Sci-fi epic blockbuster "Dune" and Jane Campion's dark Western "The Power Of The Dog" lead the nominations for this year's British Academy Film Awards, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lady Gaga among those up for leading actor awards.
"Dune," starring Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, received eleven nominations Thursday including best film, cinematography and original score. "The Power of the Dog," set in 1920s Montana and starring Cumberbatch as a ranch owner, follows close behind with eight nominations, including best director, best film and cinematography. On the latter score, Ari Wegner made history as the first woman cinematographer to receive a BAFTA nomination.
Kenneth Branagh's semi-autobiographical "Belfast," which tells of a childhood in Northern Ireland during the bloody conflict known as The Troubles, was also nominated for best film and five other categories.
Branagh did not make it onto the best director list, but he said Thursday that the nominations were "an amazing tribute to a remarkable part of the world." He said in a statement: "We are humbly and delightfully gobsmacked!"
The other two contenders for best film are "Don't Look Up," the disaster comedy starring DiCaprio, and coming-of-age drama "Licorice Pizza."
DiCaprio and Cumberbatch are among those nominated in the leading actor category, along with Will Smith, who received his first BAFTA nomination for his role as the father of Serena and Venus Williams in "King Richard."
The leading actress list included Lady Gaga for "House of Gucci," Alana Haim for "Licorice Pizza" and Emilia Jones for "Coda."
Daniel Craig's last James Bond film, "No Time to Die," and Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" both received five nominations.
The awards organizers say they are committed to supporting new talent, and this year all the performers in the supporting actor category are first-time nominees. They include Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita in "West Side Story," and Woody Norman for "C'mon C'mon," who at just 11 years old is the youngest nominee of the year.
In keeping with recent years, most acting nominations have gone to non-British performers.
The annual film awards celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, and winners will be announced during a ceremony hosted by Rebel Wilson at the Royal Albert Hall in London on March 13.
Last year's ceremony was mostly carried out online, with just the hosts and presenters appearing in person.
EE BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS IN 2022
BEST FILM
- BELFAST Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik, Tamar Thomas
- DON’T LOOK UP Adam McKay, Kevin Messick
- DUNE Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Denis Villeneuve
- LICORICE PIZZA Sara Murphy, Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam Somner
- THE POWER OF THE DOG Jane Campion, Iain Canning, Roger Frappier, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
- AFTER LOVE Aleem Khan, Matthieu de Braconier
- ALI & AVA Clio Bernard, Tracy O’Riordan
- BELFAST Kenneth Branagh, Laura Berwick, Becca Kovacik, Tamar Thomas
- BOILING POINT Philip Barantini, Bart Ruspoli, Hester Ruoff, James Cummings
- CYRANO Joe Wright, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Guy Heely, Erica Schmidt
- EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE Jonathan Butterell, Peter Carlton, Mark Herbert, Tom MacRae
- HOUSE OF GUCCI Ridley Scott, Mark Huffam, Giannina Scott, Kevin J Walsh, Roberto Bentivegna, Becky Johnston
- LAST NIGHT IN SOHO Edgar Wright, Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Nira Park, Krysty Wilson-Cairns
- NO TIME TO DIE Cary Joji Fukunaga, Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, Neal Pervis, Robert Wade, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
- PASSING Rebecca Hall, Margot Hand, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
- AFTER LOVE Aleem Khan (Writer/Director)
- BOILING POINT James Cummings (Writer), Hester Ruoff (Producer) [also written by Philip Barantini and produced by Bart Ruspoli]
- THE HARDER THEY FALL Jeymes Samuel (Writer/Director) [also written by Boaz Yakin]
- KEYBOARD FANTASIES Posy Dixon (Writer/Director), Liv Proctor (Producer)
- PASSING Rebecca Hall (Writer/Director)
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
- DRIVE MY CAR Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Teruhisa Yamamoto
- THE HAND OF GOD Paolo Sorrentino, Lorenzo Mieli
- PARALLEL MOTHERS Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar
- PETITE MAMAN Céline Sciamma, Bénédicte Couvreur
- THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Joachim Trier, Thomas Robsahm
DOCUMENTARY
- BECOMING COUSTEAU Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan
- COW Andrea Arnold, Kat Mansoor
- FLEE Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Monica Hellström
- THE RESCUE Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, John Battsek, P. J. van Sandwijk
- SUMMER OF SOUL (OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel
ANIMATED FILM
- ENCANTO Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino, Clarke Spencer
- FLEE Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Monica Hellström
- LUCA Enrico Casarosa, Andrea Warren
- THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
DIRECTOR
- AFTER LOVE Aleem Khan
- DRIVE MY CAR Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
- HAPPENING Audrey Diwan
- LICORICE PIZZA Paul Thomas Anderson
- THE POWER OF THE DOG Jane Campion
- TITANE Julia Ducournau
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
- BEING THE RICARDOS Aaron Sorkin
- BELFAST Kenneth Branagh
- DON’T LOOK UP Adam McKay
- KING RICHARD Zach Baylin
- LICORICE PIZZA Paul Thomas Anderson
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
- CODA Siân Heder
- DRIVE MY CAR Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
- DUNE Denis Villeneuve
- THE LOST DAUGHTER Maggie Gyllenhaal
- THE POWER OF THE DOG Jane Campion
LEADING ACTRESS
- LADY GAGA House of Gucci
- ALANA HAIM Licorice Pizza
- EMILIA JONES CODA
- RENATE REINSVE The Worst Person in the World
- JOANNA SCANLAN After Love
- TESSA THOMPSON Passing
LEADING ACTOR
- ADEEL AKHTAR Ali & Ava
- MAHERSHALA ALI Swan Song
- BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH The Power of the Dog
- LEONARDO DICAPRIO Don’t Look Up
- STEPHEN GRAHAM Boiling Point
- WILL SMITH King Richard
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- CAITRÍONA BALFE Belfast
- JESSIE BUCKLEY The Lost Daughter
- ARIANA DEBOSE West Side Story
- ANN DOWD Mass
- AUNJANUE ELLIS King Richard
- RUTH NEGGA Passing
SUPPORTING ACTOR
- MIKE FAIST West Side Story
- CIARÁN HINDS Belfast
- TROY KOTSUR CODA
- WOODY NORMAN C’mon C’mon
- JESSE PLEMONS The Power of the Dog
- KODI SMIT-MCPHEE The Power of the Dog
ORIGINAL SCORE
- BEING THE RICARDOS Daniel Pemberton
- DON’T LOOK UP Nicholas Britell
- DUNE Hans Zimmer
- THE FRENCH DISPATCH Alexandre Desplat
- THE POWER OF THE DOG Jonny Greenwood
CASTING
- BOILING POINT Carolyn McLeod
- DUNE Francine Maisler
- THE HAND OF GOD Massimo Appolloni, Annamaria Sambucco
- KING RICHARD Rich Delia, Avy Kaufman
- WEST SIDE STORY Cindy Tolan
CINEMATOGRAPHY
- DUNE Greig Fraser
- NIGHTMARE ALLEY Dan Laustsen
- NO TIME TO DIE Linus Sandgren
- THE POWER OF THE DOG Ari Wegner
- THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH Bruno Delbonnel
EDITING
- BELFAST Úna Ní Dhonghaíle
- DUNE Joe Walker
- LICORICE PIZZA Andy Jurgensen
- NO TIME TO DIE Tom Cross, Elliot Graham
- SUMMER OF SOUL (OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) Joshua L. Pearson
PRODUCTION DESIGN
- CYRANO Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
- DUNE Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos
- THE FRENCH DISPATCH Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo
- NIGHTMARE ALLEY Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau
- WEST SIDE STORY Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo
COSTUME DESIGN
- CRUELLA Jenny Beavan
- CYRANO Massimo Cantini Parrini
- DUNE Robert Morgan, Jacqueline West
- THE FRENCH DISPATCH Milena Canonero
- NIGHTMARE ALLEY Luis Sequeira
MAKE UP & HAIR
- CRUELLA Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne
- CYRANO Alessandro Bertolazzi, Siân Miller
- DUNE Love Larson, Donald Mowat
- THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, Justin Raleigh
- HOUSE OF GUCCI Frederic Aspiras, Jane Carboni, Giuliano Mariana, Sarah Nicole Tanno
SOUND
- DUNE Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Doug Hemphill, Theo Green, Ron Bartlett
- LAST NIGHT IN SOHO Colin Nicolson, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin, Dan Morgan
- NO TIME TO DIE James Harrison, Simon Hayes, Paul Massey, Oliver Tarney, Mark Taylor
- A QUIET PLACE PART II Erik Aadahl, Michael Barosky, Brandon Proctor, Ethan Van Der Ryn
- WEST SIDE STORY Brian Chumney, Tod Maitland, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
- DUNE Brian Connor, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Gerd Nefzer
- FREE GUY Swen Gillberg, Brian Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis, Daniel Sudick
- GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE Aharon Bourland, Sheena Duggal, Pier Lefebvre, Alessandro Ongaro
- THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS Tom Debenham, Hew J Evans, Dan Glass, J. D. Schwaim
- NO TIME TO DIE Mark Bokowski, Chris Corbould, Joel Green, Charlie Noble
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
- AFFAIRS OF THE ART Joanna Quinn, Les Mills
- DO NOT FEED THE PIGEONS Jordi Morera
- NIGHT OF THE LIVING DREAD Ida Melum, Danielle Goff, Laura Jayne Tunbridge, Hannah Kelso
BRITISH SHORT FILM
- THE BLACK COP Cherish Oteka
- FEMME Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Sam Ritzenberg, Hayley Williams
- THE PALACE Jo Prichard
- STUFFED Theo Rhys, Joss Holden-Rea
- THREE MEETINGS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY COMMITTEE Michael Woodward, Max Barron, Daniel Wheldon
EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
- ARIANA DEBOSE
- HARRIS DICKINSON
- LASHANA LYNCH
- MILLICENT SIMMONDS
- KODI SMIT-MCPHEE
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More