'Oppenheimer' Wins Big at BAFTAs, Taking Home Best Picture, Director, Actor Awards

As expected, "Oppenheimer" swept the board at the 77th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), taking home seven awards, including Best Picture, Director, and Actor.

Christopher Nolan's epic film tells the story of how the first atomic bomb was built during World War II. It continued its winning streak after receiving awards at the Golden Globes and Critic Choice Awards while generating more than $1 billion at the global box office.

In addition to winning the Best Director award for Nolan, "Oppenheimer" marked Cilian Murphy's first BAFTA for Best Actor. Robert Downey Jr. secured a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor, marking his third award from the British Academy.

In the film, Murphy portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer, the US theoretical physicist often referred to as the 'father of the atomic bomb,' haunted by the consequences of his creation.

It was Murphy's first BAFTA, and he thanked Nolan for 'seeing something in me I probably didn't see myself' when collecting the award at the ceremony in London's Royal Festival Hall. Later, he told reporters that the success was 'mind-blowing,' adding he was 'thrilled and a little shocked.'

It was also a good night for the surreal dark comedy "Poor Things," which won five awards, including Best Actress for Emma Stone. Stone had previously won the award in 2017 for "La La Land."

In the film, Stone portrays a Victorian reanimated corpse brought back to life with the spirit of a child by a mad scientist, creating a female "Frankenstein" story. The accomplished US actress has already secured the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Best Actress awards for her no-holds-barred performance.

She triumphed over competition from "Barbie" star Margot Robbie. Both actresses graced the red carpet alongside fellow Hollywood heavyweights Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper.

The BAFTA shortlist brought another disappointment for 'Barbie,' the other half of last summer's 'Barbenheimer' box office phenomenon, which only secured five nominations but left empty-handed.

Greta Gerwig's film, turning nostalgia for the beloved doll into a sharp satire about misogyny and female empowerment, has so far fallen short of capturing the expected number of top prizes this awards season.

--With information from AFP