This undated photo originally provided by Focus Features shows Keira Knightley, left, and James McAvoy during a scene from the film "Atonement". The film was nominated for an Oscar for best picture earlier today. The awards are scheduled to be held on Feb. 24.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — ‘‘No Country for Old Men’’ and ‘‘There Will Be Blood’’ led with eight Academy Awards nominations each Tuesday, among them best picture and acting honors for Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem — but whether any actors would show up was in doubt because of the writers strike.



‘‘No Country for Old Men,’’ a crime saga about a drug deal gone bad, ‘‘There Will Be Blood,’’ and a historical epic set in California’s oil boom years will compete for best picture against the melancholy romance ‘‘Atonement,’’ the pregnancy comedy ‘‘Juno’’ and the legal drama ‘‘Michael Clayton.’’



‘‘Atonement’’ and ‘‘Michael Clayton’’ trailed with seven nominations each, including best actor for George Clooney in the title role of ‘‘Clayton.