'Oppenheimer' leads BAFTA Film Awards nominations

The movie takes audiences back to when the American theoretical physicist oversaw the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II.

London: Historical drama Oppenheimer, one of last year's highest earning movies, led nominations for the BAFTA Film Awards on Thursday, securing 13 nods.

Oppenheimer, about the making of the atomic bomb, was followed by sex-charged gothic comedy Poor Things, with 11 nominations for Britain’s top movie awards, which will be handed out at a ceremony next month.

Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, about the murders of members of the Osage Nation in the 1920s and The Zone of Interest, which tells the story a family living next to Auschwitz, both received nine nods.

Oppenheimer, Poor Things and Killers of the Flower Moon will compete for the annual ceremony's top prize, best film, alongside courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall and The Holdovers, a comedy set in a boys' boarding school.

Pink-themed phenomenon Barbie, the highest grossing film of 2023, missed out in that category but got five nominations overall.

"It has been an outstanding year for film-making as represented by the 38 films nominated today," Anna Higgs, chair of BAFTA Film Committee, said in a statement.

"They showcase ambitious, creative and hugely impressive voices from independent British debuts to global blockbusters, from complex moral issues through to joyful journeys of self-discovery. They all ultimately explore human connection."

Based on the 2005 biography "American Prometheus" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Oppenheimer focuses on J Robert Oppenheimer, taking audiences back to when the American theoretical physicist oversaw the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II.

An awards season favourite, it has picked several prizes already, including five Golden Globes.

Cillian Murphy was recognised in the BAFTA leading actor category for his portrayal of Oppenheimer. Fellow cast mates Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt were also nominated in the supporting acting categories. Christopher Nolan was recognised for best director as well as adapted screenplay.

“I couldn’t be happier that the British Academy recognised so many of my collaborators on Oppenheimer, especially Chris Nolan," Murphy said.

"Working on the film was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Poor Things received a leading actress nod for Emma Stone, who has already pick up several awards for her performance, as well as recognition in the outstanding British film and adapted screenplay categories.

Stone's leading actress contenders include Margot Robbie for Barbie, Carey Mulligan for Maestro, Fantasia Barrino for The Color Purple, Sandra Huller of Anatomy of a Fall and Vivian Oparah for Rye Lane.

Four of the six best director contenders are first time director nominees: Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest, Alexander Payne for The Holdovers, Andrew Haigh for All of Us Strangers and Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall.

Neither of their fellow nominees, which include Cooper for Maestro, have previously won the category.

Known as the BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), the awards will take place in London on February 18.