Apple S First Oscar Slate Tom Holland S Cherry Sofia Coppola

“I think it’s an Oscar-worthy performance,” Joe Russo said in April. “I think he is absolutely amazing in it. He gives a gut-wrenching performance. What he does to himself emotionally and physically is unbelievable. We haven’t seen an actor in a role like this in a while. The movie spans a decade, complemented by an epic performance. And one that I certainly hope will be in the Oscar conversation.”

“Cherry” reunites Holland with the Russo Brothers, who directed him as Spider-Man/Peter Parker in “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame.” For the Russo Brothers, “Cherry” marks their first directorial effort since the record-breaking run of “Endgame” last summer. The script was co-written by Jessica Goldberg (“The Path”) and Angela Russo-Otstot (“The Shield”). Rising actress Ciara Bravo stars opposite Holland as his character’s wife. Related 2023 Brings a Diverse Set of Oscar Contenders. Will the Final Nominees Reflect that? ‘Living’: The Prime of Mr. Bill Nighy Related Oscars 2023: Best Makeup and Hairstyling Predictions 23 Controversial Film and TV Book Adaptations That Rankled Their Audiences and Authors
Films that aim to be eligible for the 2021 Oscars have to be released by February 28, so expect “Cherry” to launch before that cut-off date. A buzzy premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival ahead of an early February streaming launch could be in the cards. “Cherry” joins Sofia Coppola’s “On the Rocks” and the Tom Hanks war thriller “Greyhound” as the narrative features in Apple’s inaugural Oscar slate. Coppola’s new film debuted at the New York Film Festival to positive reviews, but it’s a lighter affair for the Oscar-winning “Lost in Translation” screenwriter. Oscar voters haven’t nominated a Coppola effort since “Marie Antoinette” won Best Costume Design. Bill Murray’s well-reviewed “On the Rocks” performance might appeal more to the Golden Globes than the Oscars, but expect Apple to push the actor and Coppola’s original script for contention. A24 is opening “On the Rocks” in theaters October 2, followed by the Apple TV+ debut October 23. “Greyhound,” written by Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider, was released on Apple TV+ over the summer after the streamer picked up the movie from Sony Pictures amid the pandemic. While not expected to be an above-the-line contender, Apple could have success with “Greyhound” in the craft categories depending on how the rest of 2020 shakes out. War films are catnip to the sound branch (see “1917 earlier this year), and there’s a lack of big-scale studio contenders outside of “Tenet” right now. Upcoming tentpoles “No Time to Die,” “Wonder Woman 1984,” and “Dune” are likely to factor into the craft races, but there’s no guarantee these films stay on the release calendar.