8 Things to Know Before Watching the Oscars

The Academy Awards are celebrating their 90th year with their annual awards ceremony Sunday March 4th at 8 p.m. Brush up on everything you need to know before you head to your Oscars party with these eight facts about the 2018 awards.

1. Swarovski is illuminating the Oscars stage with over 45 million crystals.

The crystal company has partnered with Tony and Emmy Award-winning production designer Derek McLane for the show. In its 11th year adorning the Oscars stage, there are plans for a brand-new proscenium (the part of the stage in front of a curtain, for non-theater folks), floating Oscars and a backdrop curtain and opera box covers.

2. Jordan Peele is the first African-American to be nominated for three Oscars at once.

Peele is nominated for Best Picture, Best Directing, and Best Original Screenplay for his movie Get Out. He’s not only the first African-American to accomplish that feat, he’s only the third filmmaker ever to earn the three nominations at one time. Peele follows Warren Beatty for Heaven Can Wait and James L. Brooks for Terms of Endearment.

3. AMC Theatres is holding a Best Picture showcase.

If you’re behind on your Oscar movie watching, the theater chain is showing all the best picture nominees before the Oscars over two separate days. February 24th’s session will be $30 and March 3rd’s will be $40. If you’re in for a marathon, certain locations are doing a 24-hour continuous show of the movies on March 3rd for $65.

4. Greta Gerwig is only the fifth female best director nominee.

The director, nominated for Lady Bird, is the first in eight years. The last female nominated for best director was Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker.

5. John Williams is the most nominated living person in Oscar history.

The famed 85-year-old composer earned his 51st nomination for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. He’s won five Oscars over the years, for classic movies like Jaws, E.T., and the very first Star Wars.

6. If you’re looking for Wonder Woman, it was snubbed.

The insanely popular action movie starring Gal Gadot earned $800 million in the box office last summer. It was not nominated for any Oscars despite great reviews and fans who found the film an inspiration for its female lead in an action movie.

7. Age is just a number.

Nominees are breaking age records on both ends. This is the first in Oscar history that there are two lead actor nominees in their 20s—Timothée Chalamet for Call Me By Your Name and Daniel Kaluuya for Get Out. On the opposite side, Christopher Plummer, 88, is now the oldest acting nominee in Oscar history for supporting actor for All the Money in the World.

8. The Shape of Water could win big.

The movie is nominated 13 times, only one less than other big movies like All About Eve, Titanic, and last year’s La La Land.