Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was a certified hit with audiences and critics alike, and it will, without a doubt, receive numerous nominations at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024 after prevailing as the highest-grossing movie in 2023 with a worldwide box office of $1.442 billion (making Gerwig the highest-grossing female director). Gerwig, who directed and wrote the 2023 fantasy comedy film, will most certainly receive separate nods at the upcoming Oscars for her work, which will right a wrong from four years ago. However, it is unlikely that Gerwig will come out on top in the same category she was previously snubbed in.
Gerwig has been a critically acclaimed filmmaker since her first sole director credit in 2017 with Lady Bird, which received five nominations at the 90th Academy Awards. Little Women followed in the footsteps of the coming-of-age comedy-drama and was nominated in six categories at the 92nd Oscars. Now, Barbie will undoubtedly be represented in even more categories at the upcoming awards show (including one that should have honored Gerwig for Little Women almost four years ago).
Greta Gerwig Should’ve Been Nominated For Best Director For Little Women (& Will Be For Barbie)
Even though Little Women, directed and written by Greta Gerwig, received six nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards in February 2020, it only won one (Best Costume Design, presented to Jacqueline Durran), and Gerwig didn’t receive a nod in the Best Director category (even though she should have). The 2019 period drama film was also nominated for (but didn’t win) Best Picture, Best Actress for Saoirse Ronan, Best Supporting Actress for Florence Pugh, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score. Sadly, Gerwig was not recognized for her tremendous work on the movie based on Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 book, but she will be for Barbie.
Only the shortlists for the 96th Academy Awards have been released, and the official nominations will be announced on January 23, 2024. But every prediction has Gerwig listed as a locked-in nominee for Best Director for Barbie. It is essentially a guarantee that she will secure one of the five spots in the esteemed category that notoriously ignores women directors.
Four years following her Little Women snub, Gerwig will receive her second Best Director nomination (her first being for Lady Bird, which she lost to Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water). She would be the second female director to be recognized twice in the category, tying the record for most Best Director nominations by a woman, currently held by Jane Campion. However, Gerwig would make Oscars history by being the youngest female director to receive two nominations, since Campion was 67 when she set the record, and Gerwig is 40.
Greta Gerwig Likely Won’t Win Best Director For Barbie
Even though Greta Gerwig’s inevitable Best Director nomination at the 96th Academy Awards is exciting because it will fix her Little Women snub and have her tie for the most nods in the category by a woman, she probably won’t win. Gerwig’s work on Barbie is unforgettable and cemented her place as a legendary filmmaker (and one of the best present-day directors). However, she will have some tough competition, seeing as the likes of Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese are expected to receive Best Director nominations for Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon, respectively.
Nolan, a well-respected and celebrated director, only has one Best Director nomination under his belt. He received a nod for Dunkirk at the 2018 Oscars, and like Gerwig, Nolan lost to Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water. So, given Nolan’s status as one of the best directors of the past 20 or so years, voters might feel obligated to give him the win in 2024. Of course, his work on Oppenheimer should be celebrated, but one can’t ignore that men typically win Best Director or that he has never won. On the other hand, Scorsese has nine nominations and one win in the category. Ultimately, Nolan has the best chance of winning.
10 Classic Movies that Inspired Greta Gerwig’s Barbie
For those who loved Barbieland and its colorful eye candy, director Greta Gerwig shared ten films that inspired the look and story behind Barbie.
Greta Gerwig’s Next Movies Are Unlikely To Land Her The Best Director Oscar
There is always the possibility that Greta Gerwig will win the Best Director for Barbie at the 96th Academy Awards, seeing as upsets have happened in the past. However, it’s unlikely that she will be able to beat Nolan, and unfortunately, the chances of Gerwig’s upcoming list of movies securing her more Best Director nominations (and a potential win) are slim. She is set to direct and write the first two installments of Netflix’s adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. Based on the history of the Oscars, it’s improbable that Gerwig will be recognized for her next two movies. So, Barbie is currently Gerwig’s best shot at winning Best Director.
