‘Revenant’ Leads With 12 Oscar Nominations

The Revenant, a violent revenge saga set in frontier Mississippi, topped all Oscar contenders early Thursday with 12 nominations, including Best Picture, a fifth acting nomination for Leonardo DiCaprio, and a nod to director Alejandro Inarritu, who won for last year’s Birdman. The other Best Picture nominees were: Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, Spotlight, Bridge of Spies, The Big Short, Room, and Brooklyn. The major acting and director categories again failed to include any candidates of color, repeating an awkward scenario for the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. Matt Damon, Michael Fassbender, Eddie Redmayne, Bryan Cranston are also competing for the Best Actor prize. Jennifer Lawrence was tapped for Joy, making her the youngest four-time nominee, at the age of 25. Also in the running for Best Actress are Brie Larson, Cate Blanchett, Saoirse Ronan, and Charlotte Rampling. The Oscars will be held Feb. 28 in Los Angeles.