Hobbits, wizards and elves are marching on the Academy Awards, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King emerging as front-runner for Hollywood’s top honour.
The final chapter of Peter Jackson’s fantasy trilogy is a certain best-picture nominee on Tuesday, following the lead of its predecessors, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.
Other best-picture prospects for the 76th Oscars include the Civil War saga Cold Mountain, the Tokyo tale Lost in Translation, the naval adventure Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, the brooding vengeance story Mystic River and the horse-racing drama Seabiscuit.
Return of the King led last weekend’s Golden Globes with four wins, including best dramatic picture and director, and its broad critical and fan support give the film the inside track at the Oscars.
Voters in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences never have crowned a fantasy film as best picture. But the sense in Hollywood is Return of the King may take the top prize for the sheer scope of Jackson’s achievement, marshaling a cast and crew of 2 000 to shoot the three films simultaneously and rush them into theatres just a year apart.
The three segments of Jackson’s adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s Middle-earth epic total more than nine hours, loaded with groundbreaking visual effects and stellar performances from its ensemble cast. The franchise has rung up $2,6-billion at the box office worldwide, with Return of the King still climbing toward $1-billion on its own.
Jackson also appears to be the lead contender for the directing Oscar.
Among actors, the nomination front-runners include Globe winners Charlize Theron for Monster, Renee Zellweger for Cold Mountain, Diane Keaton for Something’s Gotta Give, Bill Murray for Lost in Translation and Sean Penn and Tim Robbins for Mystic River.
Nominees in most categories are chosen by specific branches of the 5 700-member Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, such as actors, directors and writers.
All academy members are allowed to vote for best-picture nominees. The full academy also is eligible to vote in all categories for the awards themselves.
The ceremony will be broadcast on February 29 live from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre. Billy Crystal returns as host after a four-year absence, his eighth time as Oscar master of ceremonies.
Director Blake Edwards, whose films include Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Victor/Victoria, Days of Wine and Roses and The Pink Panther movies, will receive an honorary Oscar for career achievement. – Sapa-AP
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences