*Ryan Coogler entered this awards season with unprecedented momentum, but his path to a historic Oscar victory now appears increasingly narrow. His film “Sinners” collected 16 Academy Award nods — more than any film in Oscars history.
The vampire thriller surpassed the previous record of 14 nominations held by “All About Eve,” “Titanic,” and “La La Land.” Among its citations were Best Picture, Best Director for Coogler, and Best Screenplay, while Michael B. Jordan secured his first Best Actor nomination. Close behind in total nominations was “One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, which earned 13 nominations. The film has garnered awards and nominations across a wide assortment of categories—including direction, screenplay, performances, and cinematography—positioning Anderson as the presumed frontrunner in the Best Director race.
That standing solidified at the Directors Guild of America Awards, where Anderson received Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film, Screenrant reports. Historically, the guild’s top honor has closely aligned with the Academy’s Best Director winner.
For Coogler, a victory at the 98th Academy Awards would mark a milestone: no Black director has ever won Best Director. Only six Black filmmakers have previously been nominated in the category, with none taking home the award.
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While the Academy’s membership has diversified in recent years following the #OscarsSoWhite movement, the Best Director category has remained historically resistant to change. Even in years when films by Black directors won Best Picture, the directing prize went to (mostly) white males. In the entire history of the Academy Awards, just three women have taken home the Best Director Oscar: Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker” in 2010, Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland” in 2021, and Jane Campion for “The Power of the Dog” in 2022.
Despite this year’s narrative surrounding “Sinners,” industry momentum favors Anderson. A split between Best Picture and Best Director remains possible, but the likelihood of Coogler overtaking him appears slim.
Away from the awards circuit, Coogler has also addressed his complicated relationship with the Academy. Though first invited to join in 2016 after the success of “Creed,” he declined membership. “It’s not out of animosity,” he told The New York Times, explaining that his schedule and temperament factored into the decision. “And I’m not good at judging things, bro. The act of ‘Hey, pick the best thing’ is very stressful for me, even when there’s no stakes involved.”
Even after “Black Panther” earned a historic Best Picture nomination and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” collected multiple nods, Coogler was not recognized in Best Director. Still, his focus remains forward-looking as he develops a reboot of “The X-Files.”
Reflecting on the shift from film to television storytelling, Coogler shared, “I was talking to a writer … and she said how she sees movies is you’re looking at the most important moment in a character’s life, and with TV you’re looking at the most important journey in a character’s life … that hit me pretty hard … I’m a movie person … and I’m learning to be a television person right now.”
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The event will air live on ABC and Hulu, with Conan O’Brien returning as host.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: ‘Sinners’ Dominates 98th Oscar Nominations
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