Denis Villeneuve on Arrival Oscar noms, Amy Adams' snub

Director Denis Villeneuve has an Oscar nomination morning tradition: He invites his crew over for pancakes, champagne, and coffee. But this morning, the celebration of eight nominations for his film Arrival — including Best Picture and Best Director — was so loud that he went into a closet to talk to EW.

“I’m still digesting the news,” he says. “I’m going between coffee and champagne — that is where I am right now.”

The Academy certainly recognized the beauty and quiet storytelling of Arrival, but in one of the more surprising snubs of the morning, lead actress Amy Adams was not nominated for her role in the film. (See the full list of nominees here.)

“This is the big disappointment,” says Villeneuve of Adams missing out. “I’m deeply disappointed for Amy. She was the soul of this movie. For me, it was a given! She had the movie on her shoulders, she’s the one who made it happen. It’s a strange feeling to celebrate and feel sad at the same time.”