If you don’t know the name Sean Baker, get to know it now because his latest film, Anora, will be a major factor at the 2025 Oscars.
Neon released the latest trailer for Anora, a chaotic love story about a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Mikey Madison plays Ani, an exotic dancer hired to entertain the Russian oligarch’s son, Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn). Ani and Vanya begin a passionate affair that leads to a quick marriage. When Vanya’s wealthy parents get wind of the relationship, they do everything they can to annul the marriage.
“We are married. They’re gonna have to accept that,” Ani tells Vanya in the new footage.
Vache Tovmaysa, Yura Borisov, and Karren Karagulian also star.
Anora is written, directed, and produced by Baker, an independent filmmaker best known for Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket.
Anora premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews. Anora won the Palme d’Or, becoming the first American film to win Cannes’ top prize since 2011’s The Tree of Life.
In a wide-open award season, Anora is one of the most anticipated movies of fall 2024 and has a great chance to break through and become a major contender at the 2025 Oscars. Three of the last five Palme d’Or winners — Parasite, Triangle of Sadness, and Anatomy of a Fall — received a Best Picture nomination.
Individually, Anora is a star-making performance from Madison, who broke out in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Scream. Madison will likely find herself contending for Best Actress, and with the right campaign, she could be the favorite heading into the ceremony this March. Baker, who has never received an individual Oscar nomination, seems poised to receive nominations for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director.
Anora opens in theaters on October 18, 2024.
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