Experts slugfest: ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ battle for Oscar attention
Will Glicked be the next Barbenheimer at the Oscars? Gold Derby editors and experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng are here to discuss “Gladiator” and “Wicked” as the the double bill finally hits theaters this weekend.
“Gladiator II” has some big sandals to fill, coming 24 years after the original “Gladiator” won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe, out of 12 nominations. But the Ridley Scott sequel is currently in 10th place in the Best Picture odds. Is it being underestimated or will it actually miss the top category like another recent follow-up to a blockbuster that tasted Oscar success, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”? That film scored four below-the-line nominations and a supporting bid for Angela Bassett. “Gladiator II” is predicted to get into several crafts categories and supporting actor for Denzel Washington. Scott, who’s still seeking his first Oscar, is also in seventh place in the Best Director rankings — and never forget that he was snubbed the last time he was widely expected to grab a spot for 2015’s “The Martian.”
SEE Experts slugfest: ‘Emilia Pérez’ and Oscar predictions updates
On the other hand, “Wicked” has been surging in Best Picture as it continued its rollout and reviews dropped on Tuesday. It’s now in seventh place in Best Picture. Will it be top five or top three in the end? Or even win? Similarly, Ariana Grande is now in fourth place in the supporting actress odds and there’s a strong case to be made for her to win too, but Cynthia Erivo remains out of the Best Actress top five — and there’s a good reason to be more cautious with that prediction.
Elsewhere, we discuss the best decision the Oscars has made in years: tapping Conan O’Brien to host.
Email your questions to slugfests@goldderby.com.
Timestamps:
Intro and Conan O’Brien is your Oscar host (0:00)
“Gladiator II” (6:21)
“Gladiator II’s” Oscar chances (17:40)
“Wicked” (29:04)
“Wicked’s” Oscar chances (33:40)
Final thoughts (1:01:15)