For my last forecast for the month of June, not a lot has changed in my predictions for the 96th Academy Awards. Viola Davis (Air) is back in Supporting Actress over Julianne Moore (May December). In the screenplay contests, I’ve elevated Anatomy of a Fall over May December in the original derby. For Adapted Screenplay, Oppenheimer jumps into the top five over Poor Things. It is worth noting that while I don’t have animated box office behemoth Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in my BP ten, it does jump seven positions to number 12.
When I do my initial July projections in a couple of weeks, we might have some buzz for potential heavy hitters Oppenheimer and Barbie as they each ready their debuts on July 21st.
We have seen our first peeks at fall contenders such as Challengers, Priscilla, Drive-Away Dolls, and Dumb Money over the past few days via their trailers. Truth be told, this is a slow time for awards prognosticating. This will change before we know it with festival season around the corner.
Best Picture
Predicted Nominees:
1. Killers of the Flower Moon (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)
2. Past Lives (PR: 2) (E)
3. The Color Purple (PR: 3) (E)
4. Dune: Part Two (PR: 4) (E)
5. Oppenheimer (PR: 6) (+1)
6. The Zone of Interest (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Saltburn (PR: 9) (+2)
8. The Holdovers (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Air (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Poor Things (PR: 7) (-3)
Other Possibilities:
11. Maestro (PR: 11) (E)
12. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 19) (+7)
13. Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 14) (+1)
14. Barbie (PR: 15) (+1)
15. May December (PR: 12) (-3)
16. Asteroid City (PR: 17) (+1)
17. Challengers (PR: 13) (-4)
18. Napoleon (PR: 15) (-3)
19. Bob Marley: One Love (PR: 23) (+4)
20. Rustin (PR: 22) (+2)
21. The Killer (PR: 20) (-1)
22. The Nickel Boys (PR: 24) (+2)
23. The Book of Clarence (PR: 18) (-5)
24. Ferrari (PR: 25) (+1)
25. How Do You Live? (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Flint Strong (moved to 2024)
Best Director
Predicted Nominees:
1. Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 1) (E)
2. Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Celine Song, Past Lives (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Blitz Bazawule, The Color Purple (PR: 4) (E)
5. Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest (PR: 5) (E()
Other Possibilities:
6. Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer (PR: 6) (E)
7. Emerald Fennell, Saltburn (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Alexander Payne, The Holdovers (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things (PR: 7) (-2)
10. Bradley Cooper, Maestro (PR: 12) (+2)
11. Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 9) (-2)
12. Greta Gerwig, Barbie (PR: 13) (+1)
13. Ben Affleck, Air (PR: 11) (-2)
14. Ridley Scott, Napoleon (PR: 15) (+1)
15. David Fincher, The Killer (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Todd Haynes, May December
Best Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple (PR: 1) (E)
2. Greta Lee, Past Lives (PR: 2) (E)
3. Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 3) (E)
4. Emma Stone, Poor Things (PR: 4) (E)
5. Natalie Portman, May December (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night (PR: 6) (E)
7. Margot Robbie, Barbie (PR: 7) (E)
8. Zendaya, Challengers (PR: 8) (E)
9. Carey Mulligan, Maestro (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Annette Bening, Nyad (PR: 9) (-1)
11. Kate Winslet, Lee (PR: 11) (E)
12. Regina King, Shirley (PR: 12 )(E)
13. Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One (PR: Not Ranked)
15. Judy Greer, Eric Larue (PR: 15) (E)
Dropped Out:
Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest
Ryan Destiny, Flint Strong
Best Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Colman Domingo, Rustin (PR: 1) (E)
2. Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)
3. Barry Keoghan, Saltburn (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Bradley Cooper, Maestro (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Kingsley Ben-Adir, Bob Marley: One Love (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Anthony Hopkins, Freud’s Last Session (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Teo Yoo, Past Lives (PR: 9) (E)
10. Matt Damon, Air (PR: 10) (E)
11. David Strathairn, A Little Prayer (PR: 13) (+2)
12. Joaquin Phoenix, Napoleon (PR: 11) (-1)
13. Koji Yakusho, Perfect Days (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Ed Harris, Long Day’s Journey Into Night (PR: 15) (+1)
15. Andre Holland, The Actor (PR: 14) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Mike Faist, Challengers (moved to Supporting Actor)
Best Supporting Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 1) (E)
2. Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple (PR: 2) (E)
3. Taraji P. Henson, The Color Purple (PR: 3) (E)
4. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers (PR: 4) (E)
5. Viola Davis, Air (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Julianne Moore, May December (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Rosamund Pike, Saltburn (PR: 7) (E)
8. Aunjanue Ellis, The Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Audra McDonald, Rustin (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Lashana Lynch, Bob Marley: One Love (PR: 10) (E)
11. Jodie Foster, Nyad (PR: 13) (+2)
12. Tilda Swinton, The Killer (PR: 11) (-1)
13. Halle Bailey, The Color Purple (PR: 12) (-1)
14. Vanessa Kirby, Napoleon (PR: Not Ranked)
15. Claire Foy, Strangers (PR: 14) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Jodie Comer, The Bikeriders
Best Supporting Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 1) (E)
2. John Magaro, Past Lives (PR: 4) (+2)
3. Colman Domingo, The Color Purple (PR: 3) (E)
4. Willem Dafoe, Poor Things (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Charles Melton, May December (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Ryan Gosling, Barbie (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Ben Affleck, Air (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Richard E. Grant, Saltburn (PR: 8) (-2)
11. Jesse Plemons, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 12) (+1)
12. Mike Faist, Challengers (PR: Not Ranked – moved from lead)
13. Glynn Turman, Rustin (PR: 13) (E)
14. Josh O’Connor, Challengers (PR: 15) (+1)
15. Corey Hawkins, The Color Purple (PR: 11) (-4)
Dropped Out:
Brian Tyree Henry, Flint Strong
Ben Foster, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Best Original Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Past Lives (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Holdovers (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Saltburn (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Air (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 9) (+4)
Other Possibilities:
6. May December (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Asteroid City (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Maestro (PR: 8) (E)
9. Barbie (PR: Not Ranked – moved from Adapted)
10. Challengers (PR: 7) (-3)
11. Drive-Away Dolls (PR: 2) (+1)
12. Rustin (PR: 11) (-1)
13. The Book of Clarence (PR: 10) (-3)
14. Bob Marley: One Love (PR: 14) (E)
15. Napoleon (PR: 13) (-2)
Dropped Out:
Monster
Best Adapted Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Zone of Interest (PR: 4) (+2)
3. The Color Purple (PR: 3) (E)
4. Dune: Part Two (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Oppenheimer (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Poor Things (PR: 2) (-4)
7. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 7) (E)
8. The Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Freud’s Last Session (PR: 11) (+2)
10. Long Day’s Journey Into Night (PR: Not Ranked)
11. Strangers (PR: 12) (+1)
12. The Killer (PR: Not Ranked)
13. The Bikeriders (PR: 13) (E)
14. The Boys in the Boat (PR: 15) (+1)
15. Dumb Money (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Barbie (moved to Original)
Flint Strong
Ferrari