Oscars: ‘Sinners,’ ‘Sentimental Value’ and ‘Hamnet’ vie for Best Picture and more

Here & Now Anytime

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4.1 • 953 Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2026

⏱️ 31 minutes

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Summary

"Sinners”, the horror film that blends blues music, history and vampires, is up for a record-breaking 16 Academy Awards. One of those nominations is for the new Best Casting category. Casting director Francine Maisler joins us.

Then, the Norwegian film “Sentimental Value” is up for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Co-writer and director Joachim Trier joins us to discuss the film.

And, “Hamnet,” based on Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel of the same name, is nominated for eight awards. Director Chloe Zhao, who co-wrote the screenplay with O’Farrell, and Jessie Buckley, who stars as William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes, join us.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
0:07.8	The directors know what we do, the producers know what we do.
0:12.6	I just don't know if the audience fully realized what we do.
0:18.2	For the first time, casting directors get their flowers
0:21.5	at the Academy Awards.
0:31.9	It's Friday, March 13th,
0:34.1	and this is here and now anytime,
0:36.0	from NPR and WBOR, Boston. I'm Shiko Theuri.
0:41.4	Today on the show, it's all things Oscars. We have conversations with the people behind
0:46.4	three films nominated for Best Picture, including sinners, sentimental value, and Hamnet.
0:52.5	Jesse Buckley describes the magnitude of playing William Shakespeare's wife, Anyas.
0:57.2	To think about who were the people and the love and the deep relationships around him
1:03.5	that might have inspired some of his greatest humanist plays like Hamlet.
1:08.2	Who might these people be?
1:10.3	And I just, I don't know, I think I was
1:12.6	meant to meet this story at this moment of my life. But first, this weekend's Academy Awards will
1:18.4	feature the brand new category of best casting. Francie Maisler is one of the nominees. She was
1:24.9	the casting director for the blockbuster hit Sinners. It has a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, and Best Director for Ryan Coogler. Francie Maisler begins her conversation with Peter O'Dowd by explaining the particular skill and art. A casting director like her brings to the screen.
1:46.9	Well, I think it's my taste. I think every director has to trust that we're on the same wavelength in terms of, because my job is to be able to fulfill the vision he wants to put on film.
1:59.0	And I'm the one that brings him all of the possibilities,
2:03.1	giving opportunities to new people, to seasoned actors, just giving opportunity to people.
2:10.1	Yeah, giving opportunity. That makes sense. Listen, let's talk about this movie. It takes place
	...

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