This year’s Oscar nominees has been announced, with Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman announcing the 98th Academy Awards nominations. The ceremony will be hosted again by Conan O’Brien, and is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre, Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles.

Movie title-Sinners: Instagram

Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” set a record for most nominations, surpassing the previous record of 14 held by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. The film received 16 nominations;

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan
• Best Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku
• Best Supporting Actor for Delroy Lindo
• Original Screenplay for Coogler

The next with the most nominations is Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, earning 13 nominations. Netflix’s Frankenstein, A24’s Marty Supreme, and Neon’s Sentimental Value, all with nine nominations each, while Focus Features’ Hamnet scored eight. These films join Bugonia(Focus), F1 (Apple), The Secret Agent (Neon), and Train Dreams (Netflix) in the running for Best Picture.

Movie title-Wicked: For Good: Instagram

Wicked: For Good had Zero nominations. Guillermo del Toro was not nominated for Best Director nomination, and actors Paul Mescal (Hamnet) and Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another) were absent from the acting categories despite early predictions.

Movie title-Marty Supreme: Instagram

While some were omitted, others celebrated a major milestone in their careers; Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) became the youngest male actor since Marlon Brando to earn three acting nominations, while Steven Spielberg (Hamnet) received his 14th Best Picture nomination, setting a record for an individual producer.

See the complete list of nominees below.

Best picture

Bugonia

F1

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Train Dreams

Best actor

Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme

Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon

Michael B Jordan, Sinners

Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Best actress

Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue

Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value

Emma Stone, Bugonia

Best supporting actor

Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein

Delroy Lindo, Sinners

Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

Stellan Skarsgärd, Sentimental Value

Best supporting actress

Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value

Amy Madigan, Weapons

Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Best directing

Chloé Zhao, Hamnet

Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme

Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Best original screenplay

Blue Moon

It Was Just an Accident

Marty Supreme

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Best adapted screenplay

Bugonia

Frankenstein

Hamnet

One Battle After Another

Train Dreams

Best casting

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

The Secret Agent

Sinners

Best international film

The Secret Agent

It Was Just an Accident

Sentimental Value

Sirât

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best animated film

Arco

Elio

KPop Demon Hunters

Little Amélie or The Character of Rain

Zootopia 2

Best animated short film

Butterfly

Forevergreen

The Girl Who Cried Pearls

Retirement Plan

The Three Sisters

Best documentary film

The Alabama Solution

Come See Me in the Good Light

Cutting Through Rocks

Mr Nobody Against Putin

The Perfect Neighbor

Best documentary short film

All the Empty Rooms

Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud

Children No More: Were and Are Gone

The Devil Is Busy

Perfectly a Strangeness

Best live action short film

Butcher’s Stain

A Friend of Dorothy

Jane Austen’s Period Drama

The Singers

Two People Exchanging Saliva

Best original score

Bugonia

Frankenstein

Hamnet

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Best cinematography

Frankenstein

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Train Dreams

Best film editing

F1

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Best visual effects

Avatar: Fire and Ash

F1

Jurassic World Rebirth

The Lost Bus

Sinners

Best production design

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Best original song

Dear Me, Diane Warren: Relentless

Golden, KPop Demon Hunters

I Lied To You, Sinners

Sweet Dreams of Joy, Viva Verdi!

Train Dreams, Train Dreams

Best sound

F1

Frankenstein

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Sirât

Best costume design

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

Sinners

Best makeup and hairstyling

Frankenstein

Kokuho

Sinners

The Smashing Machine

The Ugly Stepsister

Barack Obama shared his favorite films of 2025 as part of his annual year-end roundup, a tradition that highlights notable books, music, and movies from the past year. The list was released through his social media accounts and the Obama Foundation’s platforms, continuing a practice he began while in office that has become widely followed in cultural circles.

The 2025 list includes eleven films spanning multiple genres, countries, and formats: One Battle After Another, Sinners, It Was Just an Accident, Hamnet, Sentimental Value, No Other Choice, The Secret Agent, Train Dreams, Jay Kelly, Good Fortune, and Orwell: 2+2=5. Each entry was highlighted in media coverage and represents a selection of films that drew attention in 2025.

Barack Obama – Instagram

One Battle After Another is a black-comedy thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The film received coverage for its blend of action and dark humor. Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, also received widespread media attention. Historical drama is represented by Hamnet and Train Dreams, which were noted for their storytelling and period settings.

International cinema features prominently on the list. No Other Choice is a South Korean drama that was covered in international film reporting, while the Iranian film It Was Just an Accident received attention for its themes and direction. The Secret Agent, another highlighted feature, and Orwell: 2+2=5, a documentary revisiting George Orwell’s work, round out the globally minded selections.

Barack Obama

Other entries include Jay Kelly, led by George Clooney, as well as Good Fortune and Sentimental Value. These films were also recognized by press outlets and cultural reporting throughout the year.

Obama’s 2025 list does not rank the films. Instead, it presents a curated selection of works he found notable or enjoyable over the year. Following the release, the list was widely shared and discussed online, reflecting the continued interest in his year-end cultural picks.

Barack Obama – Instagram

Taken together, the list covers a diverse mix of genres and styles, including studio films, independent productions, international cinema, historical drama, and documentary. It provides readers with a snapshot of the films that drew attention in 2025, offering a factual guide to notable works from a wide range of filmmakers.

By sharing this list, Obama continues a tradition that blends personal taste with public cultural reporting, giving audiences insight into the films that shaped his year.

The first official trailer for “MICHAEL”, the Michael Jackson biopic, premiered in November 2025 and immediately sparked debate. Set to hit theaters on April 24, 2026, the film follows Jackson’s journey from child prodigy to global superstar. From the trailer alone, it’s clear the movie prioritizes spectacle over exhaustive biography, highlighting iconic performances and career milestones while leaving many personal and controversial moments unexplored.

Photo Credit: Glen Wilson

Michael Jackson, portrayed by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, dominates every frame. The trailer moves quickly through familiar milestones: early rehearsals, packed arenas, signature dance moves, and legendary stage costumes. Cinematography and editing emphasize precision and energy, mirroring the pop star’s own attention to detail. The trailer’s score subtly incorporates familiar tracks, creating a sense of continuity without relying solely on full-length songs.

The filmmakers, led by director Antoine Fuqua and writer John Logan, appear focused on capturing the performer rather than the private individual. The trailer is a high-energy highlight reel, moving rapidly between triumphs and performances. Brief glimpses of Jackson’s personal life are included, but they’re fleeting and largely symbolic rather than revealing. This deliberate focus sets audience expectations: this is a celebration of talent and charisma, not a detailed biography.

Photo Credit – Google

Audience reaction has been intense. Within 24 hours, the trailer amassed over 116 million views, breaking records for music-biopic previews. Viewers and critics alike praised Jaafar Jackson’s physicality and ability to embody Michael’s movement and presence. Some describe the trailer as more of an extended tribute than a nuanced biography, which aligns with the filmmakers’ apparent approach.

Controversy has also emerged. Paris Jackson, Michael’s daughter, publicly stated that she was not involved in the project and expressed concerns about its accuracy. Her comments have fueled debate about authenticity versus entertainment, highlighting the tension between the film’s celebratory tone and the complex realities of Michael Jackson’s life.

Photo Credit – Google

The trailer highlight performances, rehearsal moments, and Jackson’s public persona. It deliberately avoids delving into the controversies or personal struggles that defined his later life. While this approach guarantees broad appeal, it also signals that the film may prioritize admiration over investigation. Viewers should expect a cinematic experience that showcases the performer’s energy and charisma rather than a detailed exploration of his private life.

Overall, the MICHAEL trailer frames the film as a high-impact celebration of one of pop culture’s most influential figures. It succeeds in generating excitement and anticipation, but it leaves significant questions about narrative depth and personal context unanswered. The full story, and how it balances spectacle with substance, will only emerge when the film hits theaters in April 2026.