Gosling, Stone and a canine star mingle at Oscar nominees' lunch

By Lisa Richwine

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Stars of "Barbie," "Oppenheimer" and other Oscar-nominated films came together on Monday at the annual nominees luncheon, a celebratory event where actors, directors and behind-the-scenes artists mingled and posed for a group photo.

Ryan Gosling, nominated for playing Ken in the "Barbie" movie, stood out in the hotel ballroom in a lilac-colored suit. He stopped to greet Messi, a dog that played a key role in best picture nominee "Anatomy of a Fall."

Emma Stone, a best actress contender for her role in dark comedy "Poor Things," and "Maestro" stars Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan, also chatted with colleagues and studio executives.

Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. - all nominees for atomic bomb drama "Oppenheimer" - also worked their way through the crowd. Director Steven Spielberg, a nominee as a producer for best picture nominee "Maestro," posed for selfies.

Along with A-list stars, the crowd included sound mixers, costume designers and other craftspeople. At the end, the dozens of nominees were called to the stage for a group photo.

The mood was overwhelmingly upbeat as nominees celebrated their achievements and no one had to worry about losing, or making a speech, as they do on Oscar night.

"I wish I could bottle the excitement in this room," said Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the group that hands out the Oscars.

This year's Oscars will take place on March 10 and be broadcast live on Walt Disney's ABC network.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Stephen Coates)