Anne Hathaway to Campaign in Supporting Actress Race for 'The Odyssey'

Universal Pictures has settled the question of where Anne Hathaway will compete this awards season, confirming that the Academy Award winner will be campaigned in the Supporting Actress category for her performance as Penelope in Christopher Nolan's epic 'The Odyssey'.

The decision places Hathaway among the early frontrunners in the race and clarifies the studio's strategy for the film's acting categories. Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, will be the production's only lead acting contender.

Hathaway will share the supporting campaign with co-star Samantha Morton, whose turn as Circe has drawn widespread praise. Universal is expected to push both performers, giving the studio a chance to land two Supporting Actress nominations for the same film even as the two women compete against each other.

The category choice also keeps Hathaway out of a Best Actress field that includes Julianne Moore, an Academy Award winner who is among the prominent contenders for her work in 'The Debut'.

Hathaway won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2013 for 'Les Miserables'. A second win would make her only the third woman to take the supporting prize twice, alongside Dianne Wiest and Shelley Winters. Should she and Moore both prevail this year, they would become the first two women since 1995 to each collect a second Academy Award at the same ceremony.

Nolan's awards record is likely to factor into the campaign. His previous film, 'Oppenheimer', won Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards.

'The Odyssey' has already proved a major commercial success, grossing more than USD 1.6 billion worldwide, a result that strengthens Universal's broader awards push. The studio is seeking nominations across major categories, including Best Picture and several technical awards, with veterans John Leguizamo and Robert Pattinson expected to be campaigned in Supporting Actor.

A strong showing across multiple acting categories would place the film in a small group of titles that have earned acting nominations in more than one category in the same season.

The role caps a busy year for Hathaway. She starred in A24's 'Mother Mary', returned as Andy Sachs in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' alongside Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt, a sequel that has earned USD 691 million globally, and appeared in Warner Bros.' 'The End of Oak Street'. She will next be seen in Michael Showalter's thriller 'Verity', opposite Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, and also serves as a producer on that project.