Apple TV+ is back in the Oscar game, this time with a powerful double threat: Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon. After a quiet 2023 film season, these two big-budget prestige features have garnered significant nominations, marking Apple’s return to the awards spotlight.
Killers of the Flower Moon leads the charge, racking up a whopping nine nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Lily Gladstone, and Best Director for Martin Scorsese. Gladstone, playing Mollie in the film, becomes the first native actress of American descent to receive an acting nomination from the Academy, a historic milestone.
Napoleon, despite having fewer nominations, still shines in the Production Design, Costume Design, and Visual Effects categories. Both films, notably, followed Apple’s new theatrical release strategy, premiering in cinemas before streaming or video-on-demand availability.
While Apple has a strong showing, the competition is fierce. Barbie and Oppenheimer, critically acclaimed and box-office hits from 2023, are major contenders in key categories. Gladstone faces challenges from frontrunners like Emma Stone in Poor Thing, making the Best Actress race too close to call.
On March 10th, the ceremony will reveal how many of these nominations translate to actual wins for Apple.
