Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and the Dog From ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ Steal the Show at Oscar Nominees Luncheon

The 96th annual Oscar nominees luncheon gathered a vibrant crowd of celebrities, filmmakers and cinephiles at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

DeVon Franklin, a Board of Governors member, kicked off the event by announcing the roll call of attendees, starting with composer Laura Karpman of “American Fiction” and concluding with Robert Downey Jr., nominated for his supporting role in “Oppenheimer.”

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Here are some of the key takeaways from the event.

The dog from “Anatomy of a Fall” stole the show.

The breakout star of the day was the lovable pooch from “Anatomy of a Fall.” Messi, the canine actor portraying Snoop in Justine Triet’s film, stole the hearts of nearly every nominee present. From Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera of “Barbie” fame to the musical sensation Billie Eilish, everyone seemed to be enchanted by the furry star. Triet’s original screenplay might just have clinched an Oscar with the overwhelming affection showered upon this season’s favorite canine.

So, who won the coveted title of the “applause-o-meter”?

Journalists and social media enthusiasts scrambled to discern which nominee received the most thunderous applause during the group photo session. Names like Greta Gerwig (“Barbie”), Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”), Celine Song (“Past Lives”), Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”) and Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) garnered lots of attention.

Keep your speeches short people!

Brevity is key! Before the roll call, AMPAS president Janet Yang took the stage to urge the future winners to keep their Oscars acceptance speeches brief (under 45 seconds). She humorously referenced Javier Bardem’s succinct speech during his supporting actor win for “No Country for Old Men” in 2007, which lasted a mere 37 seconds. The audience chuckled at the realization that this year’s Oscars would commence an hour earlier due to daylight saving time, prompting some last-minute adjustments to attendees’ schedules for March 10.

“Oppenheimer” is going to win so many Oscars.

Christopher Nolan’s cinematic masterpiece has captured the hearts of many, with numerous conversations among nominees echoing the sentiment that “It’s ‘Oppenheimer’s’ year.” The final tally of Oscars remains to be seen, but the conclusion seems inevitable.

Who didn’t show up?

Supporting actress nominee Danielle Brooks from “The Color Purple” was unable to attend due to filming commitments in New Zealand. Additionally, absentees included double nominee Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”), Jodie Foster (“Nyad”), Robert DeNiro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Hayao Miyazaki (“The Boy and the Heron”).

Emma Stone and Colman Domingo exchanged phone numbers. Hopefully that means they’ll be working on something.

“Poor Things” double nominee Emma Stone was seen in a friendly exchange with best actor nominee Colman Domingo from “Rustin” and his husband Raúl Domingo. A friendship was hopefully formed, and a possible future collaboration, perhaps? And yes, we did catch Domingo up on the “Jeopardy” craze that has been swirling around Stone for weeks now, and she still really wants to go on the syndicated program. ABC owner Bob Iger was in the room. She should have mentioned it.

“Spider-Man” voice actors came to celebrate.

The entire team behind “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” graced the event, including producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Amy Pascal, alongside directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson. Among the attendees were the voices behind the characters, such as Hailee Steinfeld (Gwen Stacey/Spider-Gwen), who engaged in lively conversations with Finneas and Billie Eilish. Could they be discussing new music collaborations? Additionally, Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya lent his voice to the Black British punk rocker Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk, adding further excitement to the gathering.

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