97th Academy Awards Predictions: August 5th Edition

Is Saturday Night alright for Oscar? Jason Reitman’s latest picture chronicles the premiere of SNL back in 1975. The surprise announcement this week is that it has wrapped production and will hit theaters on October 11th. That’s exactly 49 years after the iconic NBC sketch show debuted.

One week after the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown joined the 2024 calendar, Saturday will try to get into the Academy mix. The most likely categories for the Sony release are significant ones – Picture, Director, and especially Original Screenplay. The cast also presents some possibilities like Gabriel LaBelle (from The Fabelmans) as Lorne Michaels. I’m assuming he’d be campaigned for in lead Actor though nothing is confirmed. In Supporting Actress, let’s see if Rachel Sennott as writer Rosie Shuster and Ella Hunt as legendary cast member Gilda Radner get in the convo.

I am not elevating Saturday Night into my predictions for any race yet, but you’ll see it in the possibilities section.

The Piano Lesson gets a boost this week as it is back in BP over The Seed of the Sacred Fig. Piano‘s Samuel L. Jackson also returns to #1 in Supporting Actor with his costar Danielle Deadwyler back in the quintet for Supporting Actress. Natasha Lyonne (His Three Daughters) drops.

Mohammad Rasolouf in Director also falls out for Seed in favor of Anora‘s Sean Baker. Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door shifts from Original to Adapted Screenplay and makes my cut with Dune: Part Two on the outside looking in.

I’ll also note that Conclave is now 2nd in my projections for total nominations (9) behind Dune‘s 10.

You can peruse all the movement below!

Best Picture

Predicted Nominees:

1. Blitz (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)

2. Sing Sing (PR: 3) (+1)

3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (-1)

4. Conclave (PR: 4) (E)

5. Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (E)

6. Anora (PR: 6) (E)

7. Queer (PR: 7) (E)

8. Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (+1)

9. A Complete Unknown (PR: 8) (-1)

10. The Piano Lesson (PR: 11) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

11. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Nosferatu (PR: 15) (+3)

13. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 12) (-1)

14. Nightbitch (PR: 14) (E)

15. The Room Next Door (PR: 19) (+4)

16. Gladiator II (PR: 14) (-2)

17. Maria (PR: 17) (E)

18. Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)

19. A Real Pain (PR: 22) (+3)

20. The End (PR: 16) (-4)

21. A Different Man (PR: 23) (+2)

22. Hard Truths (PR: 20) (-2)

23. The Fire Inside (PR: 21) (-2)

24. All We Imagine as Light (PR: 18) (-6)

25. Here (PR: 24) (-1)

Dropped Out:

Wicked

Best Director

Predicted Nominees:

1. Steve McQueen, Blitz (PR: 1) (E)

2. Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)

3. Edward Berger, Conclave (PR: 3) (E)

4. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)

5. Sean Baker, Anora (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing (PR: 7) (E)

8. Luca Guadagnino, Queer (PR: 8) (E)

9. Robert Eggers, Nosferatu (PR: 15) (+6)

10. James Mangold, A Complete Unknown (PR: 9) (-1)

11. RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 14) (+2)

13. Ridley Scott, Gladiator II (PR: 11) (-2)

14. Malcolm Washington, The Piano Lesson (PR: Not Ranked)

15. Marielle Heller, Nightbitch (PR: 12) (-3)

Dropped Out:

Payal Kapadia, All We Imagine as Light

Best Actress

Predicted Nominees:

1. Amy Adams, Nightbitch (PR: 1) (E)

2. Angelina Jolie, Maria (PR: 2) (E)

3. Mikey Madison, Anora (PR: 3) (E)

4. Karla Sofia Gascón, Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)

5. Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Julianne Moore, The Room Next Door (PR: 6) (E)

7. Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 7) (E)

8. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (PR: 8) (E)

9. Carrie Coon, His Three Daughters (PR: 9) (E)

10. Ryan Destiny, The Fire Inside (PR: 10) (E)

11. June Squibb, Thelma (PR: 12) (+1)

12. Demi Moore, The Substance (PR: 11) (-1)

13. Florence Pugh, We Live in Time (PR: 13) (E)

14. Zendaya, Challengers (PR: 14) (E)

15. Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl (PR: 15) (E)

Best Actor

Predicted Nominees:

1. Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (PR: 1) (E)

2. Ralph Fiennes, Conclave (PR: 2) (E)

3. Daniel Craig, Queer (PR: 3) (E)

4. Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown (PR: 4) (E)

5. Sebastian Stan, A Different Man (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. John David Washington, The Piano Lesson (PR: 7) (+1)

7. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Andrè Holland, The Actor (PR: 8) (E)

9. Ethan Herisse, Nickel Boys (PR: 11) (+2)

10. Glen Powell, Hit Man (PR: 9) (-1)

11. Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Paul Mescal, Gladiator II (PR: 12) (E)

13. Tom Hanks, Here (PR: 13) (E)

14. Gabriel LaBelle, Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)

15. Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain (PR: 15) (E)

Dropped Out:

Andrew Garfield, We Live in Time

Best Supporting Actress

Predicted Nominees:

1. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (PR: 1) (E)

2. Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (PR: 2) (E)

3. Saoirse Ronan, Blitz (PR: 3) (E)

4. Isabella Rossellini, Conclave (PR: 4) (E)

5. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door (PR: 7) (+1)

7. Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters (PR: 5) (-2)

8. Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez (PR: 8) (E)

9. Joan Chen, Dídi (PR: 9) (E)

10. Lesley Manville, Queer (PR: 11) (+1)

11. Elle Fanning, A Complete Unknown (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Glenn Close, The Deliverance (PR: 12) (E)

13. Elizabeth Olsen, His Three Daughters (PR: 13) (E)

14. Valeria Golino, Maria (PR: 14) (E)

15. Rachel Sennott, Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Kathy Burke, Blitz

Best Supporting Actor

Predicted Nominees:

1. Samuel L. Jackson, The Piano Lesson (PR: 2) (+1)

2. Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (PR: 1) (-1)

3. Stanley Tucci, Conclave (PR: 3) (E)

4. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (PR: 4) (E)

5. Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Adam Pearson, A Different Man (PR: 7) (+1)

7. Drew Starkey, Queer (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Harris Dickinson, Blitz (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Brian Tyree Henry, The Fire Inside (PR: 10) (+1)

10. John Lithgow, Conclave (PR: 8) (-2)

11. Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown (PR: 14) (+3)

12. Stephen Graham, Blitz (PR: 11) (-1)

13. Hamish Linklater, Nickel Boys (PR: Not Ranked)

14. Mark Eidelstein, Anora (PR: 12) (-2)

15. Paul Raci, Sing Sing (PR: 13) (-2)

Dropped Out:

Scoot McNairy, Nightbitch

Best Original Screenplay

Predicted Nominees:

1. Anora (PR: 1) (E)

2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)

3. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (+3)

4. A Real Pain (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Hard Truths (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 4) (-2)

7. Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)

8. His Three Daughters (PR: 8) (E)

9. The End (PR: 9) (E)

10. Maria (PR: 12) (+2)

11. Dídi (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Challengers (PR: 11) (-1)

13. Kinds of Kindness (PR: 13) (E)

14. A Different Man (PR: Not Ranked)

15. The Substance (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

The Room Next Door (moved to Adapted Screenplay)

All We Imagine as Light

I Saw the TV Glow

Best Adapted Screenplay

Predicted Nominees:

1. Conclave (PR: 1) (E)

2. Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)

3. Nickel Boys (PR: 3) (E)

4. Queer (PR: 4) (E)

5. The Room Next Door (PR: Not Ranked) – moved from Original Screenplay

Other Possibilities:

6. The Piano Lesson (PR: 6) (E)

7. Dune: Part Two (PR: 5) (-2)

8. Nightbitch (PR: 7) (-1)

9. Hit Man (PR: 8) (-1)

10. A Complete Unknown (PR: 9) (-1)

11. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Inside Out 2 (PR: 11) (-1)

13. Nosferatu (PR: 14) (+1)

14. Gladiator II (PR: 12) (-2)

15. The Fire Inside (PR: 13) (-2)

Dropped Out:

Here

Best International Feature Film

Predicted Nominees:

1. Emila Pérez (PR: 1) (E)

2. I’m Still Here (PR: 2) (E)

3. Grand Tour (PR: 5) (+2)

4. The Count of Monte Cristo (PR: 4) (E)

5. The Girl with the Needle (PR: Not Ranked)

Other Possibilities:

6. All We Imagine as Light (PR: 3) (-3)

7. Evil Does Not Exist (PR: 8) (+1)

8. Uprising (PR: 7) (-1)

9. Caught by the Tides (PR: 6) (-3)

10. Kneecap (PR: 9) (-1)

Dropped Out:

Simon of the Mountain

Best Animated Feature

Predicted Nominees:

1. Inside Out 2 (PR: 1) (E)

2. The Wild Robot (PR: 2) (E)

3. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (PR: 4) (+1)

4. Memoir of a Snail (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Flow (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Piece by Piece (PR: 6) (E)

7. Moana 2 (PR: 7) (E)

8. Savages (PR: 8) (E)

9. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Transformers One (PR: 10) (E)

Dropped Out:

Orion and the Dark

Best Documentary Feature

Predicted Nominees:

1. Daughters (PR: 1) (E)

2. Black Box Diaries (PR: 2) (E)

3. Will & Harper (PR: 3) (E)

4. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (PR: 5) (+1)

5. No Other Land (PR: 4) (-1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Sugarcane (PR: 7) (+1)

7. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Gaucho Gaucho (PR: 8) (E)

9. Union (PR: 9) (E)

10. Skywalkers: A Love Story (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Frida

Best Cinematography

Predicted Nominees:

1. Blitz (PR: 1) (E)

2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)

3. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 5) (+2)

4. Nosferatu (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Queer (PR: 10) (+5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Anora (PR: 4) (-2)

7. Conclave (PR: 8) (+1)

8. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (-2)

9. Gladiator II (PR: 7) (-2)

10. A Complete Unknown (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Maria

Best Costume Design

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)

2. Gladiator II (PR: 3) (+1)

3. Wicked (PR: 2) (-1)

4. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 7) (+3)

5. Nosferatu (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 8) (+2)

7. Blitz (PR: 4) (-3)

8. Maria (PR: 6) (-2)

9. Queer (PR: 9) (E)

10. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 10) (E)

Best Film Editing

Predicted Nominees:

1. Blitz (PR: 1) (E)

2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)

3. Anora (PR: 4) (+1)

4. Conclave (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Emilia Pérez (PR: 7) (+2)

Other Possibilities:

6. A Complete Unknown (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Sing Sing (PR: 8) (+1)

8. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 6) (-2)

9. Queer (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Challengers (PR: 10) (E)

Dropped Out:

Gladiator II

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)

2. Nosferatu (PR: 2) (E)

3. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 3) (E)

4. A Different Man (PR: 5) (+1)

5. Wicked (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 4) (-2)

7. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 7) (E)

8. Maria (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Sasquatch Sunset (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Nightbitch (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Blitz

Best Original Score

Predicted Nominees

1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)

2. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 2) (E)

3. Queer (PR: 3) (E)

4. Gladiator II (PR: 6) (+2)

5. Conclave (PR: 8) (+3)

Other Possibilities:

6. Sing Sing (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Blitz (PR: 7) (E)

8. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (-4)

9. Challengers (PR: 9) (E)

10. The Piano Lesson (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Here

Best Original Song

Predicted Nominees:

1. TBD from Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)

2. TBD from Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 2) (E)

3. TBD from Sing Sing (PR: 6) (+3)

4. “Relentless” from Diane Warren: Relentless (PR: 4) (E)

5. TBD from Piece by Piece (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. TBD from Moana 2 (PR: 7) (+1)

7. “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper (PR: 10) (+3)

8. TBD from Wicked (PR: 3) (-5)

9. TBD from Mufasa: The Lion King (PR: 9) (E)

10. “Compress/Repress” from Challengers (PR: 8) (-2)

Best Production Design

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)

2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)

3. Nosferatu (PR: 3) (E)

4. Gladiator II (PR: 4) (E)

5. Conclave (PR: 8) (+3)

Other Possibilities:

6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 7) (+1)

7. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 5) (-2)

8. Wicked (PR: 6) (-2)

9. Queer (PR: 9) (E)

10. Maria (PR: 10) (E)

Best Sound

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)

2. Gladiator II (PR: 3) (+1)

3. Blitz (PR: 2) (-1)

4. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 4) (E)

5. A Complete Unknown (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 10) (+4)

7. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Twisters (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Wicked (PR: 7) (-2)

10. A Quiet Place: Day One (PR: 8) (-2)

Best Visual Effects

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)

2. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (PR: 2) (E)

3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 3) (E)

4. Here (PR: 5) (+1)

5. Wicked (PR: 9) (+4)

Other Possibilities:

6. Gladiator II (PR: 4) (-2)

7. Twisters (PR: 7) (E)

8. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (PR: 6) (-2)

9. Mufasa: The Lion King (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Deadpool & Wolverine (PR: 10) (E)

Dropped Out:

Blitz

That equates to these movies nabbing these numbers of nominations:

10 Nominations

Dune: Part Two

9 Nominations

Conclave

8 Nominations

Blitz, Emilia Pérez

5 Nominations

Anora, Gladiator II, Joker: Folie à Deux, Queer, Sing Sing

4 Nominations

Nosferatu

3 Nominations

A Complete Unknown, Nickel Boys, The Piano Lesson, Wicked

2 Nominations

A Different Man, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, A Real Pain

1 Nomination

Black Box Diaries, The Count of Monte Cristo, Daughters, Diane Warren: Relentless, Flow, The Girl with the Needle, Grand Tour, Hard Truths, Here, I’m Still Here, Inside Out 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Maria, Memoir of a Snail, Nightbitch, No Other Land, The Outrun, Piece by Piece, The Room Next Door, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, The Wild Robot, Will & Harper

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