Jeff Goldblum and David Tennant are among the early arrivals at this year’s Bafta film awards.
Scottish actor and Doctor Who star Tennant arrived on the red carpet wearing a sparkly black suit before he hosts the ceremony for the second year running at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday.
Scottish actor David Tennant is returning for a second year to host the Baftas (Ian West/PA)
Take That will perform their chart-topping hit Greatest Day, which features in the film Anora, and Wicked star Goldblum is set to play the piano during the In Memoriam segment.
Goldblum plays the Wizard in the The Wizard Of Oz prequel musical, which tells the story of the early years of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, played by British star Cynthia Erivo.
Erivo is nominated for a best actress Bafta, and her co-star, US pop singer Ariana Grande is up for supporting actress for playing Glinda the good witch, an early friend to the green-skinned misunderstood witch.
On the red carpet, Bafta chief executive Jane Millichip told the PA news agency that this is a “really wide open race” and she had “no idea how to call” the winners.
Chief executive of Bafta Jane Millichip (Ian West/PA)
She also said: “I think the viewing public in the UK have always welcomed films not in the English language, whether they’re subtitled or dubbed. We mostly subtitle in the UK, so I don’t think it’s a stretch for British audiences to watch and welcome these films.
“So the film not in the English language is a really important category for me. I think also the range of films, the number of countries represented, and the languages. I mean, it’s fantastic to have an Irish film (Kneecap) in Irish I mean, that’s great.”
Spanish language film Emilia Perez is nominated for 11 awards including a leading actress nomination for Spanish actress Karla Sofia Gascon, while American co-stars Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana will go head-to-head in the supporting actress category.
Gascon has apologised for tweets she sent before the awards race, and is not expected to attend the ceremony.
When asked about the controversy surrounding Emilia Perez, Ms Millichip said that “we don’t comment on any particular nominee”, and the event was a celebration of “great craft”.
Among the celebrities who will present prizes are pop singer Camila Cabello, The Lord Of The Rings actor Orlando Bloom, Scottish actor James McAvoy and Pitch Perfect actress Anna Kendrick.
Harry Potter star Warwick Davis will pick up the Bafta Fellowship, which is awarded to those “who have made an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television”.
It is understood that the Prince of Wales, who is president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, will miss this year’s ceremony.
The 2025 Bafta film awards will be broadcast at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK.