‘One Battle After Another’ leads nominations, while ‘Wicked’ falters

Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene of “One Battle After Another” [AP Photo]

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” scored a leading nine nominations to the 83rd Golden Globe Awards yesterday [Macau time], adding to the Oscar favorite’s momentum and handing Warner Bros. a victory amid Netflix’s acquisition deal.

In nominations announced from Beverly Hills, California, “One Battle After Another” landed nods for its cast — Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn and Chase Infiniti — and for Anderson’s screenplay and direction. It’s competing in the Globes’ category for comedy and musicals.

Close on its heels was Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” a Norwegian family drama about a filmmaking family. The Neon release’s eight nominations included nods for four of its actors: Stellan Skarsgård, Renate Reinsve, Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas.

The Globe nominations, a tattered but persistent rite in Hollywood, are coming on the heels of the a potentially seismic shift in entertainment. On Friday, Netflix struck a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery for $72 billion. If approved, the deal would reshape Hollywood and put one of its most storied movie studios in the hands of the streaming giant.

Both companies are prominent in this year’s awards season. Along with “One Battle After Another,” Warner Bros. has “Sinners,” Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed vampire hit. It was nominated for seven awards by the Globes, including box office achievement, best actor for Michael B. Jordan and Coogler for best director.

Netflix’s contenders include Noah Baumbach’s “Jay Kelly” (which landed nods for George Clooney and Adam Sandler), Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” (five nominations) and the streaming smash hit, “KPop Demon Hunters.” Arguably the most-watched movie of the year, the three nominations for “KPop Demon Hunters” included one for cinematic and box office achievement — an oddity for Netflix, which typically gives its films only small, limited theatrical runs but found a No. 1 box office weekend in singalong screenings for the animated film.

The proposed deal for Warner Bros. has stoked concern throughout the industry that Netflix might devote one of the most theatrical-focused studios to streaming. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has pledged a theatrical commitment to many Warner releases, but the leading trade group for exhibitors has called the deal “an unprecedented threat.” On Sunday, President Donald Trump said the market share created by the merger “could be a problem,” and Paramount said Monday it was mounting a hostile bid for Warner Bros.

Yet the studio that triumphed on the movie side of the Globe nominations was Neon. The indie specialty film company has emerged as a dominant force in international releases, winning a string of Palme d’Or awards at the Cannes Film Festival. It earned 21 nominations Monday, including five of the six international film nominees.

Some of those nominations came at the expense of some high-profile studio films. “Wicked: For Good” was nominated for five awards, including two nods for its songs and acting nominations for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. But it was overlooked for an award it was presumed to be in contention for: best comedy or musical. JAKE COYLE,  Film Writer, MDT/AP