The Golden Globes got under way Sunday, with all eyes on "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," the unlikely pair of films that dominated the box office and spawned countless viral memes last summer.
Dubbed "Barbenheimer" after they were released on the same weekend and grossed a combined $2.4 billion, the two movies boast 17 nominations between them at the Globes, now under new ownership.
Host Jo Koy zoomed in on the two favorites in his opening monologue with a nod to the three-hour running time of "Oppenheimer," which he said he began watching on New Year's Eve.
"I just got one complaint: It needed another hour," he quipped.
"My New Year's resolution for 2024 is to finish 'Oppenheimer' in 2025."
Watching Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," which turned nostalgia for the beloved doll into a sharp satire about misogyny and female empowerment, was a strange experience, he said.
"It was weird being attracted to a plastic doll," he quipped.
"The key moment in 'Barbie' is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite and flat feet. Or, what casting directors call a character actor."
"Barbie" leads the way with nine nods at the Globes -- the kick-off to Hollywood's awards season, which culminates with the Oscars in March.
It is tipped to win awards for best comedy film and best screenplay, and boasts three of the six contenders for best song. As the year's highest grossing movie, it is also likely to claim a newly created trophy for box office achievement.
Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" -- which tells the story of the inventor of the atomic bomb -- has eight nominations.
The favorite to win awards for best drama film, best director, and best score, "Oppenheimer" focuses on the rivalry between a brilliant scientist and a powerful politician, played by Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. respectively.
The evening's first prizes, honoring actors in supporting roles, went to Downey and Da'Vine Joy Randolph for her work in "The Holdovers."
The ongoing hype surrounding "Barbenheimer," even months after the films' releases, is a welcome boon to the new owners of the high-profile but consistently scandal-dogged Golden Globes.
Private investors including US billionaire Todd Boehly purchased the awards after years of controversy and declining audiences, and have invested heavily in resetting a night once billed as "Hollywood's biggest party."
The Globes -- which for decades have offered huge publicity and a timely boost to Oscars hopefuls -- were boycotted by the industry after allegations of corruption and racism rose to the surface in 2021.
The show was taken off air entirely in 2022, and several A-listers skipped last year's edition.
Since then, the rowdy, obscure group of Los Angeles-based foreign journalists that created the Globes 80 years ago has been disbanded, and a wider net of overseas critics was brought in to choose this year's winners.
"It's been a big reset for the Globes," Globes producer Glenn Weiss told AFP.
Despite the Globes' recent travails, Weiss hopes A-listers will be keen to finally celebrate together again, after an annus horribilis in which the industry was crippled by strikes.
Stars who were unable to promote their movies during the months-long Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) walkout may use the occasion to make up for lost time on the Oscars campaign trail.
Along with movie stars like Leonardo DiCaprio ("Killers of the Flower Moon"), nominees include big names from the world of music such as Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa -- both for best song -- and Taylor Swift for her recent concert movie.
"We want this to be a great opening season party that everybody feels that energy from. We all have lived through strikes together. We all are now out of that," said Weiss.
If Murphy loses out on best actor in a drama, it will likely be to Bradley Cooper, who plays Leonard Bernstein in "Maestro."
Cooper is also nominated for directing, and would be the first person ever bestowed acting and directing gongs for the same movie.
Elsewhere, Indigenous actor Lily Gladstone is a firm favorite for lead drama actress for her role in Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," which has seven nominations overall.
Emma Stone is the frontrunner for best comedy actress for her no-holds-barred turn in surreal, sexy bildungsroman "Poor Things."
On the television side, "Succession," "The Bear" and "Beef" are expected to dominate the categories for drama, comedy and limited series, respectively.
