CASTING GRADES (SEASON 36)

 

Jeff Stockton here with another edition of Casting Grades, where I take a look at adaptations featuring characters who already exist on the page, screen, in games, or in real life — meaning there’s already a pretty good idea of what they’re supposed to look and act like. Sometimes Hollywood gets it right. Sometimes they cast a perfectly good actor and hope nobody notices they’re playing the wrong person.

For each casting choice, I’ll ask two simple questions: Do they look the part? Do they act the part? Then I’ll hand out the grades and see how each film’s cast stacks up overall.

Let’s get started.

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY

Game to Film: https://hmsfilms.blogspot.com/2026/05/game-to-film-donkey-kong-country.html

DWAYNE JOHNSON as DONKEY KONG

LOOKS THE PART? N/A

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

SKYLER GISONDO as DIDDY KONG

LOOKS THE PART? N/A

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

DANNY GLOVER as CRANKY KONG

LOOKS THE PART? N/A

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A

MARK HAMILL as KING K. ROOL

LOOKS THE PART? N/A

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A

KIERNAN SHIPKA as DIXIE KONG

LOOKS THE PART? N/A

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

ELIZABETH BANKS as CANDY KONG

LOOKS THE PART? N/A

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

DAX SHEPARD as FUNKY KONG

LOOKS THE PART? N/A

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

IKE BARINHOLTZ as KRUSHA

LOOKS THE PART? N/A

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

FRED ARMISEN as KLAPTRAP

LOOKS THE PART? N/A

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

OVERALL CASTING GRADE: A-

LOBO

Comic to Film: https://hmsfilms.blogspot.com/2026/06/comic-to-film-lobo.html

VIN DIESEL as LOBO

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

RUTH NEGGA as DARLENE SPRITZER

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B

TOM HOPPER as BLUDHOUND / GOLD STAR

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

ZACH CHERRY as BUNSEN

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B

ALYSSA SUTHERLAND as SHAOLA VON DARRAGON

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

OVERALL CASTING GRADE: B+

LUKE CAGE: THE PURPLE MAN

Comic to Film: https://hmsfilms.blogspot.com/2026/06/comic-to-film-luke-cage-purple-man.html

OMARI HARDWICK as LUKE CAGE

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

OLIVIA MUNN as JESSICA JONES

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B

NATHALIE EMMANUEL as MISTY KNIGHT

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

SABRINA CARPENTER as DAZZLER

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

MATTHIAS SCHWEIGHÖFER as PURPLE MAN

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

FRED WILLIAMSON as JAMES LUCAS

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

MEAGAN GOOD as CLAIRE TEMPLE

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

COLMAN DOMINGO as COTTONMOUTH

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A

OVERALL CASTING GRADE: A-

ASSASSIN'S CREED: ETERNAL

Game to Film: https://hmsfilms.blogspot.com/2026/07/game-to-film-assassins-creed-eternal.html

JACOB ELORDI as DESMOND MILES / EZIO AUDITORE / JACOB FRYE

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

EMMA MACKEY as LUCY STILLMAN / CRISTINA VESPUCCI / PEARL ATTAWAY

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

RUFUS SEWELL as WARREN VIDIC / MARCO DE PAZZI / MAXWELL ROTH

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A

MARTON CSOKAS as MARIO AUDITORE / HENRY GREEN

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: C+

LUCY FRY as LAYLA HASSAN / CLAUDIA AUDITORE / EVIE FRYE

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: C+

DOMINIC COOPER as DANIEL CROSS / LEONARDO DA VINCI / FREDERICK ABBERLINE

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

BARRY SLOANE as OTSO BERG / LA VOLPE

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

GEMMA ARTERTON as MELANIE LEMAY / PAOLA

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

OVERALL CASTING GRADE: B+

THE HULK 3

Comic to Film: https://hmsfilms.blogspot.com/2026/07/comic-to-film-hulk-3.html

MARK DUPLASS as BRUCE BANNER / HULK

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD as BETTY ROSS BANNER

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

DON JOHNSON as THADDEUS "THUNDERBOLT" ROSS

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

TIMOTHY OLYPHANT as GLENN TALBOT / ABOMINATION

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A

JENNY SLATE as JENNIFER WALTERS / SHE-HULK

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B

WILLIAM H. MACY as GEOFFREY CRAWFORD

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

TOM HOLLANDER as EMIL BLONSKY

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B

ZACH GILFORD as BEN TIBBETTS / FLUX

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

HAROLD PERRINEAU as REGINALD FORTEAN

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B

HANNAH SIMONE as KATE NEVILLE

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B

OVERALL CASTING GRADE: B+

KILL BIN LADEN

Fact to Film: https://hmsfilms.blogspot.com/2026/08/fact-to-film-kill-bin-laden.html

JAMIE FOXX as BARACK OBAMA

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B-

LIAM NEESON as LEON PANETTA

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? NO

GRADE: C

JAMEY SHERIDAN as JOE BIDEN

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

ANNETTE BENING as HILLARY CLINTON

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

STANLEY TUCCI as JOHN BRENNAN

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? NO

GRADE: C-

ADAM SCOTT as BEN RHODES

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B-

STEPHEN LANG as ADMIRAL WILLIAM MCRAVEN

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

OVERALL CASTING GRADE: B-

THE CHAIN

Fact to Film: https://hmsfilms.blogspot.com/2026/08/fact-to-film-chain.html

SYDNEY SWEENEY as STEVIE NICKS

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

JOE KEERY as LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A

SAOIRSE RONAN as CHRISTINE MCVIE

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

TOBY KEBBELL as MICK FLEETWOOD

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

HARRY LLOYD as JOHN MCVIE

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B-

JONAH HAUER-KING as CURRY GRANT

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B-

TOM PAYNE as PETER GREEN

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: A-

SCOTT MACARTHUR as KEN CAILLAT

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B

HOLLIDAY GRAINGER as SARA RECOR

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

JOE ALWYN as DON HENLEY

LOOKS THE PART? NO

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B

EMILE HIRSCH as KEITH OLSEN

LOOKS THE PART? YES

ACTS THE PART? YES

GRADE: B+

OVERALL CASTING GRADE: A-

COMIC BOOK GUY (SEASON 36)

Welcome to Comic Book Guy! Season 36 gives us Lobo riding a space dolphin into battle, Luke Cage punching his way through a disco-fueled mind-control conspiracy, the Hulk dealing with yet another gamma-powered lunatic, and the Crypt Keeper returning to remind us that terrible people still make excellent horror victims. Between Lobo, Luke Cage: The Purple Man, The Hulk 3 and Tales from the Crypt, subtlety has wisely been left off the schedule entirely.

TALES FROM THE CRYPT

At last, the Crypt Keeper returns to theaters with four morality plays, approximately seventeen bad puns and enough awful people receiving gruesome comeuppance to make EC Comics proud. John Kassir slipping back into the role is easily the movie’s biggest win, and individual segments like The Last Supper and Til Death Do Us Part capture the nasty little twist-ending spirit of the series quite well. The problem is the same one that plagues most horror anthologies: just as one story gets interesting, it ends and we start over with an entirely new cast and premise. By the fourth helping of karmic slaughter, the formula begins feeling less like a feature film and more like four television episodes trapped in a trench coat. Fun in pieces, but the Crypt Keeper was probably better off keeping these tales on the small screen.

LUKE CAGE: THE PURPLE MAN

Apparently the best way to defeat the Purple Man is with Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Misty Knight and enough disco lighting to violate several fire codes. Moving the action through Studio 54 gives the sequel a terrific identity, Matthias Schweighöfer makes Killgrave suitably sleazy, and Sabrina Carpenter is inspired casting as Dazzler, whose powers finally justify turning half the movie into a light show. The mind-control material gets appropriately nasty without losing the pulpy fun, while Luke punching his way through psychic manipulation is about as Luke Cage a solution as one could hope for. Throw in Cottonmouth waiting patiently for the next sequel and The Purple Man feels like Marvel street-level storytelling filtered through a particularly sweaty disco ball.

LOBO

If ever there were a comic-book character who demanded a movie built around gratuitous violence, obscene alien nonsense and weaponized space dolphins, it is Lobo. Vin Diesel is well cast as the Main Man, and Doug Liman wisely treats subtlety as something that happened to another franchise. The Bludhound/Gold Star sibling melodrama is ridiculous even by DC cosmic standards, while Rob’s Disease exists largely to provide perhaps the most disgusting death scene of the season. And yes, Lobo riding a dolphin named Lundgren into battle is every bit as stupid as it sounds—which is precisely why it works. Lobo is loud, juvenile and proudly tasteless. In other words, surprisingly faithful.

THE HULK 3

By the third Hulk movie, Bruce Banner has apparently achieved the impossible: emotional stability, a functional marriage and a reasonably civil relationship with Thunderbolt Ross. Naturally, Glenn Talbot responds by becoming a giant gamma-powered nightmare and murdering his way through the supporting cast. Timothy Olyphant makes for a strong Abomination, especially once Talbot’s resentment turns into full-blown monster-fueled revenge, while Mark Duplass continues to sell the quieter Bruce material better than one might expect. She-Hulk joining the final brawl gives the climax some extra muscle, though the movie occasionally feels more interested in setting up Project RED than doing anything especially new with Hulk himself. Still, watching Bruce finally choose to become Hulk rather than fear him gives the trilogy a satisfying bit of closure.

The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 36 GRA Edition)

 

Jeff Stockton here once again. The nominations are in, and unlike some years where the Golden Reel Awards field feels wide open, Season 36 has developed a pretty clear pecking order. As I did last season, rather than go category by category, I'm going to take a look at every nominated film and see where each one stands heading into the awards. Here's the Season 36 GRA Edition of The Roundup....

ONE NOMINATION

THE HULK 3

Timothy Olyphant picked up The Hulk 3's lone nomination for Best Villain, and honestly, that's not a bad place to plant your flag. The movie itself didn't exactly storm the GRA ballot, but Olyphant was one of its strongest elements and this is the kind of category where one big, memorable performance can carry the whole thing. I wouldn't call him the favorite, but he's got a much better shot than most films limping into the ceremony with only one nomination.

LOBO

Tom Hopper is carrying the entire awards-season burden for Lobo, which feels appropriate for a guy playing Lobo. He certainly had the kind of loud, oversized role that usually gets noticed in Best Villain, but unfortunately he's sharing the category with Timothy Olyphant, Matthias Schweighöfer and Javier Bardem. That's a rough neighborhood. Hopper getting nominated makes sense; Hopper actually winning feels like a much tougher sell.

ECHOES OF RED

Echoes of Red's lone nomination comes in one of the automatic categories, which makes me suspect somebody forgot to do their GRA homework. Cate Blanchett never even appeared on the Best Actress nominations poll, and in this year's field that feels like leaving points on the board. Instead, Echoes of Red has to put all its eggs in the Best Original Story basket, where The Chain, Pirouette and 1995 are waiting for it. Good luck with that.

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY

For one of the season's bigger success stories, Donkey Kong Country sure didn't leave much of a footprint on the GRA ballot. Its lone nomination is Best Adaptation, where it gets the pleasure of going up against Fletch, Gray and The Song of Roland. I liked what the movie did with the source material, but this feels like one of those cases where making the final four is probably the award. Somebody had to be the fourth nominee.

HEARTBEAT

Carey Mulligan gives Heartbeat its only nomination, which isn't especially shocking considering Best Actress was practically begging people to come inside and sit down this season. Mulligan is obviously talented enough to win an acting award in her sleep, but she's facing Sydney Sweeney, Suki Waterhouse and Monica Barbaro, all of whom come attached to films with much stronger overall GRA support. Could Mulligan steal it? Sure. Am I betting on Heartbeat to suddenly become the story of GRA night? No.

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

The Midnight Library only managed one nomination, and even that came in the automatic Best Production Design category. Jessie Buckley not appearing on the Best Actress nominations poll at all is a pretty good clue that the proper GRA submissions never happened here. That's especially unfortunate in a year when Best Actress wasn't exactly overflowing with contenders. Buckley absolutely could have made some noise. Instead, The Midnight Library gets one swing in Production Design against Boba Fett, Fletch and Gray. Better than nothing, I guess.

TWO NOMINATIONS

1995

1995 only picked up two nominations, but at least it picked the right two. Best Original Story was always going to be where this movie lived or died at the GRAs, and I think it has a real chance there despite having to stare down The Chain and Pirouette. Best Soundtrack is a little tougher, especially in a category featuring a Fleetwood Mac biopic, which feels borderline unfair to everybody else. I don't see 1995 cleaning up, but stealing one trophy would hardly shock me.

BOBA FETT

Boba Fett made a mountain of money and somehow walked away with just two nominations. Welcome to awards season. Production Design is the obvious one and probably its best shot, since if a Star Wars movie can't compete there, somebody has really screwed up. Most Wanted Sequel also seems like fertile territory for a movie that audiences clearly showed up for. Two nominations may look modest, but Boba Fett could very easily turn both of them into wins and make the nomination count look a lot less important.

LUKE CAGE: THE PURPLE MAN

Luke Cage: The Purple Man got exactly the two nominations you'd expect: one for the villain whose name is in the title and another asking whether people want more of this. Matthias Schweighöfer has a very real shot at Best Villain, although Javier Bardem and company aren't exactly rolling over for him. Most Wanted Sequel is harder to predict because that category is basically a popularity contest — which, come to think of it, is pretty much what the name advertises. Luke Cage only has two chances to win something, but neither feels remotely decorative.

THREE NOMINATIONS

ASSASSIN'S CREED: ETERNAL

Assassin's Creed: Eternal lands in a category all by itself with three nominations, and none of them are exactly the kind that scream "major awards contender." Best Ensemble Cast is probably its toughest road with The Chain, Fletch and The Song of Roland all sitting there, while Jacob Elordi and Emma Mackey have a better chance in Best Starring Couple if voters bought into their chemistry. Most Wanted Sequel may actually be Eternal's best shot, which isn't a bad consolation prize for a franchise entry — basically the voters saying, "We may not give you a trophy for this one, but go ahead and make another." I wouldn't expect a big night here, but one win is definitely within reach.

SEVEN NOMINATIONS

FLETCH

Fletch racked up seven nominations, which is a very respectable haul for a movie that somehow missed both Best Director and Best Picture. That's a pretty strange combination — apparently voters loved the cast, the soundtrack, the adaptation and just about everything else, but stopped short of inviting the movie itself to the grown-ups' table. Glen Powell has a real shot in Best Actor, Christina Hendricks is firmly in the Supporting Actress race, and the film should be competitive in Best Adaptation and Best Soundtrack as well. Most Wanted Sequel also feels tailor-made for it. Seven nominations without the two biggest categories probably puts a ceiling on how dominant its night can be, but Fletch has enough chances that I'd be surprised if it went home empty-handed.

PIROUETTE

Pirouette also comes in with seven nominations, but unlike Fletch, it has the full prestige package: Picture, Director, acting nominations and Original Story. That's the good news. The bad news is that The Chain and Gray are sitting above everybody else with 10 nominations apiece, so Pirouette enters the ceremony looking a lot like the third wheel in a very serious relationship. Monica Barbaro, Johnny Depp and Emma Mackey all have legitimate chances in their respective categories, and Original Story may be another place where the film can sneak through. I don't think Pirouette is the favorite for Best Picture, but seven nominations means voters clearly liked it enough that a surprise win somewhere shouldn't be considered much of a surprise.

THE SONG OF ROLAND

The Song of Roland rounds out the seven-nomination club and may have the best chance of crashing the apparent Chain-Gray party. It's nominated for Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Villain, Ensemble Cast and Adaptation, which is basically every serious category except the ones requiring women to show up. Jonathan Bailey, Russell Crowe and Javier Bardem give it three separate acting-related chances, and Bardem in particular feels dangerous in Best Villain. Brady Corbet is also in the Director field, while Adaptation and Ensemble give the movie a couple more ways onto the board. Seven nominations is enough to make Roland a major contender. Whether it's enough to actually knock off the two films with 10 is another question.

TEN NOMINATIONS

THE CHAIN

And now we get to the big dogs. The Chain tied for the season lead with 10 nominations, and unlike some movies that pile up technical nods on their way to a big number, this thing is nominated basically everywhere that matters. Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, both Supporting categories, Original Story, Ensemble Cast, Soundtrack and Starring Couple — somebody clearly liked this movie. Joe Keery and Sydney Sweeney both have legitimate shots in the lead acting races, while Saoirse Ronan and Toby Kebbell give it two more chances to pick up hardware before we even get to the major categories. Best Soundtrack also feels like a category specifically designed for a Fleetwood Mac biopic, so if The Chain somehow loses that one, somebody should probably check the ballot box. The real question is whether all this support carries over to Best Picture, because with Gray matching it nomination-for-nomination, this has officially become a two-horse race whether Pirouette and The Song of Roland like it or not.

GRAY

Gray also finishes with 10 nominations, so congratulations to everyone who enjoys an awards race where two movies spend the entire night staring at each other across the room. Timothée Chalamet, Suki Waterhouse, Jared Leto and Uma Thurman all landed acting nominations, while Luca Guadagnino is up for Director and the film itself is obviously in the Best Picture field. Gray also has strong chances in Adaptation, Production Design and Soundtrack, so there are plenty of ways for it to start piling up wins before the big trophies are handed out. On paper, Gray and The Chain are dead even at 10 apiece. Now we get to find out whether that actually means a close race or whether one of them is about to spend GRA night beating the other over the head with a trophy.

For Your Consideration with Reuben Schwartz (Season 36)

 

Welcome back to For Your Consideration with Reuben Schwartz! In this post, I will recap the nominations for the latest Golden Reel Awards, the various storylines going into the ceremony and look back to locate its place within LRF's history.

The Storylines

We arrive at season’s end with two films sitting atop the GRA leaderboard with ten nominations each. The first, Gray, was the main subject of my mid-season check-in. The film did not seem to lose any sort of momentum despite being released in the first half. It has joined the rare company of having an actor nominated in all four main categories; this is actually the third time Roy Horne has accomplished this feat, having previously done so with Wish You Were Here (Season 20) and Open Hearts (Season 22).

The same questions remain when it comes to the ultimate taste of the GRA voting body. While undeniably a well-made film, will its NC-17 rating be a hindrance in winning the biggest awards? And how about Chalamet? He has had a relatively hit-and-miss career path at LRF to this point, so can he finally shake off some of that baggage to finally win his first Best Actor trophy. For a film that is seemingly sitting in pole position, these questions remain fascinating to consider.

In the other corner, we have the season’s final release: The Chain. This makes for an intriguing competitor to Gray because its starring pair—Joe Keery and Sydney Sweeney—owe a large part of their LRF success to Gray writer Roy Horne, who wrote each major leading roles that fit their skill set. As if their was any doubt, this Best Picture race has solidified Horne as the preeminent hitmaker when it comes to catapulting young talent.

While its late season release date means it is very fresh in people’s minds, The Chain is not without its question marks. Diane Esposito’s previous two music biopics (Songbird and Material Girl) were both nominated for Best Picture, yet only came away with the Best Soundtrack award. Are voters hesitant to award the top prize to a music biopic? The popular genre has never broken through at the GRAs, but nothing says The Chain can’t be the first.

Another storyline I will be keeping an eye out for is Pirouette, which has now quietly become a dark horse candidate behind some of the flashier contenders. Like both of those other films, Pirouette is well-represented in the acting categories and I think those awards are going to tell us a lot about the momentum of the night overall. If the Jimmy Ellis-John Malone ballet drama picks up some key victories there, it could make a compelling case for becoming the front-runner for Best Picture.

Lastly, another category that catches my eye is Best Actor, where we have surely one of the youngest crop of nominees in that category ever. Jonathan Bailey at 38 is somehow the elderstatesman of the group. It’s a real who’s who of up-and-coming male stars and could really send one of those actors into the next level of stardom.

Returning Winners:

Sydney Sweeney - By now, the starlet’s journey is one of LRF’s most widely known success stories. She is a two-time Best Actress winner for her roles in the Poison Ivy films, aiming to become the first three-time winner in the award’s history. This is a major storyline to watch.

Suki Waterhouse - Competing against her is fellow winner Waterhouse, whose first Best Actress win came all the way back in Season 3 for her portrayal of Edie Sedgewick in Femme Fatale…

Jared Leto - …which she starred in alongside Leto, whose performance of Andy Warhol was nominated but did not win. He has now been nominated for Best Supporting Actor a record four times, breaking his tie with Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Jeremy Irons at three. He has won once for Murder Mysteries in Season 29.

Russell Crowe - Crowe has quietly been building a hall of fame career at LRF, including three previous wins in the Best Villain category. However, he has yet to win Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor despite four previous nominations.

Toby Kebbell - Meanwhile, fellow Best Villain winner Toby Kebbell (We Still Know Where You Live) is receiving his first nomination in one of the main two male acting categories.

Christina Hendricks - Hendricks is no stranger to GRA gold, having won Best Actress twice (The Question: The End, Misfit) and the Golden Reel of Achievement in Season 20. This marks Hendricks’s first appearance in LRF in nearly 20 seasons, having last been seen in a cameo role in Season 17’s Justice League Dark. Welcome back, Christina!


Returning Nominees:

Timothee Chalamet - The A-list star is one of LRF’s most prolific actors, with Gray marking his 23rd appearance at the studio. He has just one individual acting nomination before, coming in Season 31 with Hideaway.

Luca Guadagnino - Alongside Chalamet is his Gray director, who also had his only nomination for Hideaway. Gray marks his eighth film for the studio, making him one of the busiest directors at LRF.

Brady Corbet - Guadagnino will be competing against another former nominee in the Best Director category, as Corbet was previously nominated back in Season 33 for Best Picture winner Splendour.

Carey Mulligan - The Heartbeat nominee has twice been nominated for Best Actress, but those previous nominations came back in Seasons 4 and 5 for The Price of Fame and A Farewell to Arms.

Johnny Depp - Depp has been nominated for Best Actor three times (Rasputin, The Sandman, The Diplomat); could his first try for Best Supporting Actor get him his first Golden Reel Award?

Saoirse Ronan - Saoirse is a two-time GRA nominee, with her previous noms coming for Amelie and The Driftwood Populace.

Uma Thurman - Thurman is also competing for her first GRA after having previously been nominated for Caesar.

Emma Mackey - Rounding things out, the emerging star now has three nominations after having previously been nominated for Time Out! and The House of Black. Could a win here solidify her as a major star at LRF?


The Newcomers:

Joe Keery - LRF’s Starman makes his debut at the Golden Reel Awards as one of the leading contenders for Best Actor.

Charlotte Wells, Maiwenn - These two Best Director nominees were nominated for their respective directing debuts at the studio.

Glen Powell - The Fletch star has only been nominated a part of ensembles before. This marks his first individual GRA nomination.

Jonathan Bailey - And rounding out that list is Bailey, who has been steadily increasing his visibility at the studio since his debut in Season 27.

Monica Barbaro - The Pirouette star drew rave reviews from critics in what was only her second LRF appearance, after AVP: The Long War.

Best Villain - All four nominees here are making their first GRA appearance; it was for Timothy Olyphant’s tenth LRF film, Javier Bardem’s seventh, Tom Hopper’s fourth, and Matthias Schweighofer’s second.

SEASON 36 GOLDEN REEL AWARD VOTING

 

The highly competitive nomination phase is over and you, the voters, have decided who will be nominated for the Season 36 Golden Reel Awards. You may now vote to see which nominees will come out victorious at this season's upcoming award ceremony....   

SEASON 36 GRA NOMINATIONS POLL

 

The first step of any awards show is to determine the nominees. The choices will be announced in less than 72 hours, so vote soon.

In each category, please select your top FIVE choices. All of the categories are below, so just keep scrolling and vote.

PREMIERE MAGAZINE # 360