America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz-Chapter 956 - 881 How Oscar Breaks Out of the Slump
Chapter 956: Chapter 881: How Oscar Breaks Out of the Slump
Chapter 956 -881: How Oscar Breaks Out of the Slump
Martin had just returned from a promotional tour overseas when the 87th Academy Awards nomination luncheon had already ended.
The list was somewhat unexpected—Christopher Nolan had actually missed out on a Best Director nomination!
In contrast, although he hadn’t put forth much effort, Martin, who was closer to the Academy, easily secured a Best Actor nomination.
Additionally, “Interstellar” did not receive a Best Picture nomination.
The polarized reviews, coupled with Nolan’s stellar reputation from directing superhero movies, severely impacted “Interstellar”‘s award chances.
Nolan, ambitious as ever, had wanted to make a bid for the Best Director Oscar, but the Academy had thrown a bucket of cold water over his head.
Besides Martin’s Best Actor nomination, “Interstellar” picked up a slew of technical nominations, including Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects.
“I didn’t see this coming,”
In the Davis Studio office, Nolan took a sip of tea and said to Martin, “I thought we would at least get nominations for Best Director and Best Picture.”
Martin spoke frankly, “I thought so too. I haven’t been paying much attention to the Oscar PR recently.”
Nolan set down his cup and said, “I never paid much attention to the Oscars, but when I started to, I found that the Oscars didn’t care about me.”
He had little experience with the Oscars and humbly asked Martin for advice, “When it comes to the Oscars, is there anything in particular to look out for?”
Instead of answering immediately, Martin thought for a while and then said, “First, you can’t be impatient. It’s true that a few lucky people have quickly won Oscars, but it’s best to disregard such low-probability events.”
Nolan knew that this scenario was no longer applicable to him: “Being a big Hollywood commercial director is my biggest calling card.”
“But that kind of calling card easily attracts prejudice from the Oscars.” Martin would not have mentioned this to Nolan before the Oscar nominations were announced, even if they had a good relationship. Now the situation was different, “Take Spielberg, for instance; it took him over a decade to win his first Best Director. As for George Lucas, there’s no need to mention—he’s out of the Directors Guild, and it’s impossible for him to win another Oscar.”
Nolan could think of many examples without Martin having to list them.
Martin said, “Personally, Chris, I suggest not focusing on which year to make a run for the Oscars. It’s best to draw up a long-term plan, aligning your films with the current circumstances before deciding whether to really push for it. The core members of the Academy neither like being ignored in regard to the Oscars nor appreciate anyone hell-bent on winning. They’re a group with particularly sensitive sentiments.”
Nolan thought of Leonardo and Martin Scorsese from previous years; their film “The Aviator” had been criticized by many.
“You have to take the Oscars seriously, but not chase the award just for the sake of it.”
Martin said earnestly, “That attitude is vital.”
Nolan then asked, “Is there anything special about making a run for the Oscars?”
After thinking for a moment, Martin, having worked with Nolan multiple times and maintaining a good rapport, said frankly, “Whether you win an award doesn’t just depend on yourself; it’s also about who your competitors are that year.”
“Competitors,” Nolan repeated and quickly grasped the essence. As a director adept at marketing, he said, “I know what to do now.”
Martin suggested, “Chris, you’d better draft a ten-year plan.”
Nolan replied, “I will.”
Martin had said all he could; how Nolan would proceed was up to him.
It was well known that the Oscars had a hierarchy of prejudice, and Nolan’s level of discrimination was only slightly less than that of Leonardo.
According to Martin’s understanding, Nolan needed to make a film that wasn’t so distinctly his style to stand a better chance of winning.
Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at ƒrēenovelkiss.com Only.
There was one thing Martin didn’t mention to Nolan, but both were well aware: Nolan didn’t have a good relationship with the Jewish factions in Hollywood.
During the filming of “Inception,” an incident in Morocco led to a tense relationship, and Nolan harbored significant grievances against the Jewish community, even switching from CAA to WMA.
Martin also wasn’t sure if the lack of Best Director and Best Picture nominations for “Interstellar” was related to this.
After a nearly three-hour chat, Nolan eventually took his leave.
Martin also started to think about the Oscars; he had won the Best Actor award for “The Martian,” and it was unlikely that he’d win again with a similar film like “Interstellar” this year.
The role in “Split,” portraying someone with mental illness, was certainly in line with the Academy’s tastes.
On the other hand, “Joker” would be a bit more challenging, given it was a superhero movie and he had already won a Best Supporting Actor for that role.
For this film, some special preparations were needed, preparations that would make the whole society, especially the Academy, take notice.
Martin thought of the year of “The Dark Knight,” and many of the strategies he and Nolan used then could still be applied.
Needing companionship and a dedicated team to document it, Martin immediately thought of suitable candidates and called both Nicholson and Lorraine, then checked with Leonardo.
All three agreed it was no problem; they could take action after this Oscars award ceremony had ended.
As the North American awards season was drawing to a close, Martin had secured various Best Actor nominations but won very few awards.
Particularly at the Actors Guild Awards — a significant bellwether — the Best Actor went to English actor Eddie Redmayne for his portrayal of Hawking.
