‘ The Revenant’ scores with Directors Guild

Iñárritu wins for second year in a row; stage set for Oscar

The Revenant pulled yet another major coup before Oscar night.

Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu picked up the Directors Guild of America’s top honor Saturday, winning outstanding directorial achievement in feature film for the wilderness drama. He is the first director in the DGA Awards’ history to win the prize in back- to- back years, having earned the same award in 2015 for Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).

The victory bodes well for Iñárritu’s chances at the Academy Awards later this month; he also won best director at the Golden Globe Awards. Since 2000, only two DGA Award winners who were nominated for the best- director Oscar failed to win at the latter ceremony ( Ang Lee, who won the DGA for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon but lost the Oscar to Traffic director Steven Soderbergh; and Rob Marshall for Chicago, who was unseated at the Oscars by The Pianist’s Roman Polanski).

Iñárritu won the DGA over Ridley Scott ( The Martian), George Miller ( Mad Max: Fury Road), Adam McKay ( The Big Short) and Tom McCarthy ( Spotlight). All but Scott are nominated for the best- director Oscar ( along with Room’s Lenny Abrahamson).

The Revenant’s win kept the surprises coming this awards season. Last month, The Big Short won the Producers Guild of America’s top award ( a strong indicator of an eventual Oscar bestpicture winner), and Spotlight gained back momentum at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last weekend with a prize for outstanding cast.

In a category new to the DGA Awards this year, Ex Machina’s Alex Garland won outstanding directorial achievement for a first- time feature film director.

OTHER WINNERS AT THE 68TH ANNUAL DGAS:

TV movies and miniseries: Dee Rees, Bessie Dramatic series: David Nutter, Game of Thrones Comedy series: Chris Addison, Veep Variety/ talk/ news/ sports ( regularly scheduled programming): Dave Diomedi, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Variety/ talk/ news/ sports ( specials): Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special Reality programs: Adam Vetri, Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge Children’s programs: Kenny Ortega, Descendants Commercials: Andreas Nilsson, Biscuit Filmworks ( Emily’s Oz, Comcast; Time Upon A Once, General Electric; Dad Song, Old Spice) Documentary: Matthew Heineman, Cartel Land Lifetime Achievement ( TV): Joe Pytka Frank Capra Achievement Award: Mary Rae Thewlis Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award: Tom McDermott

KIMBERLEY FRENCH, 20TH CENTURY FOX Leonardo DiCaprio stars as frontiersman Hugh Glass in The Revenant.