‘Triangle of Sadness’ Writer-Director Ruben Östlund On Oscar Nominations, Creating “A Wild Rollercoaster Ride For Adults” And His Next Social Satire Horror Film ‘The Entertainment System Is Down’
24.01.2023 - 23:07 / deadline.com
The awards keep on coming for Swedish writer-director Ruben Östlund. The two-time winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival just spent Monday night celebrating a six-trophy sweep at Sweden’s esteemed Guldbagge awards that included a win for Best Director and Best Film.
Now, on Tuesday morning speaking with Deadline, Östlund is elated as he celebrates three Oscar nominations in Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for his dark comedy Triangle of Sadness.
The film follows Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), a celebrity model couple who are invited on a luxury cruise for the super-rich and famous by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). After the boat capsizes, the glamorous shipwrecked crew must learn to survive the harsh realities of being stranded on a desert island.
Here, Östlund discusses his Oscar nominations, the importance of equality and recognition in film, and his upcoming project.
DEADLINE: Where were you when you heard the nominations? And what was the vibe of the room?
RUBEN ÖSTLUND: It’s fantastic. It’s almost 5 p.m., and the nominations were at half past two. We had a beer [to celebrate] because the thing is, the Swedish Awards [The Guldbagges] were yesterday, and we got six prizes. So, today, we were sitting here really nervous and didn’t really expect anything. You know, in the back of my mind, it’s always that YouTube clip with the Swedish director who freaks out when he misses a nomination for Force Majeure… but this time, it was the complete opposite of that YouTube clip. We were at a restaurant called The Frog [Grodan] in Stockholm, and I was with my colleagues, friends, and people who have worked on the film. So everybody shared this
