Comedian Conan O'Brien has disclosed the one Oscar-nominated movie he cannot joke about this year, despite his best efforts and thousands of attempts. O'Brien, who returns to host the Academy Awards for the second consecutive year this Sunday, made the revelation during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as he discussed his preparations for the prestigious ceremony.
Conan O'Brien's Oscar Hosting Return
The former late-night funnyman, aged 62, is set to take the stage once again at the 2026 Oscars, broadcasting live on ABC. In the lead-up to the event, O'Brien has been rigorously testing his material at various comedy clubs across Los Angeles. While audiences have generally been receptive to his sets, he admitted there is one significant hurdle he has been unable to overcome.
The Unjokeable Film: 'Train Dreams'
Of the ten films competing for Best Picture, O'Brien identified Train Dreams as the sole movie that has resisted all his comedic attempts. Starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones, the film is a poignant portrait of Robert Grainier, a railroad worker and logger living a secluded life in the Pacific Northwest during the early 20th century.
O'Brien emphasised that Train Dreams is a beautiful movie, but lamented that no joke seems to stick to it. He revealed his writers have crafted approximately 5,000 jokes about the film, yet not a single one has been deemed effective. I keep going out and trying them out, O'Brien said, and these are very good writers. So I blame Train Dreams. I think it's the movie.
A Failed Joke Example
To illustrate his point, O'Brien shared one of the Train Dreams jokes that will not make it to the Oscars broadcast. Prefacing it as the best out of 5,000 attempts, he read from a card: Train Dreams was nominated for Best Picture. Finally, a movie that proves being a Pacific Northwest lumberjack in the early 1900s wasn't as fun as it sounds. Despite some audience laughter, O'Brien dismissed it as pity applause, insisting the joke is simply bad and will not be used.
Oscar Nominations and Competition
Directed by Clint Bentley, Train Dreams has also garnered nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Original Song, and Best Adapted Screenplay. However, it faces stiff competition in the Best Picture category from a diverse and strong lineup.
The other nominees include Ryan Coogler's inventive vampire thriller Sinners, Paul Thomas Anderson's caper One Battle After Another, Josh Safdie's table tennis drama Marty Supreme, and Chloé Zhao's Shakespeare drama Hamnet. Additionally, Guillermo del Toro's take on Frankenstein, Brad Pitt's F1 blockbuster, Yorgos Lanthimos's alien sci-fi Bugonia, Brazilian political thriller The Secret Agent, and Joachim Trier's family drama Sentimental Value are all vying for the top award.
The 2026 Oscars ceremony will be broadcast live on Sunday, beginning at 7pm ET/4pm PT, with Conan O'Brien at the helm once again, navigating the challenges of finding humour in a year of critically acclaimed films.
