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Penélope Cruz made history in 2008 when she became the first Spanish actress to win an Academy Award for her performance in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” Nearly two decades later, the acclaimed performer finds herself in an unusual position heading into awards season: rather than pursuing a second Oscar, she must decide which of her three upcoming films offers the best path to the ceremony.
The trio of projects showcases Cruz in vastly different roles. Directors Los Javis crafted “La Bola Negra,” a Federico García Lorca-inspired film that won the best director award at Cannes and has been acquired by Netflix following competitive bidding. In it, Cruz delivers what critics are already hailing as a scene-stealing performance as a cabaret singer, despite the role’s modest screen time. Meanwhile, Olivia Wilde’s A24 comedy “The Invite,” which premiered over the summer, features Cruz opposite Edward Norton in another supporting capacity that caught viewers’ attention. Her third vehicle, “Bunker,” marks her eighth collaboration with real-life husband Javier Bardem and will compete in Venice starting September 8, with Florian Zeller directing.
What makes this moment unprecedented is a recent Academy rule change allowing performers to receive two nominations in the same category during a single awards year, provided both performances receive sufficient votes. Cruz represents the first major test case of this regulation. However, the situation presents a double-edged sword: while the rule creates new possibilities, vote splitting across multiple films could prove detrimental. Success will depend heavily on how three separate distributors—Sony Pictures Classics, Netflix, and A24—coordinate their campaigns.
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Originally reported by Variety →
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