David Fincher’s “The Social Network” remains the Best Picture frontrunner, but “The King’s Speech” and “True Grit” received the most nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards.
“The King’s Speech” received 12 nominations on Tuesday (Jan. 25) morning, including nods for Best Picture, Best Director (Tom Hooper) and Screenplay (David Seidler), plus nods for stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.
“True Grit” was second in total nominations with 10, as the Coen Brothers earned nods for directing and screenplay and as well as for producing the Best Picture nominee. “True Grit” stars Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld also received nods.
“The Social Network” received 8 nominations, including expected nods for Best Picture, director Fincher, writer Aaron Sorkin and leading man Jesse Eisenberg. That was one nomination ahead of “The Fighter,” which earned supporting nominations for Amy Adams, Melissa Leo and Christian Bale, plus Best Picture, Director (David O. Russell) and Screenplay for Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson.
Joining “King’s Speech,” “True Grit,” “The Social Network” and “The Fighter” in the 10-film Best Picture race are “Black Swan,” “Inception,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “127 House,” “Toy Story 3” and “Winter’s Bone.”
“Black Swan” helmer Darren Aronofsky joined the helmers of the four leading nominees in the Best Director field. [Odd note: Nine of the 10 Best Picture nominees picked up screenplay nominations. The only exception was “Black Swan.” Mike Leigh received the only non-Best Picture screenplay nod for “Another Year.”
Acclaimed “Biutiful” star and former Oscar winner Javier Bardem was a slightly surprising Best Actor nominee, where he’ll go up against Bridges, Eisenberg, Firth and Oscar co-host James Franco.
The Best Actress race will pit presumed favorites Annette Bening (“The Kids Are All Right”) and Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) against Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Williams and the category’s only former winner, Nicole Kidman of “Rabbit Hole.”
Rush is the only former winner in the Supporting Actor field, where he’ll go against Bale, plus Jeremy Renner and first-time nominees John Hawkes and Mark Ruffalo.
Of the acting actors, Supporting Actress is the only field without a former winner, though former nominees Adams, Leo and Carter will face off with newcomer Steinfeld and critical favorite Jackie Weaver.
The 83rd Academy Awards will take place in Hollywood on Sunday, February 27 and will be broadcast live on ABC.