After Weinstein Scandal, Women-Driven Movies May Dominate Awards Season

Usual Oscar buzz has been eclipsed by shocking allegations still rippling across the film industry.

November 6, 2017 10:01 am
Kathryn Bigelow (L) became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director in 2010. She is pictured onstage with presenter Barbra Streisand.  (Photo by Michael Caulfield/WireImage)
Kathryn Bigelow (L) became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director in 2010. She is pictured onstage with presenter Barbra Streisand. (Photo by Michael Caulfield/WireImage)

In the months before the Academy Awards, there are usually whispers swirling about top contenders for the most prestigious and coveted award in the entertainment industry. But the The Hollywood Reporter notes that this usual buzz “has been drowned out” by all the women—and a few men—who have come forward to make serious allegations of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault across the entertainment industry.

The still rippling consequences of these scandals may have a negative impact on films like Woody Allen’s Wonder Wheel, the red carpet premiere of which was cancelled after Amazon Studios chief Roy Price resigned over claims of sexual harassment. But it could open the door for women-driven movies like Battle of the Sexes and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Admittedly, though, the future is unclear. “I don’t know what it means,” one awards strategist told THR. “How does it affect the awards? I don’t know how Jimmy Kimmel jokes about any of this.”

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