DGA Nominees: Chung, Fennell, Fincher, Sorkin, and Zhao
Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 1:50PM by Nathaniel R
The Director's Guild of America have announced their nominations for the 2020 film year. And it's a doozy. For the first time ever two women have been nominated in the top category. It's worth noting that the DGA has nominated more women for their top prize over the years than Oscar has but they've never nominated two simultaneously in their top category. The nominees and some comments and awards season stats are after the jump...
DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE
- Lee Isaac Chung, MINARI
- Emerald Fennell, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
- David Fincher, MANK
- Aaron Sorkin, TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
- Chloe Zhao, NOMADLAND
Thrilled about this list but for Sorkin. Why is the industry encouraging him to direct his own scripts when his work is so much better when someone else directs it? Tis a mystery.
In ye olden times of five best picture nominees, DGA was known for being the best predictor of the eventual Best Picture lineup (more accurately predicting that then the Director nominees themselves) but we already knew that these five pictures were sewn up for Best Picture. It always bears repeating that the DGA list rarely lines up 5/5 with Oscar since the voting bodies are different. The DGA membership is about 18,000 people but Oscar's directing branch is a much smaller voting body and they tend to be a bit less mainstream in their choices, sometimes throwing a director from an arthouse picture or foreign-language film in while the DGA more regularly goes for mass appeal movies. This is a gross generality mind you but it's somewhat true.
Here's a look at the DGA/Oscar differences in the last twenty years
2019 - 4/5 (DGA only) Taiki Waititi, Jojo Rabbit. Oscar replaced him with Todd Phillips for Joker
2018 - 3/5 (DGA only) Cooper, A Star is Born and Farrelly, Green Book. Oscar replaced them with Pawlikowski for Cold War and Lanthimos for The Favourite
2017 - 4/5 (DGA only) McDonagh for Three Billboard. Oscar replaced him with PT Anderson for Phantom Thread
2016 - 4/5 (DGA only) Davis for Lion. Oscar replaced him with Gibson for Hacksaw Ridge
2015 - 4/5 (DGA only) Scott for The Martian. Oscar replaced him with Abrahamson for Room
2014 - 4/5 (DGA only) Eastwood for American Sniper. Oscar replaced him with Miller for Foxcatcher
2013 - 4/5 (DGA only) Greengrass for Captain Phillips. Oscar replaced him with Payne for Nebraska
2012 - the great anomaly year 2/5 (DGA only) Affleck for Argo, Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty, Hooper for Les Miserables. Oscar replaced them with Haneke for Amour, Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, and Zeitlin for Beasts of Southern Wild
2011 - 4/5 (DGA only) Fincher for Dragon Tattoo. Oscar replaced him with Malick for Tree of Life
2010 - 4/5 (DGA only) Nolan for Inception. Oscar replaceed him with Coen Brothers for True Grit.
2009 -5/5 exact match
2008 - 4/5 (DGA only) Nolan for The Dark Knight. Oscar replaced him with Daldry for The Reader.
2007 - 4/5 (DGA only) Penn for Into the Wild. Oscar replaced him with Reitman for Juno
2006 - 3/5 (DGA only) Condon for Dreamgirls. Dayton & Faris for Littl Miss Sunshine. Oscar replaced them with Eastwood for Letters from Iwo Jima and Gregrass for United 93.
2005 - 5/5 exact match
2004 - 4/5 (DGA only) Forster for Finding Neverland. Oscar replaced him with Mike Leigh for Vera Drake
2003 - 4/5 (DGA only) Ross for Seabiscuit. Oscar replaced him with Meirelles for City of God
2002 - 4/5 (DGA only) Jackson for The Two Towers. Oscar replaced him with Almodóvar for Talk to Her.
2001 - 3/5 (DGA only) Nolan for Memento and Luhrmann for Moulin Rouge. Oscar replaced them with Altman for Gosford Park and Lynch for Mulholland Dr
2000 - 4/5 (DGA only) Crowe for Almost Famous. Oscar replaced him with Daldry for Billy Elliott
DIRECTOR, FIRST TIME FEATURE
- Radha Blank, 40 YEAR OLD VERSION
- Fernando Frias de la Parra, I'M NO LONGER HERE
- Regina King, ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
- Darius Marder, SOUND OF METAL
- Florian Zeller, THE FATHER
DGA got so much more interesting after they added this category to their annual prizes back in 2015 and they've highlighted many interesting emerging filmmakers since then. No director nominated in this category has ever made it to the Best Director Oscar nomination list UNLESS they were also nominated in the DGA's top movie category. Only three directors in the short history of this category have been double-nominated with DGA: Garth Davis for Lion, Jordan Peele for Get Out, and Bradley Cooper for A Star is Born; Peele managed to transfer to Oscar but the others did not. Since none of these five are nominated in the main category, it would be a first if they landed an Oscar nod. BUT... five years is not a lot of stats to go on and there's a first time for everything.
The rest of their nominations were previously announced
DIRECTOR, DOCUMENTARY
- Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS
- Pippa Ehrlich & James Reed MY OCTOPUS TEACHER
- David France, WELCOME TO CHECHNYA
- Amanda McBaine & Jessse Moss BOYS STATE
- Benjamin Ree THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF
DIRECTOR, DRAMA SERIES
- Jason Bateman - Ozark, “Wartime”
- Jon Favreau- The Mandalorian, “Chapter 9: The Marshal”
- Vince Gilligan- Better Call Saul, “Bagman”
- Lesli Linka Glatter- Homeland, “Prisoners of War”
- Julie Anne Robinson-Bridgerton, “Diamond of the First Water”
Confession: I had no idea Homeland was still on. Can't remember the last time I heard someone mention it. But apparently the industry still watches!
DIRECTOR, COMEDY SERIES
- Zach Braff- Ted Lasso, “Biscuits”
- MJ Delaney - Ted Lasso, “The Hope that Kills You”
- SUSANNA FOGEL The Flight Attendant, “In Case of Emergency”
- ERIN O’MALLEY Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Surprise Party”
- JEFF SCHAFFER Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Spite Store”
Love Ted Lasso.
DIRECTOR, TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
- SUSANNE BIER The Undoing
- SCOTT FRANK The Queen’s Gambit
- THOMAS KAIL Hamilton
- MATT SHAKMAN WandaVision
- LYNN SHELTON Little Fires Everywhere, “Find a Way”
How does The Undoing keep snagging nominations. It was so... bad. WandaVision is a surprise!
DIRECTOR, VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS REGULARLY SCHEDULED
- PAUL G. CASEY Real Time With Bill Maher, “Episode 1835”
- JIM HOSKINSON The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “#1025 Live Show Following Capitol Insurrection”
- DON ROY KING Saturday Night Live, “Dave Chappelle; Foo Fighters”
- DAVID PAUL MEYER The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, “President Obama: Inspiring Future Leaders & “A Promised Land”
- CHRISTOPHER WERNER Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Trump & Election Results”
DIRECTOR VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS -SPECIALS
- STACEY ANGELES The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents “Remembering RBG: A Nation Ugly Cried with Desi Lydic”
- MARIELLE HELLER What the Constitution Means to Me
- JIM HOSKINSON The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better 2020”
- SPIKE LEE American Utopia
- THOMAS SCHLAMME A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
DIRECTOR, REALITY PROGRAMS
- DAVID CHARLES Eco Challenge, “3,2,1…Go!”
- JON FAVREAU The Chef Show, “Tartine”
- KEN FUCHS Shark Tank, “1211”
- JOSEPH GUIDRY Full Bloom, “Petal to the Metal”
- RICH KIM Lego Masters, “Mega City Block”
DIRECTOR, CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING
- KABIR AKHTAR High School Musical: The Musical – The Series, “Opening Night”
- LARISSA BILLS On Pointe, “Showtime!”
- DEAN ISRAELITE The Astronauts, “Countdown”
- RICHIE KEEN The Healing Powers of Dude, “Second Step: Homeroom”
- AMY SCHATZ We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest
DIRECTOR, COMMERCIALS
- STEVE AYSON (MJZ) The Great Chase, Nike – Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai
- NISHA GANATRA (Chelsea Pictures) #wombstories, Bodyform/Libresse – AMVBBDO
- NICLAS LARSSON (MJZ) See the Unseen, VW Touareg – adam&eveDDB The Parents, Volvo XC60 – Forsman & Bodenfors
- MELINA MATSOUKAS (Prettybird) You Love Me, Beats by Dr. Dre – Translation
- TAIKA WAITITI (Hungry Man) The Letter, Coca-Cola – Wieden & Kennedy London
Reader Comments (45)
Emerald Fennell 😊😊😊😊
There are so many interesting choices to pick from last year. Don’t go with David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin, who did relatively generic and uninteresting work
Sorkin aside, really inspired choices
After the BAFTA diversity Jury Shit-shock the world is even now! Juchuu ^^
I realize that The Trial of the Chicago 7 didn't direct itself, but...
I’m going to start a podcast called “Someone Please Explain to Me.” It will only exist during awards season and serve as a forum for people to try to explain to me the worthiness of a heavily-lauded movie. This year’s subject, “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
Chicago 7 is similar in tone to Spotlight, Crash, Green Book, and many others -- decently acted, social-justice adjacent, doesn't take risks, doesn't offend anyone, tries but doesn't quite reach for deeper truths. Not hard to see why it keeps popping up.
Again, The Forty-Year-Old Version is unbereable.
I'm actually in the minority in thinking that Fennell is an even weaker link than Sorkin. I had equally tepid reactions to both films and was scratching my head the entire time wondering what people thought was so special about their directions. I wish Kelly Reichardt could take one of their places and make into Oscar's ballot.
BVR -- i hear what you're saying but I don't think those two are remotely comparable. Sorkin is just doing journeyman work. but Fennell, even if you don't like what she is doing, is taking big bold stylized swings so even if I think she isn't *quite* there yet (which is why she made my semi-finals rather than the nominee list) that movie screams "this could be a future master" to me. Cannot wait to see what she does next.
John -- this is the first time i can recall someone calling Fincher "generic" and I hope no one does ever again haha. No offense but he's a master. I agree that Mank is not remotely one of his strongest movies but still...he's, generally speaking, a phenomenal director.
Paranoid --true and for that reason i totally get why its' a slam dunk for Best Picture. But why direction? UFF. I'm so frustrated with the Sorkin thing. There are so many exciting ways that slot could go instead.
DMF -- would listen.
Wonderful news for the ladies. Considering this a one-day-late salute to the International Women's Day. 2 Women Directors in main category and 1 in the New Directory category.
I've been a big fan of Call the Midwife and have watched all 8 or however many seasons. I was familiar with one of the actresses being named Emerald something. Turns out she IS the Emerald nominated for Best Director. Cool!
Back to directors, think Regina King has a decent chance of winning for One Night in Miami, which was such a pleasure to watch, with all its intelligence and sense of history.
Really glad to see Chung and Fennell in the thick of it (Zhao to, but that's to be expected).
BVR - I just saw Promising Young Woman this weekend, and I'm with you. Incompetent as revenge fantasy, incompetent as feminist statement. incompetent as black comedy, with a script that never finds the right tone. It also works against the film that the only two good performances are the two villains (Bo Burnham and Chris Lowell) that really throw the film off balance - we desperately needed to know more about Nina and the crime. Not as lousy as Da 5 Bloods, not as pointless as Mank and not as self-congratulatory as Chicago 7, but that triangulates its inadequacies sufficiently.
I have a question and I don't want to troll, I would really like to know. What was so special about Chloe Zhao's direction of Nomadland? I enjoyed the film and thought the direction was really good. I just don't get the hype (almost every critics' group went for it).
Happy for the list. The ideal addition would be Vinterberg for Another Round.
I don’t understand how Fennell got into the main category but not Debut Feature for what is, after all, her debut feature.
rrrich7: It's actually 2 in the New Director category (Radha Blank and Regina King), so both lineups are 40% female...
The Sorkin love is so odd. His film is well made, but doesn't feel special. Honestly, I think it just hits all of the "white liberal" politics of older voters. It rarely challenges them and takes them back to a time when there politics were lauded, rather than having to deal with more uncomfortable truths. Sorkin, I think, is just very likeable though and his ability to overcome personal demons make him someone easy to celebrate.
While some of these were expected, I have to imagine that both Emerald Fennell and Rahda Blank are having great days. I'm very happy to see Lee Issac Chung here, even though he was expected.
Radha Blank is having the BEST day and so well-deserved. That First Feature list is actually quite perfect.
Called these five to a friend yesterday. I expect Oscar to be Zhao, Fincher, Sorkin, Zeller, Marder.
I thought the direction in PYW was the worst part of it only Mulligan has stayed with me and the more I think about the film the less I like it.
eurocheese -- you think both Zeller & Marder will make it to Oscar even though that's never happened at the DGAs? (a first time feature director making it that wasnt nominated in their main category) and will happen twice at once? I dont know why i've been so optimistic for so long that Zeller is happening but Marder would really surprise me... since so few people are discussing him and the conversation was so very focused on SOUND + two actors. I think he did great work but it would surprise me.
Sorkin is a hold over from the era when people like Ron Howard, Taylor Hackford, Robert Benton, and Sidney Lumet got nominated repeatedly to little or no surprise. I'm shocked that people are shocked. There are obviously still a bunch of voters going for the "solid craftsman" over the visionary auteur.
No, you did not just put Sorkin and Howard in the same grouping as Lumet and Benton!
"Prisoners of War" is the series finale to "Homeland," so that's why it's there.
King should have replaced Sorkin.
I can't take Trial of the Chicago 7 and PYW so 😠 Could one be replaced by Another Round?
I am happy for Radha x2 (BAFTA and 1st Director) and Chung.
My guess right now:
Lock:
Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Probable:
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
David Fincher, Mank
ONE of these is more likely than a 5/5 match:
Regina King, One Night in Miami
Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods
Florian Zeller, The Father
Possible, but only if this is a rare 5/5 year in Director:
Aaron Sorkin, Trial of the Chicago Seven
Marder reminds me of Zeitlin - a small movie that is surging in a number of areas, and seeing it do well at BAFTA this morning confirmed for me that it's a major player. Both Zeller and Marder are giving an immersive experience, and frankly, so is Zhao. I think directors in particular will respect that. I can't think of anyone in the last five years other than Cooper we expected to see in the Oscar line up, and you saw what I think about them not respecting actors. I also think they are stingy when honoring films focused on a female perspective (unfortunately), which will be an issue for Promising Young Woman. I think Chung's nod was more a nod to the strength of his film, which is surely in the top five for Best Picture.
Sound of Metal has been surging outside of Sound and the two acting nominees, BTW. It showed up in Editing at the BAFTAs and tied for the win at Critics Choice. I expect to see it in Screenplay too, and with the PGA nod it's looking good to possibly sneak into Best Picture. If it has BP, Actor, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Editing and Sound nods (winning for at least Sound), is a Director nod too outside the box?
Zeller has been hurt by people not seeing The Father, but it's a movie Academy members will adore and its empathy towards Hopkins' character, rather than the typical sympathy we see on the topic, will impress the directors. That's my guess, anyway.
As pleased as I am to see both women recognized for great movies, I am also over the moon to see what may be the end of the anti-Asian bias.
One of the greatest directors of all time Akira Kurosawa received a single Best Director nomination, each, from AMPAS and DGA in his lifetime.
Certainly the success of two time Oscar and DGA winner Ang Lee and last year's Oscar victor Bong Joon-ho shows an awareness of Eastern filmmakers. To have two Asian filmmakers grace the ballot of DGA is a thrill!
I have this feeling that Trial of the Chicago 7 is going to win the PGA and the SAG Best Ensemble awards but Chloe Zhao will win the DGA, and it’s gonna be a complete tossup come Oscar night.
While we are here for the movies just had to mention how annoyed I am with Small Axe and I May Destroy You was not nominated in limited series.
In what world is The Undoing better?
A few comments about Aaron Sorkin and his nomination: I think it's possible that Aaron Sorkin stipulated that he would like to direct as a condition of his submitting a script. I also think that the Chicago 7 movie was top notch. After all, both writers and directors are, in a way, telling stories.
@ Marshako
I had repressed (or overlooked) that fact. Ugh.
eurocheese: Kind of agree Marder is another possible, but Oscar Best Director and DGA are a four out of five match fourteen times of the last twenty. So the odds heavily lean (70% chance) on four of those nominees making it. 3/5? 15% chance. 5/5? 10% chance. 2/5? 5% chance. So, yeah, I think this DGA nomination pretty much confirms one of these guys is out. Sorkin seems like the easiest call, so I'm thinking Chung is, at least, probable now.
I can’t get over how much Emerald Fennel looks like Rebel Wilson
I'm ok with Fincher being nominated, he's always great anyway.
But it's sad that Mank is the movie to do it, this movie is probably in his bottom 3, or close to it.
She's a dead ringer for Camilla Parker Bowles.
So Hamilton is a TV Movie and What the Constitutions means to me is a special.
As for specials, it 's the first time in the category with no awards shows nominated
Last year nominees Taika Waititi nd Melina Matsoukas return directing a comercial.
Paranoid Android sumed up my feelings perfectly.
Great choices apart from Sorkin. Still think everyone but Zhao is vulnerable. And agree Marder could very well surprise.
I don't think I MAY DESTROY YOU and SMALL AXE were eligible.
Was WANDAVISION confirmed as a miniseries?
Glenn -- i assume so since from everything marvel has said it's suppsoed to be a one season only show.
I May Destroy You is so overrated. Fuck woke sheeple feeling they need to faint everytime a group liked other shows better. Performative wankery.
I think this is one of the rare years DGA could go 5/5 with Oscar.
If anyone is left off I’m banking on Aaron Sorkin. The Director’s Branch can go a little art house once in awhile - maybe a surprise nomination for Thomas Vinterberg/Another Round?
I May Destroy You</I> and Small Axe</I> were eligible. They weren’t nominated because the DGA has never gone for foreign TV — see also, no nomination for The Crown</I> this year, no nominations for Fleabag</I> or Downton Abbey</I> in prior years.
@rrich7: Sorkin originally started working on this project to be directed by Spielberg a decade ago, but Spielberg eventually dropped it, and then suggested recently that it would be a timely project and that Sorkin himself could direct it.