Ridley Scott's Oscar Hopes Fade with AFI Snub

Pity Ridley.

Famed director Ridley Scott experienced a setback on Thursday, as his latest project faced an Oscar blow.

His highly anticipated film, Gladiator II, did not make it onto the American Film Institute’s (AFI) list of the top 10 films of 2024, which is often seen as an early predictor of Best Picture nominations for the Academy Awards.

Gladiator II, featuring Paul Mescal, was excluded from AFI’s year-end list. One day before this disappointment, Scott had some optimism when the film appeared on the National Board of Review’s list. However, this small success will likely not significantly impact its Oscar chances.

Currently, Gladiator II seems unlikely to receive a Best Picture nomination. While there have been rare occasions where a film overlooked by AFI went on to earn a nomination – such as Avatar in 2009 – Gladiator II does not carry the same weight as either that film or the original Gladiator.

Additionally, strong contenders like Dune: Part Two are also expected to overshadow it during the awards season. With Ridley Scott at 87, it seems he may also miss out on a Best Director nomination.

Since 2010, very few directors of films that did not receive Best Picture nominations have made it into the Best Director category; an exception was Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher.

The best hope for Gladiator II might lie in individual awards, namely a Supporting Actor nomination for Denzel Washington, alongside potential technical accolades.

Other films also faced disappointment during the AFI announcement, with titles like Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Nickel Boys, A Real Pain, Sing Sing, and Wicked being celebrated instead.

This AFI list could closely reflect what the Academy Awards will recognize later on.

Another notable omission was The Substance, a body-horror film featuring Demi Moore, who continues to be in the public eye despite the film’s absence from the nomination lists. Even though released in September, Moore remains active in promoting her work.

Despite this, Moore still has a chance at a Best Actress nomination.

On the other hand, neither of Luca Guadagnino’s recent films, the acclaimed Challengers with Zendaya or the more indulgent Queer featuring Daniel Craig, were honored by AFI either.

Other films like Babygirl starring Nicole Kidman, Juror #2 from Clint Eastwood, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga were recognized by the National Board of Review but failed to make the AFI cut. Their chances for a Best Picture nomination are slim, given the current landscape.

This year's Oscar race has been unpredictable, with unexpected favorites arising. A musical with a talking goat is currently in the lead for awards consideration.

As the Golden Globe nominations are announced soon, there may be further surprises in the awards landscape.

Ridley, Scott, Gladiator