The nominations for the 2026 Academy Awards were announced Thursday morning, with One Battle After Another leading the literary adaptations that are vying for the film prizes.
One Battle After Another, loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel, Vineland, earned 13 nominations, including ones for best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay (both Paul Thomas Anderson), best actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), best supporting actor (Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn), and best supporting actress (Teyana Taylor).
The new film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein scored nine nods. It’s nominated for best picture as well as best adapted screenplay (Guillermo del Toro) and best supporting actor (Jacob Elordi).
Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel, Hamnet, earned eight nominations, including best director (Zhao), best adapted screenplay (Zhao and O’Farrell), and best actress (Jessie Buckley).
Train Dreams, based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella, is up for four awards, including best picture and best adapted screenplay (Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar).
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, based on Amélie Nothomb’s novel The Character of Rain, was nominated for best animated feature.
Surprising some observers was the total shutout of Wicked: For Good, the second film installment of the musical Wicked, which was based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel. The first installment, released in 2024, earned 10 Oscar nods.
The winners of this year’s awards will be revealed at a televised ceremony on March 15.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
