Los Angeles, March 8 (DPA) A parade of the world's biggest movie stars were streaming into the Kodak Theatre Sunday in Los Angeles ahead of the 82nd Academy Awards.

From James Cameron, director of the blockbuster 'Avatar', to Jeremy Renner, star of Avatar's main Oscar competitor 'The Hurt Locker', hundreds of stars ran the red carpet gauntlet, ahead of the most prestigious awards show in Hollywood. Other nominees arriving ahead of time included best actress frontrunner Sandra Bullock and supporting actress nominees Mo'Nique, Vera Farmiga and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

'Avatar' and 'The Hurt Locker' are the leading contenders for Oscar glory with nine nominations apiece.

'Avatar' is the world's highest-grossing movie with more than $2 billion in global ticket sales.

If 'The Hurt Locker' wins best picture, it would be the lowest grossing movie ever to win the ultimate Hollywood award. Its director, Kathyrn Bigelow, is vying to be the first woman to win the Oscar for best director.