Jared Leto, Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg, LeBron James, Tom and Jerry and Amy Adams were among the stars topping the nominees for this year’s Razzie Awards, the annual anti-Oscars that celebrate the worst of the cinematic year.
What Happened: Among the top nominated films in this year’s Razzies was a streaming-exclusive from Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX): “Diana: The Musical,” a recorded version of the Broadway production on the life of Princess Diana that limped through withering reviews and 33 performances last fall. This production earned nine nominations and was the sole film to snag nominations for every eligible category.
One category where “Diana: The Musical” was absent was Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie, where the “Die Hard” icon was nominated for all eight of his feature film releases last year.
The closest thing the Razzies had to a controversial nomination was Jared Leto’s performance as Paolo Gucci under extensive make-up in “House of Gucci.” Although Leto was part of the cast cited by the Screen Actors Guild in its Best Ensemble nomination for “House of Gucci,” Leto scored two Razzie nominations for Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Couple – with the latter, the coupling of the actor with his "ridiculous" Italian accent, his "geeky clothes" and his "17-pound latex face."
What Else Happened: The Razzie nominations turned up the heat on some of 2021’s biggest box office disappointments, including the $100 million film “The Last Duel” from the Walt Disney Co.’s (NYSE:DIS) Searchlight Pictures, the musical “Dear Evan Hansen” from Comcast’s (NASDAQ:CMCSA) Universal Pictures and “Space Jam: A New Legacy” from AT&T’s (NYSE:T) Warner Bros., which earned LeBron James two nominations for Worst Actor and Worst Couple – the latter naming James and “any Warner Cartoon character (or Time-Warner product) he dribbles on.”
As per tradition, the Razzies will be presented the day before the Academy Award ceremony – for this year, on March 26. The full list of nominees is as follows:
WORST PICTURE
"Diana: The Musical"
"Infinite"
"Karen"
"Space Jam: A New Legacy"
"The Woman in the Window"
WORST ACTOR
Scott Eastwood, "Dangerous"
Roe Hartrampf, "Diana: The Musical"
LeBron James, "Space Jam: A New Legacy"
Ben Platt, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Mark Wahlberg, "Infinite"
WORST ACTRESS
Amy Adams, "The Woman in the Window"
Jeanna de Waal, "Diana: The Musical"
Megan Fox, "Midnight in the Switchgrass"
Taryn Manning, "Karen"
Ruby Rose, "Vanquish"
WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Sophie Cookson, "Infinite"
Erin Davie, "Diana: The Musical"
Judy Kaye, "Diana: The Musical"
Taryn Manning, "Every Last One of Them"
WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ben Affleck, "The Last Duel"
Nick Cannon, "The Misfits"
Mel Gibson, "Dangerous"
Gareth Keegan, "Diana: The Musical"
Jared Leto, "House of Gucci"
WORST SCREEN COUPLE
Any Klutzy Cast Member & Any Lamely Lyricized (or choreographed) Musical Number, "Diana: The Musical"
LeBron James & Any Warner Cartoon Character (or Time-Warner product) He Dribbles on, "Space Jam: A New Legacy"
Jared Leto & Either His 17-Pound Latex Face, His Geeky Clothes or His Ridiculous Accent, "House of Gucci"
Ben Platt & Any Other Character Who Acts Like Platt Singing 24-7 is Normal, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Tom & Jerry (aka Itchy & Scratchy), "Tom & Jerry: The Movie"
WORST REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL
"Karen"
"Space Jam: A New Legacy"
"Tom & Jerry: The Movie"
"Twist"
"The Woman in the Window"
WORST DIRECTOR
Christopher Ashley, "Diana: The Musical"
Stephen Chbosky, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Coke Daniels, "Karen"
Renny Harlin, "The Misfits"
Joe Wright, "The Woman in the Window"
WORST SCREENPLAY
"Diana: The Musical," script by Joe DiPietro, music and lyrics by DiPietro and David Bryan
"Karen," written by Coke Daniels
"The Misfits," screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Robert Henny
"Twist," written by John Wrathall and Sally Collett
"The Woman in the Window," screenplay by Tracy Letts, from the novel by A.J. Finn
WORST PERFORMANCE BY BRUCE WILLIS IN A 2021 MOVIE
Bruce Willis, "American Siege"
Bruce Willis, "Apex"
Bruce Willis, "Cosmic Sin"
Bruce Willis, "Deadlock"
Bruce Willis, "Fortress"
Bruce Willis, "Midnight in the Switchgrass"
Bruce Willis, "Out of Death"
Bruce Willis, "Survive the Game"
Photo: Tweety Pie shows a lack of enthusiasm for LeBron James' acting abilities in his Razzie-nominated performance from “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” Photo courtesy Warner Bros.
