GARY OLDMAN

Impossible is often just a starting point on a Christopher Nolan film and “Oppenheimer,” about the father of the atomic bomb, was no exception.

The Met Gala is back.

This week’s new entertainment releases include the return of Angelina Jolie in the thriller “Those Who Wish Me Dead” as a Montana smoke jumper who comes across a 12-year-old boy in need of help.

Anthony Hopkins has honored the late Chadwick Boseman after winning the best actor Oscar, hailing his fellow performer as a man “taken from us far too early.”.

Ahead of Sunday’s 93rd Academy Awards, Associated Press Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr share their predictions for a ceremony that may see historic wins in multiple categories.

10 — Nominations for “Mank," the most of any film this year, with nods for best picture, best director for Fincher, best actor for Gary Oldman and best supporting actress for Seyfried. In the best supporting actor category, Heath Ledger and Ralph Richardson were nominated, with Ledger winning for “The Dark Knight” in 2009. 5 — African nations that have received nominations for best international feature, now that Tunisia has its first nominee, “The Man Who Sold His Skin." 4 — Nominations received by “Nomadland” director Chloé Zhao, a record for a woman in a record year for women. 1 — Man nominated for both best actor and best original song.

It’s a rare year when most of the Oscar nomination surprises are good ones, but 2020 was also a rare year for moviegoing and awards campaigns. Here’s our rundown of the snubs and surprises in the 93rd Academy Award nominations. FEMALE DIRECTORS GET THEIR SHOTFor 92 Academy Awards, only 5 women had ever been nominated for best director and never more than one in the same year. This year, the dubious honor goes to Glenn Close for her portrayal of Mamaw in Ron Howard’s adaptation of J.D. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, the film was well received, but seemed like a long shot for the major Oscars categories.

This image released by Netflix shows Michael Potts, from left, Chadwick Boseman and Colman Domingo in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." (David Lee/Netflix via AP)NEW YORK – Half a year after his death, Chadwick Boseman was posthumously nominated for an Academy Award on Monday for his final performance in “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.”The nomination for best actor was widely expected but still historic. Boseman is the first Black performer ever nominated posthumously for an Oscar. He was nominated alongside Steven Yeun ("Minari"), Riz Ahmed ("Sound of Metal"), Anthony Hopkins ("The Father") and Gary Oldman ("Mank"). Three months later, the August Wilson adaptation “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom” was released by Netflix.

Zhao, the first woman of color nominated for best director, is the most nominated woman in a single year in Oscar history. She was also tipped for the film’s adapted screenplay, editing and as a producer in the best picture category. “I just quietly gave thanks and felt some gratitude.”Davis, who won for her performance in 2016’s “Fences,” landed her fourth Oscar nomination, making her the most nominated Black actress ever. The Academy Awards would typically have happened by now but this year will be telecast April 25. “Collective,” the Romanian documentary about investigative journalism and government corruption, became just the second film nominated for both best documentary and best international film.

This image released by Altitude shows, from left, Kosar Ali, Ruby Stokes and Bukky Bakray in a scene from "Rocks." Much like previous Academy Awards controversies, last year's nominations by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts were denounced for their all-male directing nominees and all-white acting nominees, a backlash that spawned a #BaftasSoWhite hashtag. The British academy responded with a seven-month review. Also nominated are Lee Isaac Chung for the family drama “Minari” and Thomas Vinterberg for the Danish dark comedy “Another Round.”More films were nominated, too. ___AP's Hilary Fox contributed to this report from London___Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

British novelist Mick Herron, the author of the Slough House espionage series, poses for photographs outside his home in Oxford, England, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Like a spy in the night, writer Mick Herrons success has been stealthy. The seventh novel in the series, Slough House, is out in Feb. 2021, and a TV series is in production with an A-list cast led by Gary Oldman. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)LONDON – Like a spy in the night, writer Mick Herron’s success has been stealthy. A seventh novel in his spy series, “Slough House,” is out this week, and a TV adaptation is in production with an A-list cast led by Gary Oldman.

In this image released by Netflix, Gary Oldman portrays Herman Mankiewicz in a scene from "Mank." On Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021 the film was nominated for a Golden Globe for best motion picture drama. “Mank,” about “Citizen Kane” co-writer Herman Mankiewicz, landed nominations for best film, drama; best actor for Gary Oldman; best director for Fincher, best supporting actress for Amanda Seyfried; best score; and best screenplay for Jack Fincher, the director’s father who penned the script before dying in 2003. Netflix, which topped all studios at the Globes last year, too, led with a commanding 42 nominations, with 22 coming in film categories and 20 in television. AdThe Globes are typically the first major show of Hollywood’s awards season, which ends with the crowning of the best picture winner at the Oscars.

This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Frances McDormand in a scene from the film "Nomadland" by Chloe Zhao. Here are our picks for the best movies of 2020:JAKE COYLE1. “David Byrne’s American Utopia”: Spike Lee’s fiction films make more noise but he’s quietly one of the best documentary filmmakers we have. He may have made the best film of the year in his short film “New York, New York,” a tribute to an undefeatable pandemic-stricken city. It's also, with a glorious rendering of Harlem, one of the best New York movies in years.

But Fincher cast Oldman’s manager, Douglas Urbanski (as Larry Summers in ’The Social Network”), before he called up Oldman about another role. Orson Welles was a genius and if everybody doesn’t know that, I don’t know what to say.”In crafting the portrait of Mankiewicz, Fincher wanted Oldman as himself. Oldman was himself once an alcoholic and, like Mank, prone to audacious gambles. Back when he was drinking, Oldman chose between two simultaneous offers — “Waterworld” and “The Scarlet Letter” — with a coin flip. In a court filing in 2001, Fiorentino alleged that Oldman hit her with a telephone, an allegation that Oldman strongly denies.

Because live shows aren’t really a thing in 2020, she’s launching a holiday TV special on Apple TV+ on Friday. “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special” will includes a mix of musical performances and dancing with amination. — Shawn Mendes released his debut album in 2015 and he’s dropping his fourth effort Friday. Along with the album is the Netflix documentary called “Shawn Mendes: In Wonder,” which is available for streaming and follows Mendes’ rise and journey over the last few years. — Christmas came early when Carrie Underwood released her first holiday album in September, and on Thursday she’ll debut a musical TV special to accompany the album.