Oscars 2022: From Netflix westerns and remakes

The Oscar nominations are out: The Netflix production “The Power of the Dog” is ahead. But remakes like “Dune” and “West Side Story” also have a chance. Germany could score with film music.

Getting a feel for favorites this year was even harder than usual. The Golden Globes were held behind closed doors and the Critic Choice Awards have been pushed back to March. So there was no TV show that could have influenced the Oscar Academy judges.

From a German perspective, there is good and bad news. The tragic comedy “I am your human” by Maria Schrader went empty-handed in the nominations for the film award. She did not make it into the Oscar finals and was subject to productions from Japan, Finland and Italy, among others.

The last time a German film won a foreign Oscar was in 2007 with the Stasi drama “The Lives of Others”.

Twelfth nomination for composer Hans Zimmer

The film music for “Dune” by Canadian director Denis Villeneuve could soon mean Oscar number two for composer Hans Zimmer. Born in Frankfurt, he has been nominated for the film award for the twelfth time.

The special effects artist Gerd Nefzer could also win another Oscar. He worked on the visually stunning scenes of “Dune”. The native Swabian already won one of the coveted trophies in 2018 for “Blade Runner 2049”.

Netflix westerns as a big favorite

“Dune” was listed in ten categories, putting it behind the Netflix western “The Power Of The Dog”, which, with its twelve nominations, is the big favorite in this year’s Oscar race.

The New Zealand director of “The Power Of The Dog”, Jane Campion, can also have Oscar hopes. Actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons are also contenders – the two play two brothers who run a ranch together in Montana in the 1920s.

A classic revisited

This year’s favorites for best film include the musical remake of “West Side Story”, which was set up in seven categories. Legendary director Steven Spielberg has succeeded in creating a breathless and at the same time loving adaptation of the classic.

British actor and director Kenneth Branagh has brought his childhood memories from the 1960s to life in the calm, black-and-white drama “Belfast”. His film has also been nominated in seven categories, including best film.

The 94th Academy Awards will be held on March 27 in Los Angeles.