Project Hail Mary hopes to amaze-amaze-amaze Oscar voters.
Amazon MGM has unveiled the complete category slate for Phil Lord and Christopher Miller‘s blockbuster star trek that will include an unprecedented push for James Ortiz, the performer who puppeteered and voiced Rocky the alien, as Best Supporting Actor.
When it comes to non-traditional performances, the Academy has historically been unreceptive, ignoring the groundbreaking likes of Muppet maven Jim Henson, manic Aladdin genie Robin Williams, and Gollum alter ego Andy Serkis. Ortiz, who worked alongside Henson protégé Neal Scanlan and the Creature Shop to bring the stony Eridian to marvelous life, is looking to break through with a landmark nomination.
Project Hail Mary will submit across 15 in all: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Supporting Actor (Ortiz and Lionel Boyce), Best Supporting Actress (Sandra Hüller), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Casting, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Score, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.
As we’ve noted, Project Hail Mary has a perfect analog in Ridley Scott’s The Martian. Both sci-fi thrillers were adapted from Andy Weir bestsellers by screenwriter Drew Goddard and told the story of A-list astronauts who must use their wits to survive impossible odds. The Martian wound up landing seven Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. While The Martian was ultimately blanked at the Academy Awards, it did notch Golden Globes for Best Comedy/Musical Picture and Best Comedy/Musical Actor for star Matt Damon.
In the latest Gold Derby odds, Project Hail Mary is projected to do even better at the Oscars, with nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Score, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects (see below).
Here’s the full rundown of Project Hail Mary category submissions for the 99th Academy Awards:
Best Picture Amy Pascal, Ryan Gosling, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Aditya Sood, Rachel O’Connor, Andy Weir (producers)
Best Director Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Best Adapted Screenplay Drew Goddard (screenplay); based on the novel by Andy Weir
Best Actor Ryan Gosling
Best Supporting Actress Sandra Hüller
Best Supporting Actor James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce
Best Cinematography Greig Fraser
Best Film Editing Joel Negron
Best Casting Jeanne McCarthy, Nicole Abellera Hallman
Best Production Design Charles Wood (production designer), John Bush (set decorator)
Best Costume Design David Crossman, Glyn Dillon
Best Makeup and Hairstyling Candice Banks
Best Original Score Daniel Pemberton
Best Sound Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van Der Ryn, Michael Semanick, Juan Peralta, Stuart Wilson
Best Visual Effects Paul Lambert, Mag Sarnowska, Neal Scanlan, Chris Corbould
Best Picture
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Best Actor
1.
John Malkovich
Wild Horse Nine
2.
3.
4.
Robert Pattinson
Primetime
5.
Ryan Gosling
Project Hail Mary
