Just days from walking the long red carpet into Hollywood's Dolby Theatre for the 91st Academy Awards, the Sydney-born, Adelaide-raised production designer for The Favourite has signed a deal to work on a major upcoming Hollywood studio film.

"It is massive," Crombie, discussing her next project, told AAP during an interview in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

"It's my first big studio film."

The deal is so fresh Crombie couldn't reveal the film's title, but felt sure it was her Oscar nomination for The Favourite that put her on Hollywood's radar.

The London-based mother-of-two is using her days in LA ahead of the Oscars to meet with other Hollywood powerbrokers, with other films in the works.

"Yes, it absolutely has paid off, that's for sure," Crombie laughed when asked if an Oscar nomination was a good career move.

Crombie and English set decorator Alice Felton are favourites to claim the production design Oscar at Sunday's (Monday AEDT) Academy Awards for their work on the early 18th Century British period drama/comedy.

Crombie's path to the Oscars began at Sydney's prolific National Institute of Dramatic Art and then the Sydney Theatre Company where she was a designer.

Crombie crossed over to film in 2011 when she joined forces with Adelaide schoolmate and then-rising director Justin Kurzel on the crime drama Snowtown, then with Jane Campion's Top of the Lake and back with Kurzel on his 2015 take on Macbeth.

Crombie's husband, producer Peter Knowles, is working in Rio de Janeiro and will fly to LA on Friday to join her at the Oscars.

There has been some pre-Oscar drama involving Crombie's dress, designed by Susie Cave's fashion house, The Vampire's Wife.

Crombie planned to take the dress on her flight from London earlier in the week, but on the weekend realised it needed a minor repair.

Felton nervously agreed to take it on her London to LA flight on Wednesday.

"An unnecessary Oscar drama," Crombie laughed.

The Favourite and the Alfonso Cuaron-directed Roma lead all films for this year's ceremony with 10 nominations each.

Crombie's good friend, fellow Australian and The Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara is also a frontrunner for an Oscar win on Sunday.

The Favourite centres on the relationship between two cousins, played by Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, competing for Queen Anne's affections.

Australian Associated Press