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An Oscars preview

The Academy Awards, which begin on Sunday night in Los Angeles, are the biggest night in American cinema. For a preview, we spoke with Kyle Buchanan, who covers the film industry for The Times.

What should we know about the awards this year?

Kyle: The Oscars always dream of a situation where the biggest films of the year are also the most nominated, and they got their wish twice over this year.

They have “Oppenheimer” facing off against “Barbie,” the two titanic blockbusters from last year that were so big that we coined the “Barbenheimer” portmanteau to honor them.

Is the industry as obsessed with that showdown as the rest of us?

They’re absolutely obsessed and heartened by it. Those films brought a lot of people back into theaters. They reminded them why they care about movies.

So to have the ultimate awards body also show such interest in them is all to the good. There’s a matchup in sensibilities between the populist lean of the multiplex crowd and the sometimes more esoteric bent of the Academy.

I mean, you even had people like Hillary Clinton weighing in on the Barbie snubs. So suffice it to say, if people were ever going to tune in to the Oscars and feel personally invested, it appears to be this year.

Got any predictions for us?

You wouldn’t lose much if you voted “Oppenheimer” nearly across the board.

That said, the major race with the most drama is for best actress: Emma Stone from “Poor Things” and Lily Gladstone from “Killers of the Flower Moon” have been strong all season, trading off major industry prizes. That one could absolutely go either way.

For more: Read more of Kyle’s predictions, and deconstruct key scenes from all 10 of the best picture nominees.