The China Mail - Ariana snubbed and Chalamet supreme? Five Oscars takeaways

Here are five takeaways from this year's Oscars nominations, ahead of the March 15 gala:

- Snubs and surprises -

Every year, the Oscars nominations bring hand-wringing over the names that were not read out.

This year's highest-profile "snub" was Ariana Grande.

The pop sensation had earned a best supporting nod last year for the first "Wicked" film, but missed out this year despite taking a more prominent role in the Broadway adaptation's second chapter.

Indeed, there was no love at all for "Wicked: For Good," which failed to earn any nominations -- despite the first movie landing 10 nods, and winning two Oscars.

Other notable omissions this year included "One Battle After Another" female star Chase Infiniti, and "Hamnet" male lead Paul Mescal.

Among the surprises were supporting acting nominations for veteran Delroy Lindo ("Sinners") and Elle Fanning in Norwegian dramedy "Sentimental Value."

- Warner swansong? -

It is a rare feat for a single Hollywood studio to boast the two clear Oscar frontrunners.

With "Sinners" (16 nominations) and "One Battle After Another" (13), Warner Bros has pulled that off.

The studio has recently backed original fare from auteur filmmakers -- like Zach Cregger's horror hit "Weapons" (one nomination) and Bong Joon-ho's "Mickey 17" -- along with more commercial hits like "Superman" and "A Minecraft Movie."

Ironically, that success comes in what could be the century-old studio's swansong year as an independent distributor.

Warner Bros is the target of a fierce bidding war between Paramount Skydance and Netflix.

- Records tumble -

Sixteen nominations for "Sinners" was not the only record broken at Thursday's announcement.

In a sign of the increasingly global outlook of Oscars voters, a record four non-English-language acting performances are nominated this year.

That includes three Norwegian actors from "Sentimental Value" -- Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas -- and Brazil's Wagner Moura, the star of "The Secret Agent."

Meanwhile, "Hamnet" director Chloe Zhao became only the second woman to achieve multiple directing nominations, after Jane Campion. Zhao previously won the category with her best picture winner "Nomadland."

- Best casting -

This year, the Oscars introduced a prize for best casting -- the Academy's first new category since the animated film award was created in 2002.

With no precedent, it was unclear what exactly voters would be looking for -- star power, new discoveries, or a cohesive ensemble.

In the end, the category mostly mirrored the expected best picture frontrunners, with nominations going to "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "One Battle after Another," "The Secret Agent" and "Sinners."

- Chalamet supreme -

Timothee Chalamet is only 30, yet his Oscar nomination for "Marty Supreme" is his third for best actor -- after "Call Me By Your Name" in 2018 and last year for playing Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown."

Arguably the biggest star of his generation, Chalamet also earned a nod for his role as a producer in best picture nominee "Marty Supreme," the semi-fictional tale of a talented, always-hustling ping-pong player in 1950s New York and Japan.

Will it be third time lucky for Chalamet, at the Oscars ceremony in March?

Though up against Leonardo DiCaprio, Chalamet's chances are boosted by a strong all-round showing for "Marty Supreme" at Thursday's nominations announcement.

The movie exceeded most pundits' expectations with nine nods, including best director for Josh Safdie, best cinematography and best production design -- suggesting Oscars voters are paying close attention.

S.Wilson--ThChM