Messi the Dog won’t get to go to the Oscars

It has been revealed that Messi, the border collie and star of Anatomy of a Fall, will not be attending the Oscars this year.

The furry friend who has become the unlikely star of the 2024 Oscar campaign season, made his way through the nominees’ luncheon, wooing the likes of Bradley Cooper, Billie Eilish and Ryan Gosling. According to a source at the Neon-distributed film, Messi’s LA appearance was a one-off, meaning that the dog will not be in attendance at the Academy Awards.

“All of this attention began at Cannes. There were a few interviews in France, but what we’ve been experiencing here in America — with the attention to this dog and his acting — it’s beyond anything we anticipated. It’s probably the maximum that you can accomplish in this field,” trainer and dog mom Laura Martin told The Hollywood Reporter last month, via translator Frederic Cassidy.

Messi starred as Snoop, the guide dog to the character Daniel in the Golden Globe-winning drama film. The pup lives in Paris with Martin. According to The Hollywood Reporter, while he was in Los Angeles, Messi participated in a press junket, posed for photos with Olivia Wilde at a live reading of the Anatomy of a Fall screenplay and enjoyed a day of rest in Venice Beach.

Speaking about his appearance at the Oscars nominee luncheon, Martin said: “The big moment was with Billie Eilish, who bonded with Messi for almost 10 minutes. They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection.”

Anatomy Of A Fall was awarded Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language at the Golden Globe Awards on January 7, 2024.

The post Messi the Dog won’t get to go to the Oscars appeared first on NME.