The 25th James Bond film, 'No Time to Die', made a strong showing at the shortlists released for the 94th Oscars ahead of the formal nominations, with mentions in five categories such as Song, Score, Sound, Visual Effects, Make-up and Hairstyling to lead all films. 'Dune', with four mentions in the same categories except Song was close behind. On the other hand, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish are all in the running for the best original song Oscar. Beyonce's ballad 'Be Alive' from King Richard will compete against her husband Jay-Z's 'Guns Go Bang' from The Harder They Fall. Ariana Grande is named on the list for her song Just Look Up in collaboration with Kid Cudi.
The Oscars shortlists cover 10 categories overall, including Documentary Feature; International Film; Animated, Live Action, and Documentary Shorts; Make-up and Hairstyling; Music Score; Original Song; Sound; and Visual Effects.
Denmark's 'Flee' made the cut for both Documentary Feature and International Film. It is also eligible for Animated Feature (not a shortlisted category) this year, and should it eventually score final nominations in all three categories, it will set an Oscar record for that triple play, reports deadline.com.
Although there weren't many surprises this morning, for some the most shocking omission will likely be in International Feature, where French entry and Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner 'Titane' from Director Julia Ducournau missed the cut after she became only the second woman ever (after Jane Campion) to win the Palme.
Her film contains some extreme violence that might have turned off some Academy voters viewing the film on Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) digital platform. "I had predicted more than a few might not make it through the entire film."
Home viewing probably hurt this one, as well as Romanian entry and Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear winner 'Bad Luck Banging' or 'Loony Porn, which opens with a hardcore sex tape for its first 10 minutes. It would be interesting to see how many voters got past that beginning for the critically praised Berlin winner.
In terms of multiple mentions, which bode well for eventual nominations in other categories as well, the aforementioned Campion's 'The Power of the Dog' has three, and such big blockbuster titles like 'Spider Man: No Way Home' and 'The Matrix: Resurrections' are among those with two.
Final nominations will be announced on February 8. The Oscars are scheduled to take place on March 27 at the Dolby Theatre.
