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CNN International: IDF: 24 Israeli Soldiers Killed In Gaza Monday; CNN Exclusive: Israel's Spy Chief Proposes Senior Hamas Leaders Leave Gaza As Part Of Broader Ceasefire Talks; Trump And Haley Go Head-To Head In New Hampshire; U.S., U.K. Strikes On Houthi Targets: What's At Risk? Ukrainian Troops Face Critical Supply Shortages; 2024 Oscar Nominations Announced. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired January 23, 2024 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[08:00:37]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead, Israel suffers its biggest loss of soldiers since the war began. Meanwhile, the IDF says it has Khan Younis in southern Gaza surrounded. We'll have the very latest on that.

Then voting's underway in the New Hampshire primary. Former U.S. President Donald Trump is hoping victory there, could knock out his only remaining Republican opponent. That's Nikki Haley, of course. And then we'll be live in Los Angeles, where Hollywood is preparing for the 2024 Oscars nomination.

Well, Israel's Prime Minister calls Monday one of the most difficult days of the war. 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in a single incident in Gaza when two buildings collapsed on them following an explosion. Three others were killed separately. It was the deadliest day for Israeli forces since the start of the war against Hamas.

Meanwhile, in southern Gaza, the IDF says its troops have Khan Younis surrounded. The Hamas controlled health ministry says nearly 200 people were killed in just the past day. The U.N. Special Rapporteur warns that Israel is destroying Gaza's food system, letting an entire civilian population go hungry.

Jeremy Diamond joins us from Tel Aviv. Just take us through these IDF soldiers that were lost, Jeremy.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the single deadliest day for Israeli troops inside the Gaza Strip since the beginning of this war. 24 soldiers were actually killed altogether yesterday, 21 of them in this single incident in central Gaza, very close to the border with Israel.

If you just think about that number 21, that represents about 10 percent of Israel's total killed -- number of killed in action since the beginning of this war. These 21 soldiers were told by the Israeli military, they were operating in central Gaza, about 600 meters away from the border with Israel, conducting clearing operations, demolishing buildings and clearing Hamas infrastructure in order to make it safer for people across the border in Israel to return to their homes.

At about 4:00 p.m., the Israeli military says that an RPG was fired towards a tank in that area. And at the same time, an explosion was set off, resulting in the collapse of two story buildings with soldiers inside. Now, it's not exactly clear whether that RPG set off that explosion, but it appears that the soldiers were in the process of placing explosives inside those buildings, rigging them for demolition. And at some point it exploded with those soldiers inside.

Israeli military search and rescue forces quickly rushed in to try and rescue people and altogether, finding 21 casualties from this single incident. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that this is one of the most difficult days since the outbreak of the war.

And it's also very important to understand that here in Israel, such a small country where there is a required military conscription, reserve duty, you know, this is being felt very hardly, very harshly by people in Israel. It is affecting them personally and every single Israeli soldier lost is very much deeply felt in the reverberations are very wide in the Israeli population.

FOSTER: And Khan Younis, they say that area is surrounded, the one that we're focusing on?

DIAMOND: Yes. The Israeli military conducting a major operation in Khan Younis that is expected to last several more days. They say that they have now encircled the Khan Younis refugee camp, which is west in western Khan Younis. It's also an area where there are a number of hospitals.

The Israeli military says that they are trying to dismantle Hamas's command and control abilities. The Khan Younis brigade is based there and it is a critical fighting force for Hamas in southern Gaza. But what is also happening amid this very heavy fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas militants is that it's worsening the humanitarian situation in that area.

About 7,000 people were sheltering as recently as last week at the Al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Hundreds of people, we're told, have been trying to flee that area over the last 24 hours or so as the fighting has grown more intense. But a doctor at one of those hospitals telling us that it is very difficult to evacuate, even as they have been urged to do so by the Israeli military, because there is such heavy fighting all around. And they say that many of the roads around the hospital are also blocked. Max?

[08:05:09]

FOSTER: OK, Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv. Thank you so much for that.

We're going to go to a CNN exclusive now, because we've learned that Israel's spy chief has proposed Hamas leaders leave Gaza as part of a wider ceasefire talk. The proposal would give the senior leaders safe passage out of Gaza, weakening the group's hold on the enclave. This runs counter though to Israel's stated goal of destroying Hamas. And Hamas itself is not likely to accept it either.

CNN's Alex Marquardt joins us live with details. It does sound like an extraordinary deal considering, you know, the words that really started this war and how Hamas was going to be destroyed. Release them doesn't seem to tie in with that.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: No, it doesn't, Max. We've heard time and time again from Prime Minister Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials that their goal in this war is complete victory over Hamas, to eradicate Hamas. Instead, what I've learned is that there has been a proposal raised by Israel for Hamas leaders to leave the Gaza Strip, essentially allowing them to walk away from this war zone.

It is an incredible prospect to think about, that the architects, the orchestrators, the planners of the deadliest day in Israeli history would essentially be allowed to walk away. Now, Max, from Israel's perspective, it could benefit Israel. It would weaken Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It would essentially draw those leaders out of the tunnels where they're believed to be hiding.

Israel has said that they plan to mount operations around the world to target Hamas leaders so they could essentially kill them elsewhere. We saw a senior Hamas commander killed in Beirut earlier this month. But I think, Max, it really does speak to the pressure that Netanyahu and the government is under to get to a ceasefire to get the hostages home.

It also speaks to the fact that Israel has made relatively little inroads when it comes to taking out the most senior members of Hamas. They haven't managed to capture or kill any of the senior leaders. I'm talking specifically about Yahya Sinwar, who is the top Hamas official in Gaza as well as Mohammed Deif, who is the head of the military wing. And at the same time, according to Israel's own estimates, Max, around 70 percent of the Hamas fighters remain on the battlefield.

Now this proposal was raised by Israel's intelligence chief, I'm told at a meeting with the CIA director last month in Warsaw, as well as the Qatari prime minister. It was discussed again in Doha earlier this month with the Qatari prime minister and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken was told that this proposal, this idea, will never happen. And Max, that's what I'm also told by international and U.S. officials, that it is highly unlikely leaders like Sinwar and Deif would rather go down fighting against their sworn enemy than simply leave the Gaza Strip. Max?

FOSTER: Fascinating story. Alex, thank you so much for bringing it to us.

Russia unleashed a barrage of missile strikes across Ukraine on Tuesday, killing at least five people and wounding dozens more. That's according to Ukraine. Officials in the Kharkiv region say a school and a gas pipeline were hit. And with other parts of the country also coming under attack. People in the capital tried to stay safe wherever they could, including this subway.

Two high rise buildings and a house were hit in Kyiv. At least three other people are dead after a powerful earthquake struck China's northwestern Xinjiang region earlier on Tuesday. That's according to state media. Hundreds of rescue workers are searching through rubble. Local reports say at least three people were hospitalized and dozens injured.

The 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck at around 2:00 in the morning local time, with dozens of aftershocks in the hours that followed. Voting is underway in the first U.S. presidential primary of the election season. The first ballots in New Hampshire were cast at midnight in the tiny town of Dixville Notch. But the first big round of polls opened about two hours ago.

It's now down to a choice between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. Could be a make or break moment as well for Haley, in particular.

CNN's Omar Jimenez joins us live from Manchester, New Hampshire. Obviously the odds stacked against her, but how are people feeling there about their vote?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, she's definitely got her work cut out for her. And, you know, she's been trying to find every bit of support she can over the past few weeks in particular. We've been talking to some voters over the course of this morning.

Why don't you tell me how did you vote and how did you feel about your vote today.

FRANCINE SWAFFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: Came in, still not decided. And truthfully, hopefully, I ended up voting for Nikki Haley. I hope that she does win and moves forward in this election with -- she has good grounds and morals and hopefully she will proceed in this.

[08:10:09]

JIMENEZ: So you came into this -- if I'm understanding correctly, you came into this morning still trying to weigh your decision?

SWAFFORD: Yes, I'm independent and going back and forth and stuff just trying to weigh things and I think Nikki would be the best fit right now for this.

JIMENEZ: And why did you not want to cast your vote for the former president?

Well, that says a lot. That says a lot in that answer. But one place you could imagine starting with there.

SWAFFORD: To me, he does not have the right standards for me. He's just, to me, very unstable, basically. He has good business and politics, but he just needs to be more stable. JIMENEZ: Do you think Nikki Haley has a legitimate chance to win here in New Hampshire?

SWAFFORD: I'm hoping, but -- that's all I can say.

JIMENEZ: Yes. And the last thing I'll ask you is, you know, we've asked many Nikki Haley supporters this. Obviously, you know, the odds are stacked against her, but she still has a fighting chance. If she's not a nominee and it becomes Donald Trump versus Joe Biden, is your dislike of Trump enough for you to support Joe Biden, or do you feel strongly enough against Joe Biden to stomach supporting the former president?

SWAFFORD: I would say I would vote for Trump --

JIMENEZ: Yes.

SWAFFORD: -- unfortunately, but we need to get more people out there involved and for the right decisions and do the right processes.

JIMENEZ: Yes, yes. Well, thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciate you.

SWAFFORD: Thank you.

JIMENEZ: Obviously, Max, this is -- these are decisions that many voters here in New Hampshire are weighing. As we finish up this conversation, I'm actually going to take you inside here to show you what the polling process is looking like.

So essentially, voters like her will come in where we just interviewed them. They come in to the voting space here. That's really been quite busy over the course of the morning. They processed about -- they're close to 300 people in the first two hours.

So they come in, they get processed at this initial table. They get that checked at a second location, and then you can see voters casting their vote there really getting this first in the nation primary underway. I mean, it has been very busy. These voters have been anxious to actually get their voices heard.

After what has been a year of advertisements, of texts, of campaign events, they're excited to get their vote voices heard. But as we talked about in the beginning, Nikki Haley has her vote cut out for her, and I think her campaign is hoping that they have a lot more of who we just spoke to. Weighing their decisions carefully, and hopefully going her way.

FOSTER: Find out soon. Omar Jimenez, thank you so much.

Still to come, high stakes airstrikes. Western countries take aim at Houthi targets again. So why are the U.S. and U.K. staging attacks on Yemen? And what's at risk for the West? Coming up.

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[08:15:24]

FOSTER: Why is the West dropping bombs on Houthi targets in Yemen, and what's at risk for the country staging those attacks? Well, in an eighth round of British and American airstrikes, warplanes hit the capital, Sanaa. Overnight, a U.S. defense official said the raids were a success, but the leader of the Houthis said they would only make Yemenis stronger and more determined to fight back.

Western leaders admit the strikes so far haven't stopped Houthi attacks on commercial shipping, but they're promising to keep going.

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DAVID CAMERON, U.K. FOREIGN SECRETARY: What the Houthis are doing is unacceptable. It's illegal and it's threatening the freedom of navigation. That's why we've taken the action.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are the airstrikes in Yemen working?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, when you say working, are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's bring in CNN's Ben Wedeman live in Beirut for us because it was quite an extraordinary comment, wasn't it, from the president there saying they haven't worked so far, these strikes, and the Houthis will continue attacking.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, you have to ask what is the point if it's not going to make a difference? Now, the strikes that took place at about 11:00 p.m. local time here in Beirut were at missile sites, drone sites as well as weapons storage facilities. They struck four governorates in Yemen itself.

But as we heard, the Yemen -- the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah or the partisans of God say that they will continue to attack. And they said that the U.S. and U.K. strikes will not go unpunished, and that retaliation is inevitable. Now, I was reading actually that the United States hasn't really been paying much attention to what's going on in Yemen.

They sort of woke up just after the attacks in -- on by Hamas on the 7th of October. And certainly since November, when the Houthis have started striking ships in the Red Sea, more than two dozen strikes since November. But the question is, how effective are these strikes going to be?

Keep in mind that Yemen is sort of like the Afghanistan of the Middle East, desperately poor. But the people are tough as nails and they have defied all those who have tried to crush them in the past. Going back to the Egyptians and the Saudi Arabians in the 1960s, the war in Yemen between the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia on the one hand, and their Yemeni allies against the Houthis between 2015 and 2022.

All we've seen with the Houthis is that despite endless strikes by the Saudis and the Emiratis, they only got stronger. And the problem is that these strikes may symbolically be pleasing to the United States, the U.K. and others. There's no guarantee that this is going to, in any way, stop the Houthis from what they're doing.

The Houthis say they are targeting shipping going towards Israel. These of course strikes began once the war in Gaza began. And, of course, one way to stop those strikes on navigation in the Red Sea might be for the United States to put some pressure on Israel for a ceasefire, but it doesn't seem willing to do that. Max?

FOSTER: The risk being to the U.K. into the U.S. presumably, they will be associated with defending Israel in that region. So there -- then we see this backlash to the U.S. and U.K. in reference to Gaza, effectively, even though they're not responding to Gaza specifically.

WEDEMAN: Well, they've already run the risk. And, you know, the United States is, of course, providing massive amounts of weaponry and political support to Israel. And we've seen that, you know, they are doing this because of the war in Gaza. So in the sense, the horse has already run out of the barn when it comes to damage to the prestige of the United States and to a lesser extent its junior partner, the United Kingdom.

The United States is already closely associated with Israel's war in Gaza, and there's no way out of it. Max?

[08:20:05]

FOSTER: Ben Wedeman in Beirut, thank you.

Still to come, Ukrainian troops are dealing with a dwindling supply of ammunition as Russia's war grinds on. What some units on the front lines are enduring, just ahead.

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FOSTER: Ukrainian forces are running out of supplies and ammunition as a critical new aid package from the U.S. remains stalled in Congress. CNN's Fred Pleitgen takes a closer look at the desperate situation on the ground.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Artillery is key as Ukrainian forces try to hold off massive Russian assaults on the Eastern Front. But Kyiv's ammo shortages are getting worse by the day. This U.S. provided M109 Paladin howitzer near Bakhmut is often silent, because they don't have enough shells to target the Russians, the commander tells us.

We cannot fulfill our tasks, 100 percent, he says, although we really want to. My crew and other crews are just waiting for it and are ready to work around the clock. But it gets even worse. Finally, resupply does arrive, but it's only four rounds. And this type of ammo won't hurt the Russians much. PLEITGEN: This really illustrates the shortage that Ukrainians have to deal with. Four rounds, that's all they're going to get right now. And by the way, they're not even explosive rounds, they're smoke rounds.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): These shells will barely explode on impact. It's almost like firing cannon balls in medieval times. But the commander says sometimes it's all they can do. Every shell that is suitable for the paladin we use, he says, it's better than no shells.

The Russians face no such shortages in this area. Ukrainian military intelligence believes Russia produced around 2 million rounds last year and acquired around 1 million from North Korea. Massive barrages have laid waste to Bakhmut and much of the surrounding area.

At the headquarters of the 93rd Mechanized Brigades Artillery Division, the frustration is palpable. From their drones, they can see the Russians gathered to continue their assaults on Ukrainian positions. But they often can't take them out because they need to conserve ammunition, the commander tells me.

[08:25:07]

The ratio was about 10 to 1, he says, ammunition is very important to us. Russia is a country that produces ammo, they have strategic reserves. Yes, they use old Soviet systems but Soviet systems can still kill.

Even without enough ammo, the Ukrainian say they are stopping most Russian assaults here and the M109 crew did manage to fire at Russian positions. But they know they'll need a lot more firepower to stop Russian advances.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN near Bakhmut, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come on CNN, we are just moments away from finding out who's been nominated for this year's Oscars. We'll take you live to L.A. after this.

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FOSTER: Moments away then from the 2024 Oscar nominations in L.A., there are some favorites out there. You'll have some. But let's bring in Entertainment Journalist Michael Musto because he knows but it's not always our favorites to win. It's just going to take us through the decision making process and what we expect to see. You're in New York. I mean, just take us through the favorites and how this announcement will play out, if you would.

MICHAEL MUSTO, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Well, this was a year where two movies pretty much saved the movie industry. "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer", which were kind of marketed as a weird double bill, and it actually worked. "Oppenheimer", I feel, is the favorite to go all the way for Best Picture, Director, and many other awards. It's a three-hour, very serious prestige movie about the founder of the atom bomb, played by Cillian Murphy, and all the ethical concerns that arose from that. "Barbie" was a plastic, candy-colored smash that just toppled the patriarchy in delightful ways. And those are going to get a lot of nominations, as well as Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon", which was even longer than "Oppenheimer", and is a very serious three-hour plus epic about the killing of Osage County Native Americans for money.

FOSTER: "Barbie" doesn't feel like an Oscar winner, but it did incredibly well at the box office, didn't it? So they have to recognize that.

MUSTO: In a way, they're rewarding the box office success, but it also was surprisingly well done because when you went to see it, you're like, this could be truly awful. A movie about a doll who sort of becomes human, but they pulled it off. They made it a very winning satire, very well acted, beautifully produced. So I don't think it's pandering to give it nominations.

FOSTER: But we should mention that it's -- it was produced by our sister company Warner Brothers, but they were two very different movies, weren't they? But they -- it was an interesting marketing effort coming out of the same weekend. It's almost as if people went to watch both, because one was an antidote to the other.

MUSTO: They really went out on a limb by putting those two movies together, and it clicked. People said, yes, we'll go through a three- hour very serious prestige film, and then we'll go through this candy- colored neon, you know, satire. And now they're both going to be up for a lot of Oscars, so they really are the same movie in certain ways.

[08:30:11]

FOSTER: People talk about Margot Robbie having a good night when it comes to the announcements. What do you think?

MUSTO: I think she's not a lot for a nomination, but she's quite probable. I think Lily Gladstone for the Scorsese film, "Killers of the Flower Moon", and Emma Stone for "Poor Things" are the frontrunners to win Best Actress. Emma's already won this one.

FOSTER: And for Actor?

MUSTO: For Actor, Bradley Cooper is in the mix for playing bisexual conductor Leonard Bernstein in "Maestro", but I think the two frontrunners are Cillian Murphy for "Oppenheimer" and Paul Giamatti for "The Holdovers", which is sort of a road movie about three damaged people who find each other. He was snubbed for a nomination for "Sideways", and I think they feel they owe him.

FOSTER: Yes. So we're going to get the announcement in a moment. Just take us through the format for these announcements. MUSTO: It's pretty much two up and coming young actors are just going to read the names category by category. It's very informal and just direct. It's just for the media and for the business to find out who got the nods.

FOSTER: Well, let's cross over now. I'm sure you're desperate to hear. Here we go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning from Los Angeles and for those who are watching around the world, good afternoon and good evening. Welcome to one of the most exciting days of the year, the Oscars Nominations Announcement with our membership of nearly 11,000 film industry artists and leaders, our acclaimed film museum and collection and our world renowned awards.

The Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, the Home of Global Cinema. We recognize and celebrate all aspects of the film industry and the diverse, talented individuals who make movies. The Oscar nominees in almost every category were voted upon by peers in their branch. Actors vote for actors, film editors vote for film editors, costume designers for costume designers, and so on.

Best Picture nominations, however, are determined by all academy members. This year we had incredible voter turnout with ballots cast from a record breaking 93 countries. Today, we are thrilled to announce what our members feel are the best cinematic achievements of 2023.

And now it is my pleasure to introduce our hosts who will announce the nominees.

Actress Zazie Beets and actor Jack Quaid.

(APPLAUSE)

JACK QUAID, ACTOR: Hello everyone. I am so honored to be here. How about you, Zazie?

ZAZIE BEETZ, ACTRESS: Yes, I'm super honored to be here. 93 countries, and standing here now is such a surreal experience. My little girl self is so excited to be here. Honestly, my adult self is really excited to be here, so.

QUAID: For anyone in the film industry, no matter where you're from, to be recognized by the academy is a dream come true.

BEETZ: To be nominated can be life changing. So let's get into it.

QUAID: OK. For Best Performance by an Actor in a supporting role, Sterling K. Brown in "American Fiction". Robert De Niro in "Killers of the Flower Moon". Robert Downey Jr. in "Oppenheimer". Ryan Gosling in "Barbie". And Mark Ruffalo in "Poor Thing".

BEETZ: Next, the nominees for Achievement in Costume Design. "Barbie", "Killers of the Flower Moon", "Napoleon", "Oppenheimer", and "Poor Things." QUAID: The nominees for Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling are "Golda", "Maestro", "Oppenheimer", "Poor Things", and "Society of the Snow."

BEETZ: Now, this year's nominees for Best Live Action Short Film, "The After", "Invincible", "Night of Fortune", "Red, White, and Blue", and "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar".

[08:35:24]

QUAID: For Best Animated Short Film, the nominees are "Letter to a Pig", "95 Senses", "Our Uniform", "Pachyderme", and "WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music Of John and Yoko".

BEETZ: And now, we have the first of the two award categories honoring writers. First, for Adapted Screenplay, the nominees are "American Fiction", written for the screen by Cord Jefferson. "Barbie", written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. "Oppenheimer", written for the screen by Christopher Nolan. "Poor Things", screenplay by Tony McNamara. And "The Zone of Interest", written by Jonathan Glazer.

QUAID: And for Original Screenplay, the nominees are "Anatomy of a Fall", screenplay, Justine Trier and Artur Arari. "The Holdovers", written by David Hemingson. "Maestro", written by Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer. "May December", screenplay by Samy Burch, story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik. And "Past Lives", written by Celine Song.

BEETZ: Last, before our break, the nominees for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. Emily Blunt in "Oppenheimer", Danielle Brooks in "The Color Purple", America Ferrera in "Barbie", Jodie Foster in "Nyad", and, Da'Vine Joy Randolph in "The Holdovers".

Congratulations to the nominees and there are more to come.

QUAID: Stick with us. We will be right back with more nominations.

FOSTER: So Michael Musto joining us from New York with his analysis. We're still waiting for the really big ones, aren't we? But we could see "Oppenheimer" and "Barbie" all across that first half.

MUSTO: Yes, it's quite predictable. The big movies are getting the big nominations. I did not expect America Ferrera to get nominated for supporting actress for "Barbie", though she was good, but she snuck in there and she got it. That kind of bumps out Rosamund Pike for "Saltburn", Julianne Moore for "May December", Penelope Cruz for "Ferrari". Maybe they should make it 10 nominees per category, I don't know.

FOSTER: What does that tell you about the big categories coming up? What do you expect?

MUSTO: It tells you that Barbie's getting even more than we thought, because it'll certainly be up for at least two best songs, possibly three. By the way, I was glad that they mentioned "Golda" for best makeup. Helen Mirren plays Golda Meir, the Israeli Prime Minister. Not a good movie, but great makeup. It shows you that the nominators did their job. They actually watched these movies, which is important. I was also --

FOSTER: Yes.

MUSTO: I was also happy to see a nomination for "Zone of Interest", which, to me, was the best film of the year. It's a foreign language film about the commandant of Auschwitz and his wife, and it shows the banality of evil.

FOSTER: Is there some sort of messaging behind this, do you think, from those making these decisions? What are they saying about Hollywood right now?

MUSTO: I think they're running the gamut of just anything they thought was quality. Some of them are just entertainment. Some of them are very profound or tour pieces with no editing because they go over three hours. It's really a through Z. It's just anything that helped to save the movie industry this year because there were some rough years. I mean, the COVID years, the SAG-AFTRA strike.

And now, the industry wants to feel that it's bounding back, and a lot of these movies have helped it to come back.

[08:40:03]

FOSTER: In terms of the, you know, there's always this idea that someone sort of wins the nominations. How do they do that? Is the number of nominations or is it, you know, is it the quality -- you know, the big categories they need to be winning to get that sort of title?

MUSTO: It's different for each category. It's based on the competition of that category whether you get nominated or not. But the movies that are going to get the most are the ones that had across the board quality. Something like "Barbie". It's up for the writing. It's also going to be up for picture.

Greta Gerwig for director, I assure you. It's already up for two actors. So something like that was a surprise phenomenon that also resonated with critics. And that's the best kind of movie. Audiences and critics alike both loved it.

FOSTER: And for the names that we've had mentioned already, I guess there, you know, immediate career impact as well.

MUSTO: Oh, sure. They're already calling their agents and saying, how do we ask for more money next time? Because it's a badge of honor, but it's also a very real signifier that you are valued in the industry and that could add to more money in your pocket. Why not? It should.

FOSTER: And it's the one sort of brand that, you know, being nominated is probably more powerful than winning other awards.

MUSTO: I don't go by that. If I was nominated, I would definitely want to win. I never went for that whole, just the nomination is honor enough. And --

QUAID: Welcome back, guys. Live from the Academy in Beverly Hills, where we have the privilege of announcing the nominees for the Oscars.

BEETZ: What an exciting lineup so far. What's up next?

QUAID: The nominees for Achievement in Music, Original Song. "The Fire Inside" from "Flamin' Hot", "I'm Just Ken", from "Barbie", "It Never Went Away", from "American Symphony". "Wahzhazhe, a Song for my People", from "Killers of the Flower Moon", and "What Was I Made For" from "Barbie."

BEETZ: Next up, the nominees for Achievement in Music, Original Score, "American Fiction", "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", "Killers of the Flower Moon", "Oppenheimer", and "Poor Things."

QUAID: And now, the nominees for Best Documentary Feature Film, "Bobby Wine: The People's President", "The Eternal Memory", "Four Daughters", "To Kill a Tiger", and "20 Days in Mariupol."

BEETZ: Next, for Best Documentary Short Film. The nominees are, "The ABCs of Book Banning", "The Barber of Little Rock", "Island in Between", "The Last Repair Shop", and "Nai Nai and Wai Po."

QUAID: For Best International Feature Film. The nominees are "Io Capitano", Italy, "Perfect Days", Japan, "Society of the Snow", Spain, "The Teachers' Lounge", Germany, and "The Zone of Interest", United Kingdom.

BEETZ: And for Best Animated Feature Film. Here are the nominees, "The Boy and the Heron", "Elemental", "Nimona", "Robot Dreams", and "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse".

QUAID: Here are the nominees for Achievement in Production Design, "Barbie", "Killers of the Flower Moon", "Napoleon", "Oppenheimer", and "Poor Things."

[08:45:20]

BEETZ: Next up, for Achievement in Film Editing. The nominees are "Anatomy of a Fall", "The Holdovers", "Killers of the Flower Moon", "Oppenheimer", and "Poor Things."

QUAID: And for Achievement in Sound, here are the nominees, "The Creator", "Maestro", "Mission" Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part One", "Oppenheimer", and "The Zone of Interest".

BEETZ: Next, the nominees for Achievement in Visual Effects, "The Creator", "Godzilla Minus One", "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3", "Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part One", and "Napoleon".

QUAID: For Achievement in Cinematography, the nominees are "El Conde", "Killers of the Flower Moon", "Maestro", "Oppenheimer", and "Poor Things".

BEETZ: For Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Bradley Cooper in "Maestro", Colman Domingo in "Rustin", Paul Giamatti in "The Holdovers", Cillian Murphy in "Oppenheimer", and Jeffrey Wright in "American Fiction".

QUAID: For Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Annette Bening in "Nyad", Lily Gladstone in "Killers of the Flower Moon", Sandra Huller in "Anatomy of a Fall", Carey Mulligan in "Maestro", and Emma Stone in "Poor Things".

BEETZ: For Achievement in Directing, the nominees are Justine Triet, "Anatomy of a Fall", Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon", Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer", Yorgos Lanthimos, "Poor Things", and Jonathan Glazer, "The Zone of Interest."

QUAID: And now, for our final category.

BEETZ: I can't wait. Let's read them together. The nominees for Best Motion Picture of the Year are --

QUAID: "American Fiction", Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, producers.

BEETZ: "Anatomy of a Fall", Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion.

QUAID: "Barbie", David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, producers.

BEETZ: "The Holdovers", Mark Johnson, producer.

QUAID: "Killers of the Flower Moon", Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese, and Daniel Lupi, producers.

BEETZ: "Maestro", Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning, and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers.

[08:50:02]

QUAID: "Oppenheimer", Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Christopher Nolan, producers.

BEETZ: "Past Lives", David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, producers.

QUAID: "Poor Things", Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Emma Stone, producers.

BEETZ: And "The Zone of Interest", James Wilson, producer.

QUAID: Congratulations to this year's nominees.

BEETZ: It's been an honor to be with all of you this morning. And to all the nominees, as we say in the biz, break a leg.

QUAID: Good luck to all the nominees. Watch the Oscars.

FOSTER: As Michael was saying, they're all probably ringing their agents right now as well, because their value's gone up pretty significantly. But we did see some of the "Barbie" nominations slowed down a bit, but they were there at the best movie category, along with "Oppenheimer", of course. And also, you must be pretty pleased, because "The Zone of Interest" really came in strong, didn't it, in that second half?

MUSTO: Yes. If you had my audio on, I was shrieking with joy at a lot of these.

FOSTER: Yes.

MUSTO: Because some of these categories I predicted 100 percent. Yes, I was a little surprised. Greta Gerwig is not nominated for director of "Barbie". I thought she was a lock, but "Barbie" got a whole lot. They did put a woman, namely Justine Triet, for nominating -- for directing "Anatomy of a Fall" for Best Director, also Best Picture. Wonderful film about a woman who fought -- fights with her husband, and did she kill him or not?

I was thrilled that Sandra Huller was nominated for that film, and Annette Bening, brilliant in the movie "Nyad", as swimmer Diana Nyad. I was really excited that she got in there. Leonardo DiCaprio was snubbed for "Killers of the Flower Moon". His character is bizarre because he's kind of -- he loves his wife and yet he's killing her family. It was hard really for them to make sense of that character, other than maybe he's a simpleton.

And "Color Purple" didn't make it for Best Picture, but it probably was the number 11 choice. If they had 11 nominations, "Color Purple" would have been in there.

FOSTER: Was there a shock there, a surprise?

MUSTO: Not a shock. I didn't predict it, but I must say it was pretty predictable this year because all 10 films that got nominated for Best Picture, I had predicted. I'm a predictor for goldderby.com. So this year, you know, it's -- the Oscars are a little bit of an anti-climax because you have the Golden Globes and we already have the SAG nominations and the Oscars will be March 10th.

By this point, we're going to know exactly who's winning everything. If they win the SAG award, they're pretty much going to win the Oscar.

FOSTER: There's a lot of sort of behind the scenes lobbying that goes on at this point, as I understand it, with various sort of specialist agents involved. Is that right?

MUSTO: There's enormous money behind these campaigns. Some of these movies were relatively obscure. There was a movie called "Nimona", an animated film that Netflix had. And it was semi-forgotten, but Netflix got on the horn and they put a lot of money into promoting it. And sure enough, it's up for Best Animated Film. And now, all of that's going to be amped up even more as they try to get the prize.

FOSTER: In terms -- we should mention Jodie Foster, she was a bit of a surprise, wasn't she, but wonderful film. MUSTO: No, not at all. I had her as a lock. She plays Annette Bening's best friend and coach in the movie "Nyad". She's absolutely brilliant. So I'm very happy for Annette and Jodie. In the best possible world, Annette or Sandra Huller would win Best Actress. But like I say, it's going to be either Lily Gladstone, probably Emma Stone, getting her second Oscar. And Emma Stone is wonderful in "Poor Things".

FOSTER: And is it going to be an "Oppenheimer" night or a "Barbie" night, ultimately, do you think?

MUSTO: You're going to see "Barbie" picking up awards in the early part of the evening, but "Oppenheimer" is going to definitely go all the way. Picture, Christopher Nolan for director. He's never won before. It's going to win at least six or seven Oscars in my opinion.

FOSTER: What was the best thing about it, do you think?

MUSTO: That they tackled a subject that really hadn't been examined, which is Oppenheimer, the father of the atom bomb, and what were the ethical concerns that resulted from that. And it's done in a very classy, auteur way, with brilliant photography, a great cast. I thought it was too long, but I think everything's too long. I think movies should be like 20 minutes.

FOSTER: Controversial. Just take us through "Zone of Interest". I was interested, it's a foreign language film, isn't it? And it was actually, the U.K. was credited with it, I noticed on those nominations, but actually, wasn't it a co-production between the U.S., U.K. and Poland?

MUSTO: Exactly, exactly. Just a chilling movie about Nazis where they're not portrayed as screaming psychopaths. We see them in their day to day life with a garden and children and were going on vacation. That made it so much more, to me, just horrifying because they show you the banality of evil.

[08:55:10]

And Sandra Huller from "Anatomy of a Fall" plays the wife in "The Zone of Interest".

FOSTER: And it's been made a movie before, hasn't it, a long time ago, but this is a different take on it?

MUSTO: I don't know. It's based on a book by Martin Amis, but they made it about these real people, the commandant of Auschwitz and his wife.

FOSTER: OK. So what are you hoping for on March the 10th?

MUSTO: Look, it's not even a matter of hope because it becomes a steamroller at this point. There's no stopping the inevitability. "Oppenheimer" is going all the way. I think Emma Stone, I think it'll be Paul Giamatti, Robert Downey Jr. for supporting for "Oppenheimer" and Da'Vine Joy Randolph for "The Holdovers" for supporting actress.

FOSTER: Well, we'll get you back on --

MUSTO: There's no stopping --

FOSTER: -- on the day and we'll play that back and see how you did. I'm sure you got it all right as well. As you say it does feel quite predictable, doesn't it, certainly in terms of the nominations. But Michael Musto, thank you so much for joining us from New York. Those were the Oscar nominations. You heard it here first.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. "CONNECT THE WORLD" is up next.

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