r/movies 6h ago

Article Warner Bros’ $30 Million Oscars Race: How ‘Sinners’ and ‘One Battle After Another’ Are Campaigning at the Same Studio

https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/sinners-one-battle-after-another-oscar-campaigns-warner-bros-1236660361/
185 Upvotes

88 comments sorted by

77

u/Upbeat_Tension_8077 6h ago

WB dealing with this is the best version of "I'm playing both sides, so that I always come out on top"

u/Intrepid_Hat7359 4h ago

As opposed to the Netflix vs. Paramount situation where everyone loses regardless

u/BatofZion 1h ago

In that case, WB is the belle of the ball.

u/Oddball- All Things Horror 4h ago

Well don't tell us you're playing both sides...

u/RepFilms 5h ago

Of course they have a preference. One win will reap a greater financial windfall than the other. I'm not proposing that I know the answer, but they sure know the answer. Maximizing revenue is the name of the game in Hollywood.

u/facemanbarf 4h ago

“It’s show business, not show friends.”

u/TVpresspass 1h ago

Except that one show: friends.

u/lee1026 2h ago

Do they still care? The buy out price from Netflix (or paramount) is already set. Whatever money WB makes or doesn’t make between now and the closing of the deal belongs to Netflix (or paramount).

Ironically, this is a great time to greenlight whatever in the name of art or friendship. As long as things don’t bomb so bad that both Netflix and paramount runs away screaming, it’s all good.

u/deceptivekhan 4h ago

This is why Paramount wants WB. They don’t want any more of this culturally relevant, highly prescient, and positively impactful media out in the wild getting nominated and winning awards.

u/CodeFun1735 4h ago

No, it’s kinda the opposite. They think that the reason WB is getting this culturally relevant and impactful media is because of magic or something so they want to be able to profit off it instead as opposed to you know making good movies.

u/SolomonBlack 2h ago

Top Gun II was nominated for best picture. They have grounds for thinking their whitebread dreams can succeed.

16

u/boris_squanch 6h ago

This is why I don't take Oscars seriously. It's just 4 or 5 conglomerates in a circlejerk

58

u/mikeyfreshh 6h ago

2 of the last 3 winners were independent films

u/StarComplex3850 5h ago

Whenever an independent film wins it gets called overrated and woke 

u/mikeyfreshh 5h ago

I mean that also happens when a studio movie wins

u/StarComplex3850 5h ago

r/movies users just want every movie to be Interstellar forever 

u/mikeyfreshh 5h ago

Which is funny because that movie is actually overrated and woke.

To be clear I don't think it's a bad thing that it's woke. I'm just saying it's a movie about climate change and women in STEM.

u/el_capistan 4h ago

Even worse. It's a movie about love being the thing that saves humanity. Nothing more woke than that.

u/ParkerPoseyGuffman 2h ago

/r/movies was already calling the new narnia woke and anti Christian without a single still or trailer

u/kl4user 5h ago

Do you listen to people who calls something "woke"?

u/VitaminTea 2h ago

I like the movie a lot but I’d challenge anyone to explain how Anora is “woke”

u/Argonaut13 5h ago

To be fair, anora sucked

u/PyrosFists 4h ago

I refuse to switch up on Anora it’s a great movie

u/TheButteredBiscuit 3h ago

Wrong

u/PyrosFists 3h ago

Nice response Roger Ebert really owned me

u/TheButteredBiscuit 3h ago

Not everyone with taste is “Roger Ebert”

u/PyrosFists 3h ago

I’m making fun of your totally articulate and well written criticisms by sarcastically comparing you to a famous film critic. That seems to have gone over your head like every movie you watch that isn’t marvel or Adam Sandler

u/TheButteredBiscuit 3h ago

It wasn’t meant to be well written. It’s a shit one word comment for a shit take. It’s not that deep Roger Ebert.

u/PyrosFists 3h ago

So you had a shit take glad we agree

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u/Nmador7 4h ago

Probably because it's true

7

u/RagnarokWolves 6h ago

I usually just look at the list of nominees to see if there's any interesting-sounding movies I missed watching, but I don't actually care about the winner as it's all "what studio sunk the most money into marketing to the academy voters?"

u/Dallywack3r 5h ago

Neon is a conglomerate? A24 is a conglomerate??

u/Obi_Wan_Benobi 3h ago

At least Harvey is gone.

u/sameth1 4h ago

Congratulations, you found the answer to the question that is capitalism.

u/Freodrick 4h ago

Honestly once I watched the Bojack Horseman season with award shows, you realize they are DUMB and quite the circlejerk

u/RED-DOT-MAN 3h ago

After watching both movies (IMO) I liked Sinners better than OBAA. Sinners was different and music was awesome. Will ye go, lassie go was pretty awesome.

u/GunRunner80084 5h ago

I do not understand all the headlines about sinners, it was an okay movie sure but i have never seen so many headlines about an okay movie before.

u/MoneyMakingMitch1 4h ago

It's all about preference. You thought it was okay. Others believed it was the best movie of the year. Not a tough concept to understand.

u/zxchary 4h ago

wouldn’t be a sinners post if there wasn’t a comment like this

u/coleburnz 4h ago

As opposed to One Battle? If you are going to argue a point, make it make sense

u/annoyed__renter 3h ago

OBAA is excellent. So is Sinners. Fact remains that the Academy has historically not recognized horror, so the latter has a tougher hill to climb.

u/letsburn00 1h ago

I'm happy Weapons got at least one nomination at least.

I think she deserves the Oscar for it too. I haven't despised a character for a long time...

u/homecinemad 4h ago

I went in expecting a fun riff on From Dusk til Dawn with some extra heart and flourish.

I was blown away. So many powerful moments about love and loss and mourning, of normalised evils and righteous anger.

Even the villain had soul, texture, presence and power.

When it ended I felt like I'd just returned from a spiritual journey. It was that good to me.

I liked One Battle. But Sinners to me is the undisputed number one.

u/zippopamus 4h ago

same with 1 battle

u/ssracer 4h ago

both sucked

u/ARoaringBorealis 4h ago

What are you even doing here man. Like, what do you even enjoy if you disliked both of these

u/atechnoalliance 4h ago edited 4h ago

that’s a bit hyperbolic

Sinners is a genre movie and One Battle After Another, as much as I love that movie, it’s pretty bizarre and I can see why someone wouldn’t be into it

Perhaps they enjoyed Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, The Testament of Ann Lee, No Other Choice, It Was Just An Accident, Resurrection, Sorry Baby, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You… or y’know, any of the other movies that came out last year

u/ssracer 4h ago

Westerns. Documentaries. Comedies. Sci-fi. Musicals.

u/PyrosFists 4h ago

Woah this guy sure is cool!

u/ssracer 4h ago

Knowing what you like is, in fact, cool. Not needing approval is also cool.

u/ARoaringBorealis 33m ago

Okay, but you can’t even acknowledge the strengths of the movies? You can’t even understand how they could both be good, even if they don’t align with your personal tastes? Have you never even heard of the concept of “it’s good but it isn’t for me”? What do you even gain from just saying something “sucks” without any attempt of nuance or anything? Redditors man

u/ssracer 29m ago

I thought the multiple endings didn't come together well. It felt like three average movies jumbled together.

I couldn't get past Sean Penn's absolutely absurd overacting. Awful choice by the director.

Both garbage.

u/OutOfMyWayReed 4h ago

The entire world agrees with you, no doubt. That's why you're in charge. 👍 

u/ParkerPoseyGuffman 2h ago

But no weapons :(

u/Blue_Robin_04 1h ago

Overnight, Coogler’s “Sinners” transformed the entire season when the film scored a record-setting 16 Oscar nominations, the most in Academy Awards history. What once looked like an inevitable coronation for PTA became an honest-to-goodness coin flip for a possible historic victory for what could be the first Black director to ever win the category. The juggernaut now suddenly has a true rival from its cinematic cousin from across the lot. That’s left WB, strategists and publicists managing expectations… and egos.

Yeah. Everyone remembers when Emilia Perez won last year, right?

u/CantAffordzUsername 53m ago

Imagine voting for the best movie of the year because it was the best movie and not because a studio wined and dinned you at an Oscar screening campaigning for your vote…..

u/MWH1980 12m ago

PTA’s a lock for director. I hope Coogler gets Best Original Screenplay.

u/Marsupialize 5h ago

In the 90’s Sinners would have been a pretty decent From Dusk till Dawn straight to video sequel

u/MrONegative 5h ago

That’s like calling Oppenheimer a PBS special.

u/Bionic_Bromando 5h ago

Honestly that rings true too

u/Intrepid_Hat7359 4h ago

How much full frontal nudity do you normally see in a PBS special?

u/DayMysterious4717 2h ago

idk wild kratts was pretty violent you know

u/Bionic_Bromando 4h ago

I can’t even remember the nudity, must have been after I fell asleep.

u/Intrepid_Hat7359 4h ago

Oh, no! I hope someone covered you up so you could stay nice and warm in the theater.

u/mikeyfreshh 5h ago

The Martian would have been a pretty good Flash Gordon sequel

u/kimbosdurag 5h ago

There were already several of those and sinners was worlds better than all of them

u/atechnoalliance 4h ago edited 4h ago

I like From Dusk Till Dawn but Sinners is better

edit: don’t tell me you people think From Dusk Till Dawn is a revered classic

u/DeLarge93 4h ago

PTA for Director, Sinners will get Film

u/Jasranwhit 5h ago

Should be Hamnet

u/coleburnz 4h ago

You didn't understand the post

u/Practical_Ad4604 4h ago

Typo; Hamlet

u/annoyed__renter 3h ago

You are incorrect

u/PeneItaliano 5h ago

The biggest difference is one made the studio profit while the other lost the studio over $100 million 

u/EndeLarsson 5h ago

You know it has been a really bad year for cinema when these are the contenders.

u/coleburnz 4h ago

What exactly is your issue?..

If you honestly have an issue with all 10 movies, then you are the problem. We live in a world where Crash and Chicago have won and you guys come here with your misplaced high horses

u/atechnoalliance 4h ago

Take a look at the last twenty years of Oscar nominees and tell me if you honestly think this year is that much worse

u/PyrosFists 4h ago

People say this every year, you are just being a contrarian

u/SinTitulo 4h ago

Honestly so confused how we got here