Oscars 2018: What to Expect

The 90^th Annual Oscars are set for Sunday, March 4th on ABC at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PT.

After last year’s infamous envelope fiasco (La La Land was temporarily the Best Picture winner until everyone figured out it was actually Moonlight), the spotlight is brighter than ever this year.

Here’s what to keep in mind:

• The Red Carpet coverage kicks off at 6:30 p.m. EST. This awards season, in the midst of Time’s Up and the #MeToo Movement, has been increasingly political, with many celebrities speaking out on the Red Carpet.
• One of the red carpet hosts, Ryan Seacrest for E!, has also recently been accused of sexual misconduct (claims he denies), which is reportedly creating behind-the-scenes drama with publicists and celebs being unsure of whether they should grant him an interview.
• Jimmy Kimmel is back as host for the second year, as the first person to host two ceremonies in a row since Billy Crystal‘s 1997-1998 run.
• There are nine films in the running for Best Picture. The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro‘s fantasy drama, leads the pack with 13 nominations. Christopher Nolan‘s WWII drama Dunkirk is second with eight.
• Other factoids of interest: Logan (the final film in Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine series) became the first superhero film to be adapted for Best Adapted Screenplay. Rachel Morrison became the first woman to be nominated for Best Cinematography for her work on Netflix‘s Mudbound. Meryl Streep and John Williams broke their own records, nabbing their 21^st and 51^st Oscar nomination for The Post and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, respectively.
• Also of note: Kobe Bryant is the first NBA player to get a nomination for his animated short Dear Basketball. Dee Rees is the first queer black woman to be nominated for writing (Mudbound), and Yance Ford is the first openly transgender director nominee (Strong Island).
• The frontrunners: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) for Best Actor, Frances McDormand (Three Billboards) for Best Actress, Allison Janney (I, Tonya) for Best Supporting Actress and Coco for Best Animated Feature.
• Best Picture is widely considered to be a toss-up between The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.