesday.
Leonardo DiCaprio, the lead actor in director Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” was passed over by Hollywood’s film academy in that category.
“Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” did snag two of the 10 best picture nominations, though they face formidable competition from the awards season frontrunner, “Oppenheimer,” which led Tuesday’s nominations with 13 nods.
Gerwig landed a nomination for best adapted screenplay for “Barbie,” along with her husband Noah Baumbach. The movie, which earned over $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office in 2023, snagged eight nominations in total, and Robbie is credited as a producer for the best picture nod.
Also not making the Oscar nomination cut was “Past Lives” star Greta Lee, who was vying for a best actress nod for her role in the romantic drama set in Seoul, South Korea, and New York.
Joining her, “Ferrari” actress Penelope Cruz did not receive a nomination for her supporting role in the high-speed racing drama despite good reviews for her performance.
Bradley Cooper was left off the best director list for “Maestro,” though he was nominated for best actor for starring in the film as composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. Cooper also was snubbed in the directing category for 2018 best picture nominee “A Star is Born.”
Among the overlooked films, “The Color Purple,” the musical adaptation of the 1982 book and the 1985 film, was almost completely shut out of the 2024 Oscars race, receiving only one nomination.