More than 100 Academy Award nominees will get together at noon on Monday, February 4, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences annual Nominees Luncheon. (See Oscar Luncheon 2008 photos. See more Oscar luncheon 2008 photos.)
From the leading actor and actress categories, George Clooney, Viggo Mortensen, Julie Christie (who may be shy and reclusive, but who's all over the map these days), Marion Cotillard (right, who should win an Oscar for Best Accent), Laura Linney, and Ellen Page are expected to attend.
Representing the supporting actress and actor categories will be Amy Ryan, Casey Affleck, multiple-award winner Javier Bardem, and veterans Ruby Dee and Hal Holbrook.
All six nominees from the Directing category — Paul Thomas Anderson, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Tony Gilroy, Jason Reitman, and Julian Schnabel — are expected to attend.
Additionally, all 13 of the nominated writers are scheduled to be present (no scripts necessary for this particular party). Besides Gilroy, Anderson, and the Coen brothers, the other writing nominees are Brad Bird, Jim Capobianco, Diablo Cody, Christopher Hampton, Ronald Harwood, Tamara Jenkins, Nancy Oliver, Jan Pinkava, and Sarah Polley.
Also expected to attend — but not to eat — are swarms of paparazzi and gawking tourists.
If the nominated writers really like the luncheon's buffet, then perhaps the 2008 Academy Awards ceremony will be able to proceed as usual on Sunday, February 24, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center. Or perhaps not.