Hollywood gears up for Oscar nominations

The 89th Oscar nominations are just around the corner, and we are definitely very excited about it. Compared to 2015, there were many fantastic productions in 2016 and the competition is, therefore, quite intense.

The nominations will be revealed today (Tuesday), at 6:30 PM Pakistan Time. According to USA Today’s Detroit Free Press, Jennifer Hudson, Brie Larson, Ken Watanabe, Emmanuel Lubezki, Jason Reitman, and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs will be making the announcements.

Dominating the movie scene in 2016 were La La Land, Fences, Moonlight, Lion, Hidden Figures, Loving, O.J.: Made in America, Deadpool, Florence Foster Jenkins, Hacksaw Ridge, Nocturnal Animals, Manchester By The Sea, Silence, Arrival, and Birth of a Nation.

La La Land has been riding high, with many expecting it to secure nominations in 14 categories; it has a record seven Golden Globes already.

Deadpool is in competition for the best picture as well, given its 84% Rotten Tomatoes rating, amazing reviews, and two MTV awards in the bag. If it wins, it will be the first film to shatter the ceiling ever since the five-movie slot was expanded by the Academy.

Another contender is O.J: Made in America – an ESPN Films’ documentary on American football player and actor O. J. ‘The Juice’ Simpson that highlights racial issues.

Yet another brilliant project is Moonlight, which tells the story of a homosexual black young man in his early life, facing opposition and hatred alongside his mother’s indifference and addiction to drugs. Mahershala Ali, who won over the audience in Netflix’s Luke Cage with his portrayal of Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes, and Naomie Harris are up for supporting actor and actress, respectively, the latter also being one of the British nominees this year.

Moonlight has also won the Best Motion Picture in the Golden Globes.

Hacksaw Right just might shine in the Best Picture and Actor class, although it will be challenging considering how director Mel Gibson made inappropriate comments while he was drunk, which effectively dented his career.

Manchester By The Sea – a brooding drama on about a depressive loner who experiences further problems and a loss – is also a challenger, along with sci-fi film Arrival that centers around arrival of and communication with aliens.

While the nominations can be viewed live on Oscars’ official websites tonight, the main Oscars event are scheduled for 7 PM EST, February 26 (5 AM local time, February 27), and will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.