Chase Infiniti is chasing one Oscar after another.
The critically acclaimed action thriller “One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, is quickly gaining momentum in this year’s awards race. The film’s awards strategists and campaign teams have exclusively confirmed Variety that Infiniti will be seeking consideration in the leading actress category for the upcoming Academy Awards season.
Loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel “Vineland,” “One Battle After Another” follows a group of former revolutionaries who come together to save a comrade’s daughter after the re-emergence of a long-dormant enemy. The set produced by Warner Bros. features an impressive lineup of Academy Award winners, nominees and stars, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and, most notably, Infiniti.
Infiniti, a 24-year-old from Indianapolis making her film debut, commands attention as Willa Ferguson, the daughter of a former radical, Bob (DiCaprio), and holds her own against Hollywood heavyweights. By planning a lead actress campaign, she avoids the risk of splitting votes with her co-stars Hall and Taylor, who are expected to compete in the supporting actress race. Penn and Del Toro will also compete for supporting actor recognition.
With the film currently holding a critical score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and 95 on Metacritic, “One Battle After Another” is well-positioned to become a top contender this awards season. According to Variety According to most recent projections, the film is on track for 14 Oscar nominations – a total that would tie it for the most nominated film of all time alongside “All About Eve” (1950), “Titanic” (1997) and “La La Land” (2016).
Some Oscar predictions had the film receiving more than six acting nominations: DiCaprio and Infiniti leading the way, with Penn, Del Toro, Hall and Taylor in the supporting categories. If it succeeds, it would be the first film in Oscar history to win six acting nods. Currently, only 15 films have received nominations in all four acting categories. The last to do so was “American Hustle” in 2013. Additionally, only four films earned five acting nominations: “Mrs. Miniver” (1942), “From Here to Eternity” (1953), “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967) and “Network” (1976).
Infiniti’s first film role could land her in rare company that, if nominated, would make her join a select group of actors recognized by the Academy for their film debuts. As a leading actress in particular, previous early winners include Julie Andrews for “Mary Poppins” (1964) and Barbra Streisand for “Funny Girl” (1968), in addition to nominees Greer Garson for “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” (1939), Diana Ross for “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972), Keisha Castle-Hughes for “Whale Rider” (2003), Catalina Sandino. Moreno for “Maria Full of Grace” (2004), Gabourey Sidibe for “Precious” (2009) and Quvenzhané Wallis for “Beasts of the Southern Wild” (2012).
Although its category has not yet been confirmed by the studio, “One Battle After Another” could be a viable contender for the Golden Globes in the comedy category. Along with Infiniti, the category’s lineup could include Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked: For Good”), Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”) and Emma Stone (“Bugonia”). Infiniti’s portrayal of Willa has garnered praise for subverting the trope of the damsel in distress, instead becoming her own heroine in the tale. A martial arts purple belt with a keen eye for action, Willa emerges as one of Anderson’s most compelling protagonists in his career.
So far, the film has grossed $58.9 million internationally and $101.7 million worldwide. Infiniti was the guest of the first episode of season 12 of Variety Awards Circuit podcast, which debuted in September.
As Oscar season heats up, “One Battle After Another” and its young star could make history.
