Pity Ridley.
Famed director Ridley Scott got mauled Thursday — by an award show.
His “Gladiator II” was snubbed from the American Film Institute’s top ten films of 2024 list, an important early arbiter of Best Picture Oscar fortunes.
One day earlier, the “Alien” visionary got a glimmer of hope when the Roman Colossequel starring Paul Mescal snuck onto the National Board of Review’s year-end roster. But that won’t matter.
The film has virtually no shot of being nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Yes, there have been instances where an AFI blackball didn’t matter. Back in 2009, neither the AFI nor the NBR honored “Avatar.” But “Gladiator II” sure ain’t “Avatar.” It’s also not “Gladiator.”
The Oscars aren’t going to nominate “Gladiator II” and the infinitely better “Dune: Part Two.”
87-year-old Scott, then, would almost definitely not snag a Best Director slot either.
Since 2010 — and not counting the two instances in which the director of a Best International Film nominee was included in the category — just one director of a movie that was not nominated for Best Picture has received a nod. That was Bennett Miller of “Foxcatcher.”
“Gladiator II”’s best chances are a Supporting Actor mention for Denzel Washington and some technical awards.
Some other movies saw their hopes dashed by the AFI, which named “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Nickel Boys,” “A Real Pain,” “Sing Sing” and “Wicked” as 2024’s finest.
Expect the Academy Awards to mirror that lineup pretty closely.
The acclaimed body-horror film “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore, was nowhere in sight — quite unlike its press-hungry leading lady.
Even though the movie was released in September, Demi is still all over the place. She just ate a bunch of spicy chicken wings on “Hot Ones.”
Moore’s not out of the running yet for a Best Actress nod.
Neither of Luca Guadagnino’s two films, the superb “Challengers” with Zendaya and the pretty-but-indulgent “Queer” with Daniel Craig, were called out by AFI.
And “Babygirl” starring Nicole Kidman, Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” were all honored by the National Board of Review but got the brush today. I’d be shocked to see any of them in Best Picture.
But it’s been a bizarre, often unpredictable year. Hell, a musical featuring a talking goat and a song about a makeover is currently one of the Oscar frontrunners.
Perhaps Monday’s Golden Globes nomination announcement will be like a snow globe — and shake things up some more.
