Los Angeles - The Golden Globes kick off
Hollywood's countdown to the Oscars on Sunday, but the focus is
expected to be less on who walks away with the top movie and
television prizes than who says (and wears) what.
Magical love story "The Shape of Water" goes into the
televised ceremony in Beverly Hills with a leading seven
nominations, including best movie drama. It is followed by
Steven Spielberg's passionate ode to press freedom "The Post,"
and dark indie comedy "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,
Missouri" with six apiece. All three movies are from the
Twentieth Century Fox stable of studios.
But with a sexual harassment scandal roiling Hollywood, the
most anticipated moments are on the red carpet and from host
Seth Meyers, who will open the show.
Read:
"Lady Bird" star Saoirse Ronan, "I, Tonya" skating movie
nominee Allison Janney, and actress and singer Mary J Blige are
among dozens of stars who say they will wear black on Sunday
after throwing their support behind the Times Up campaign to
fight sexual harassment in the workplace.
First-time Globes host Meyers has said he will address the
sexual misconduct issue, but acknowledges that delivering jokes
on the issue to Hollywood's A-list talent will prove a
challenge.
Join me for the #GoldenGlobes tomorrow at 8pm ET on @NBC! pic.twitter.com/43s9Xphkte
— Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers) January 7, 2018
"Fingers crossed we meet the right tone, but that's
certainly our goal," Meyers said ahead of the three-hour show.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what people do as much as you
are."
Oprah Winfrey, one of the most powerful black women in
entertainment, is expected to make waves when she accepts this
year's lifetime achievement award.
Multiple allegations against actors, filmmakers and
Hollywood agents since October 2017 have led to many of the
accused being fired, forced to step down, or dropped from
creative projects.
Others stand to benefit. Director Ridley Scott, Michelle
Williams and Christopher Plummer were all Golden Globe-nominated
after Sony Pictures' thriller "All the Money in the
World" was hastily reshot with Plummer taking the place of Kevin
Spacey, who has been accused by more than 30 men of sexual
impropriety.
Spacey apologised for the first reported incident. Reuters
is unable to verify the allegations.
The Golden Globes, organised by the small Hollywood Foreign
Press Association, hands out separate awards for drama and
comedy films and the race for those top prizes is seen as wide
open.
Pundits say "The Post," Warner Bros.' war movie
"Dunkirk" and "Three Billboards" all stand a good chance of
winning best movie drama, while indie studio A24's
mother-daughter film "Lady Bird" and its James Franco cult movie
tribute "The Disaster Artist" are the likely frontrunners for
best comedy or musical.
"I am very gung-ho on 'The Post.' I think it is a movie that
makes a statement," said Pete Hammond, awards columnist at
Hollywood industry website Deadline.com.