Bradley Cooper Gets a DGA Nomination
The Directors Guild of America has nominated Alfonso Cuaron for “Roma,” Bradley Cooper for “A Star Is Born,” Spike Lee for “BlacKkKlansman,” Adam McKay for “Vice,” and Peter Farrelly for “Green Book” for its top feature film award.
Cooper also received a DGA nomination for its first-time director award on Tuesday, along with Bo Burnham for “Eighth Grade,” Carlos Lopez Estrada for “Blindspotting,” Matthew Heineman for “A Private War,” and Boots Riley for “Sorry to Bother You.”
Cuaron won the DGA and Academy Award for directing five years ago for “Gravity.” It’s the first DGA nomination for Cooper, Farrelly, and Lee. It’s McKay’s third DGA nom, three years after he received a nod for “The Big Short.” He also received a television nomination Monday for directing an episode of “Succession.”
There were no surprises in the DGA’s announcement, which came two days after Cuaron won the Golden Globe for directing “Roma” over the same four — Cooper, Farrelly, Lee, and McKay. Cuaron also won the director award from the New York Film Critics Circle.
Lee won the Grand Prix for “BlacKkKlansman” in May at the Cannes Film Festival. Cooper has been nominated for acting Academy Awards for “Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle,” and “American Sniper,” and for producing “American Sniper.”
Contenders overlooked for a DGA nod include Barry Jenkins for “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Ryan Coogler for “Black Panther,” Damien Chazelle for “First Man,” Debra Granik for “Leave No Trace,” Yorgos Lanthimos for “The Favourite” and Marielle Heller for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
The DGA Award is one of the top indicators of Oscar glory, with all but seven of the DGA winners since 1948 going on to take the best director Oscar — including Guillermo del Toro last year for “The Shape of Water.” The last divergence came in 2013 when Ben Affleck won the DGA Award for “Argo,” even though he did not receive an Oscar nom.
About 80% of DGA nominees have gone on to be nominated for an Oscar in recent years. Along with del Toro, last year’s nominees were Greta Gerwig for “Lady Bird,” Martin McDonagh for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Christopher Nolan for “Dunkirk,” and Jordan Peele for “Get Out.” All but McDonagh received Oscar nominations for directing, with the Academy opting instead for Paul Thomas Anderson for “Phantom Thread.”
Heineman has won DGA awards for his documentaries “Cartel Land” and “City of Ghosts.” He said in response to the nomination, “Making films is a privilege, and I’m grateful that I’ve been able to explore the world through documentaries and now my first narrative feature. I am deeply honored by the DGA nomination for ‘A Private War,’ a love letter to journalism at a time when it is under attack. Massive thanks to my incredible team and to Rosamund Pike for her fearless portrayal of war correspondent Marie Colvin.”
The DGA winners will be announced at the 71st Annual DGA Awards on Feb. 2, following voting by its 17,000 members. The DGA nominations for the TV, commercial, and movie documentary categories were announced on Monday.
Cooper also received a DGA nomination for its first-time director award on Tuesday, along with Bo Burnham for “Eighth Grade,” Carlos Lopez Estrada for “Blindspotting,” Matthew Heineman for “A Private War,” and Boots Riley for “Sorry to Bother You.”
Cuaron won the DGA and Academy Award for directing five years ago for “Gravity.” It’s the first DGA nomination for Cooper, Farrelly, and Lee. It’s McKay’s third DGA nom, three years after he received a nod for “The Big Short.” He also received a television nomination Monday for directing an episode of “Succession.”
There were no surprises in the DGA’s announcement, which came two days after Cuaron won the Golden Globe for directing “Roma” over the same four — Cooper, Farrelly, Lee, and McKay. Cuaron also won the director award from the New York Film Critics Circle.
Lee won the Grand Prix for “BlacKkKlansman” in May at the Cannes Film Festival. Cooper has been nominated for acting Academy Awards for “Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle,” and “American Sniper,” and for producing “American Sniper.”
Contenders overlooked for a DGA nod include Barry Jenkins for “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Ryan Coogler for “Black Panther,” Damien Chazelle for “First Man,” Debra Granik for “Leave No Trace,” Yorgos Lanthimos for “The Favourite” and Marielle Heller for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
The DGA Award is one of the top indicators of Oscar glory, with all but seven of the DGA winners since 1948 going on to take the best director Oscar — including Guillermo del Toro last year for “The Shape of Water.” The last divergence came in 2013 when Ben Affleck won the DGA Award for “Argo,” even though he did not receive an Oscar nom.
About 80% of DGA nominees have gone on to be nominated for an Oscar in recent years. Along with del Toro, last year’s nominees were Greta Gerwig for “Lady Bird,” Martin McDonagh for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Christopher Nolan for “Dunkirk,” and Jordan Peele for “Get Out.” All but McDonagh received Oscar nominations for directing, with the Academy opting instead for Paul Thomas Anderson for “Phantom Thread.”
Heineman has won DGA awards for his documentaries “Cartel Land” and “City of Ghosts.” He said in response to the nomination, “Making films is a privilege, and I’m grateful that I’ve been able to explore the world through documentaries and now my first narrative feature. I am deeply honored by the DGA nomination for ‘A Private War,’ a love letter to journalism at a time when it is under attack. Massive thanks to my incredible team and to Rosamund Pike for her fearless portrayal of war correspondent Marie Colvin.”
The DGA winners will be announced at the 71st Annual DGA Awards on Feb. 2, following voting by its 17,000 members. The DGA nominations for the TV, commercial, and movie documentary categories were announced on Monday.
