Hollywood gets party season started at glitzy Golden Globes

Actor/singer Justin Timberlake and actor Jessica Biel attend The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/AFP)

Billed as the most raucous event in the showbiz calendar, the champagne-drenched Hollywood Foreign Press Association's annual prize-giving is a draw for filmmakers and actors looking to create some buzz ahead of the Oscars in March.

But this year's ceremony, seen as the first big opportunity for the industry to unite against a pervasive culture of sexual misconduct brought to light by the downfall of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, may strike a more somber tone.

"The deluge of sexual misconduct revelations has been the story of the year, so it's safe to predict that it will be the story of the night at the Golden Globes," Debra Birnbaum, executive editor for television at industry weekly Variety, told AFP.

"It will influence everything from Seth Meyers' monologue to impassioned acceptance speeches to the fashion."

The ceremony at the Beverly Hilton - the first for late night NBC funnyman Meyers as host - is not as reliable at predicting Oscars glory as the galas held by Hollywood's acting, producing and directing unions.

But it remains one of the most high-profile and glamorous events of the awards calendar and tends to generate more headlines for tipsy tributes, daring gowns and wacky tuxedos.

SOLIDARITY

Actors and actresses are however expected to turn out in black this year, in solidarity with victims of Weinstein and numerous other figures exposed by the harassment and abuse scandal, including Kevin Spacey, Brett Ratner and Dustin Hoffman.

"ON SUNDAY WE WEAR BLACK to stand in solidarity with men and women everywhere who have been silenced by discrimination, harassment and abuse," said a tweet from the Time's Up initiative launched by hundreds of prominent women in Tinseltown to shine a light on the issue.

"Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever you're doing. Join us."

Indeed, as stars began arriving on the red carpet - including Allison Williams (Get Out), Sterling K Brown (This Is Us), and Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (Feud: Bette and Joan) - it looked as if the message was heeded.

All were in black, with a splash of orange at Williams' neckline.

The directors of the best foreign film entries were asked at a Q&A in Hollywood on Saturday if even attending the Globes could be taken as a sign of tolerance for the film industry's misogynistic culture.

"We have many things that have to be dealt with in the world," said Angelina Jolie, who made the Cambodian entry, First They Killed my Father.

"The issues are very big and very serious. We have a lot of work to do."

Leading the pack this year is Guillermo del Toro's fantasy romance The Shape of Water with seven nominations, while The Post" and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri are tied for second, with six each.

Overall, 25 awards are given out - 14 for movies and 11 for TV - and, as usual, the 90-member HFPA has sprung more than a few surprises in the nominations, placing horror satire "Get Out" in the best comedy-musical category.

WIDE OPEN

While many fields are wide open, James Franco (The Disaster Artist) is almost certain to win best actor in a musical/comedy movie, according to awards prediction website Gold Derby, ahead of Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out).

The site expects Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) to pip Margot Robbie (I, Tonya) in the parallel race for best actresses for her acclaimed performance as a troubled teen.

On the small-screen, HBO's Big Little Lies leads with six nominations, followed by FX's Feud: Bette and Joan, with four, and The Handmaid's Tale, Fargo, and This Is Us all picking up three nods apiece.

Gold Derby's Amanda Spears speculated that the harassment scandal could boost Big Little Lies star Shailene Woodley in the race for best supporting TV actress for her Emmy-nominated performance as a single mother raising a child born out of rape.

The star-studded roll call of presenters this year includes Game of Thrones duo Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington, as well as Penelope Cruz, Wonder Woman Gal Gadot, Hugh Grant and Chris Hemsworth.