Shape of Water leads race for British awards
LONDON — Cold War monster movie The Shape of Water led nominations Tuesday for the British Academy Film Awards, as organizers announced a new female host and promised to fight sexism and sexual misconduct in showbiz.
Actress and activist Joanna Lumley, co-star of the Absolutely Fabulous TV show and spinoff movie, will host the awards show, the first woman to do so as solo host. She replaces longtime host Stephen Fry.
Fry said last week he was stepping down as BAFTA host “to let others take the BAFTAs on to new heights and greater glories What fun it will be to watch BAFTA 2018 without my heart hammering, mouth drying and knees trembling.”
Guillermo del Toro’s fantastical thriller The Shape of Water scored nominations in 12 categories, including best picture and best director, for the U.K. equivalent of the Oscars.
Scorching tragicomedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Winston Churchill biopic Darkest Hour gained nine nominations apiece for the prizes, considered an indicator of likely success at Hollywood’s Academy Awards.
Other multiple nominees include sci-fi sequel Blade Runner 2049 and Second World War drama Dunkirk, with eight each. Figureskating showdown I, Tonya is nominated in five categories.
The BAFTA nominations brought good news for two movies snubbed by the Golden Globes: Dunkirk and Jordan Peele’s comedy-horror story Get Out. The British academy embraced Christopher Nolan’s visually dazzling war picture with nominations for best film and best director, among other categories. Get Out gained nominations for its British star, Daniel Kaluuya, and for original screenplay.
Best picture nominees are The Shape of Water, Three Billboards, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk and lush romance Call Me By Your Name.
Best actress nominees are McDormand for Three Billboards, Annette Bening for Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, Margot Robbie for I, Tonya, Sally Hawkins for The Shape of Water and Saoirse Ronan for Lady Bird.
Best actor contenders are Daniel Day-Lewis for Phantom Thread, Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour, Kaluuya for Get Out, Jamie Bell for Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool and Timothee Chalamet for Call Me By Your Name.
Supporting actor nominees include Christopher Plummer for All the Money in the World. Plummer was a last-minute replacement for Kevin Spacey, who was cut from the already completed film after allegations of sexual misconduct.
Winners will be announced at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Feb. 18, two weeks before the Oscars.