“Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” are set for another head-to-head at the Producers Guild Awards, both securing nominations for the prestigious Darryl F. Zanuck Award, the guild’s equivalent of the best picture prize. The announcement came in tandem with the unveiling of the five Directors Guild choices earlier this week, showcasing a lineup that includes “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “The Holdovers,” and “Poor Things,” along with additional contenders “American Fiction,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Maestro,” “Past Lives,” and “The Zone of Interest.” However, notable Oscar hopefuls such as “The Color Purple,” “May December,” and “Saltburn” failed to secure nominations.
The Producers Guild Award for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award has emerged as a reliable predictor of the Academy Awards’ Best Picture winner. Over the last five years, four PGA winners went on to claim the top honor at the Oscars, with the exception of 2020 when the PGA honored “1917,” while the Oscar went to “Parasite.” With the Oscar nominations set to be revealed on Jan. 23, the Producers Guild nominations offer valuable insights into the potential front-runners.
In the animated motion picture category, the five films nominated are “The Boy and the Heron,” “Elemental,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”
The guild’s recognition extends to the television realm, where drama nominees include “The Crown,” “The Diplomat,” “The Last of Us,” “The Morning Show,” and “Succession.” In the comedy category, contenders comprise “Barry,” “The Bear,” “Jury Duty,” “Only Murders in the Building,” and “Ted Lasso.”
The Producers Guild Awards have already acknowledged documentaries, with nominations for projects such as the AP and Frontline collaboration “20 Days in Mariupol.”
The winners will be revealed at an untelevised ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 25. “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” continue their dominance, leading the nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards scheduled for Feb. 24, following their prominent presence at the recent Golden Globes.