You might not know it, but Ne Zha 2 is smashing records overseas before the A24 distributed English dub (featuring Michelle Yeoh among the voice cast) hits domestic venues this weekend. The animated Chinese fantasy is the follow-up to 2019’s original and comes from filmmaker Yang Yu, better known as Jiaozi.
The sequel was out in its home country in January before rolling out to additional territories throughout the winter and spring. With $2.2 billion in its coffers, Zha is already the highest grossing animated feature in history (surpassing Inside Out 2).
How will that translate to awards prospects? While it sports 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, the 63 Metacritic score indicates many reviews weren’t over the top in their praise. I will note that part one was China’s submission for Best International Feature Film back at the 92nd Academy Awards and it didn’t land a nom. That race seems out of reach for the 98th ceremony.
This could still manage to nab one of the five Best Animated Feature slots. Yet I’ll note that foreign competition is serious this time around with KPop Demon Hunters, Arco, and Scarlet among titles jockeying for position. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
David Mackenzie’s Relay was first seen at the Toronto Film Festival a year ago and is finally running theatrically this weekend. Riz Ahmed (best actor nominee for 2020’s Sound of Metal), Lily James, and Sam Worthington headline the thriller with Bleecker Street handling distribution.
In 2016, Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water nabbed numerous Academy noms including Best Picture. He’s since followed up with 2019’s Outlaw King and has heist flick Fuze slated for this year’s Toronto Film Festival.
Reviews for Relay are mostly satisfactory with 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 70 Metacritic. They’re not high enough for awards consideration and Bleecker is not exactly a force when it comes to campaigning anyway. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
We’re in the dog days of August as Weapons seeks to three-peat at #1 this weekend though a fascinating challenger could emerge depending on Netflix’s reporting. KPop Demon Hunters A Sing-Along Event looks to capitalize on its massively successful animated streaming numbers with a Saturday and Sunday engagement of theatrical screenings. We also have Ethan Coen’s dark comedy Honey Don’t! out. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on the newbies here:
KPop Demon Hunters is already the highest viewed Netflix animated picture in history. The streamer decided to give it the silver screen sing-along treatment this Saturday and Sunday only. Here’s the catch: Netflix usually doesn’t report their numbers. I think they could make an exception due to the unprecedented nature of this release. If they do, I believe low teens is doable and maybe even more. If it manages to post a 1st or 2nd place debut, I would think Netflix would want the bragging rights. We shall see what they decide.
As for Don’t!, my lowly $1.8 million projection won’t get it in the top five regardless of whether KPop unveils its grosses. After receiving middling reviews from Cannes and being put out on a meager 1200 screens, look for this to fade rapidly.
That leaves holdovers and Weapons may see a drop in the mid 30s to repeat at #1. In fact, the top five should remain the same quintet if KPop isn’t in the mix. However, I suspect Nobody 2 might have the largest percentage drop and that could result in a fall from third to fifth (or fourth to sixth). That would allow The Fantastic Four: First Steps and The Bad Guys 2 to each rise a spot with Freakier Friday either remaining runner-up or being third.
Here’s my top 6 take with the caveat that KPop‘s placement might not occur:
1. Weapons
Predicted Gross: $16.1 million
**2. KPop Demon Hunters A Sing-Along Event
Predicted Gross: $13.8 million
3. Freakier Friday
Predicted Gross: $8.7 million
4. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Predicted Gross: $5.8 million
5. The Bad Guys 2
Predicted Gross: $5.2 million
6. Nobody
Predicted Gross: $4.8 million
Box Office Results (August 15-17)
Weapons easily pummeled the competition yet again in its sophomore frame with $24.4 million, right in line with my $24.9 million call. Zach Cregger’s critically hailed horror thriller is up to $88 million after ten days.
Freakier Friday was second in weekend #2 with $14.2 million, slightly exceeding my forecast of $13 million. The Disney sequel has made $54 million.
Action sequel Nobody 2 with Bob Odenkirk opened at the lower end of expectations with $9.2 million, failing to catch my $11.3 million projection. While it managed to outdo its 2021 predecessor, the original faced COVID challenges.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps was fourth with $9 million (I said $7.5 million). The MCU pic’s tally is $247 million after four weeks.
The Bad Guys 2 rounded out the top five with $7.5 million. The 29% decline meant it surpassed my $5.5 million take. The animated sequel has earned $53 million in three weeks.
Out August 22nd, the dark detective comedy Honey Don’t! marks the second feature in Ethan Coen and wife Tricia Cooke’s self-proclaimed “lesbian B-movie trilogy”. The first was last year’s Drive-Away Dolls and the follow-up returns Margaret Qualley in a starring role. Costars include Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner, and Chris Evans.
The Focus Features product debuted at Cannes to muted reactions. Rotten Tomatoes stands at just 42% with 46 on Metacritic. Looking at comps, Dolls is the glaringly obvious one. It debuted to a lowly $2.4 million in February 2024. That premiered on over 2200 screens while Don’t is scheduled for a mere 1200.
With scant buzz and middling reviews, I’m not even sure this reaches two bucks for starters.
Honey Don’t opening weekend prediction: $1.8 million
Currently on the big screen with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Vanessa Kirby stars in Night Always Comes this weekend. Based on a 2021 bestseller by Willy Vlautin, the crime thriller is out on Netflix. The supporting cast includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen, Stephen James, Randall Park, Julia Fox, Michael Kelly, and Eli Roth.
A previous Best Actress nominee for Pieces of a Woman (also a Netflix pickup), Kirby’s newest vehicle won’t drive awards talk. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 59% with Metacritic at 62 and that won’t cut it with voters. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Writer/director Tony Tost’s Americana first screened way back in 2023 at the South by Southwest festival. Its lead actress Sydney Sweeney has become considerably more famous since then and the crime thriller is finally out this weekend. Paul Walter Hauser, Halsey, Eric Dane, Zach McClarnon, and Simon Rex are among the supporting players.
Initial reviews were stronger coming out of Austin, but have come down to Earth upon wider viewings. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 68% with Metacritic at 61. Sweeney, who’s been in the news due to commercials more than movies recently, might have a shot at awards chatter with sports drama Christy later this year. It won’t come via Americana. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Netflix is taking the rare step next weekend of capitalizing on already existing content when they release KPop Demon Hunters A Sing-Along Event. Released on the streamer in June, the musical fantasy has become a family friendly phenomenon on the service. Hunters will get the “sing-along” treatment (something usually reserved for Disney) with a two night only event on Saturday, August 23rd and Sunday, August 24th.
Already Netflix’s most viewed animated offering ever, Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans direct. Voiceover work is provided by Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung-hun. Angling for Oscar nominations in Animated Feature and Original Song (single “Golden” in particular), the question is how many kiddos will successfully drag their parents to material available in the living room and on the iPad.
I think this could reach $10M+ in its two days of release and my hunch is to go with an over performance in the low teens (even with the challenge of youngsters returning to school).
KPop Demon Hunters A Sing-Along Event opening weekend prediction: $13.8 million
Netflix has put out Fixed this week and it marks the first R rated animation effort from Sony. Genndy Tartakovsky, best known for helming the Hotel Transylvania franchise, directs. The voice cast for the tale of a dog about to be neutered includes Adam DeVine, Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, and Bobby Moynihan.
Originally set for distribution by Warner Bros until they cut it loose, Netflix picked up the rights and reviews are mixed. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 63% with Metacritic at only 51. If Sausage Party couldn’t break into the Academy’s Animated Feature quintet with better marks, that leaves little hope for this. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Action sequel Nobody 2 starring Bob Odenkirk is the only wide release vying for a spot in the top five this weekend as Weapons aims to repeat in first place. You can peruse my detailed prediction post on the newcomer here:
The first Nobody in 2021 premiered as COVID was presenting challenges to theaters. The follow-up is expected to build upon on the original’s numbers. I still question whether this gets to teens and I am putting it a shade under. That likely means a third place showing.
Weapons from Zach Cregger had a spectacular debut (more on that below). With an A- Cinemascore (impressive for the genre), its sophomore dip could be less pronounced than other summer offerings. Lack of competition should also help. I will warn that my drop-off projections have been a bit generous lately. Yet I’ll say a low to mid 40s ease should mean a mid 20s gross and that leaves it in first with room to spare.
As for Freakier Friday, it could fall more than 50% and still remain in second. Holdovers The Fantastic Four: First Steps and The Bad Guys 2 should round out the high five. Here’s how I have it playing out:
1. Weapons
Predicted Gross: $24.9 million
2. Freakier Friday
Predicted Gross: $13 million
3. Nobody 2
Predicted Gross: $11.3 million
4. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Predicted Gross: $7.5 million
5. The Bad Guys 2
Predicted Gross: $5.5 million
Box Office Results (August 8-10)
Weapons capitalized on its intriguing trailer and laudatory reviews, dominating the chart with $43.5 million. That’s way ahead of my meager $28.8 million take and another 2025 winner for Warner Bros. While I don’t see it legging out like Sinners (another WB property), the road ahead should be fruitful.
Disney’s Freakier Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan had to settle for second with $28.5 million. That’s on the lower end of its expected range and a bit below my $32.5 million prediction. It’ll hope for family audiences to keep it afloat in the coming weeks. That could be a tall order with its intended audience going back to school.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps, after two weeks at #1, was third with $15.7 million. The near 60% plummet (again) was under my $18.9 million estimate and the reboot stands at $230 million.
The Bad Guys 2 was fourth with $10.5 million in its second go-round. Once again I was more generous at $13.6 million. The animated sequel has made $43 million and is likely to fall short of its predecessor’s domestic tally ($97 million).
The Naked Gun rounded out the top five with $8.3 million and I said it would do $10 million. The two-week total is $32 million.
Finally, Sketch from Angel Studios debuted in lowly 10th place with $2.4 million from Friday to Sunday and $4.9 million since its Wednesday bow. I went with $3.9 million and $5.8 million, respectively.
My first Oscar predictions in two weeks finds It Was Just an Accident (the Palme d’Or recipient at Cannes) moving back into my Best Picture top ten and its maker Jafar Panahi in the directorial quintet. This is at the expense of Frankenstein and its maker Guillermo del Toro. The acting derbies, meanwhile, remain unchanged as far as to the 20 nominees with festival season around the corner.
Starting in about three weeks – Venice, Telluride, and Toronto will start to clear a lot of this speculation up. I’ll sneak in another update in a couple weeks before the onslaught of screenings begin.
Best Picture
Predicted Nominees:
1. Sinners (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)
2. Sentimental Value (PR: 2) (E)
3. Marty Supreme (PR: 3) (E)
4. Jay Kelly (PR: 5) (+1)
5. After the Hunt (PR: 4) (-1)
6. Wicked: For Good (PR: 6) (E)
7. Bugonia (PR: 7) (E)
8. Avatar: Fire and Ash (PR: 9) (+1)
9. It Was Just an Accident (PR: 12) (+3)
10. Rental Family (PR: 10) (E)
Other Possibilities:
11. One Battle After Another (PR: 11) (E)
12. Frankenstein (PR: 8) (-4)
13. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: 14) (+1)
14. The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: 15) (+1)
15. Hamnet (PR: 13) (-2)
16. A House of Dynamite (PR: 17) (+1)
17. No Other Choice (PR: 18) (+1)
18. The Rivals of Amziah King (PR: 16) (-2)
19. Ballad of a Small Player (PR: 20) (+1)
20. The Smashing Machine (PR: 22) (+2)
21. Is This Thing On? (PR: 24) (+3)
22. The Secret Agent (PR: 21) (-1)
23. F1 (PR: 19) (-4)
24. The Life of Chuck (PR: 23) (-1)
25. Nouvelle Vague (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Die, My Love
Best Director
Predicted Nominees:
1. Ryan Coogler, Sinners (PR: 1) (E)
2. Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value (PR: 2) (E)
3. Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme (PR: 3) (E)
4. Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia (PR: 4) (E)
5. Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Luca Guadagnino, After the Hunt (PR: 6) (E)
7. Noah Baumbach, Jay Kelly (PR: 9) (+2)
8. Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (PR: 8) (E)
9. Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein (PR: 5) (-4)
10. Mona Fastvold, The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: 12) (+2)
11. Jon M. Chu, Wicked: For Good (PR: 10) (-1)
12. Chloé Zhao, Hamnet (PR: 13) (+1)
13. Kathryn Bigelow, A House of Dynamite (PR: 15) (+2)
14. Park Chan-wook, No Other Choice (PR: 14) (E)
15. Hikari, Rental Family (PR: 11) (-4)
Best Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value (PR: 1) (E)
2. Julia Roberts, After the Hunt (PR: 2) (E)
3. Cynthia Erivo, Wicked: For Good (PR: 3) (E)
4. Amanda Seyfried, The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: 4) (E)
5. Jessie Buckley, Hamnet (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Jennifer Lawrence, Die, My Love (PR: 6) (E)
7. Emma Stone, Bugonia (PR: 7) (E)
8. Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Tessa Thompson, Hedda (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Sydney Sweeney, Christy (PR: 8) (-2)
11. Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby (PR: 14) (+3)
12. June Squibb, Eleanor the Great (PR: 12 ) (E)
13. Emma Mackey, Ella McCay (PR: 11) (-2)
14. Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night (PR: 13) (-1)
15. Lucy Liu, Rosemead (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Amy Adams, At the Sea
Best Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme (PR: 1) (E)
2. George Clooney, Jay Kelly (PR: 2) (E)
3. Jeremy Allen White, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: 3) (E)
4. Jesse Plemons, Bugonia (PR: 4) (E)
5. Michael B. Jordan, Sinners (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Brendan Fraser, Rental Family (PR: 6) (E)
7. Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another (PR: 7) (E)
8. Dwayne Johnson, The Smashing Machine (PR: 8) (E)
9. Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Daniel Day-Lewis, Anemone (PR: 9) (-1)
11. Colin Farrell, Ballad of a Small Player (PR: 12) (+1)
12. Matthew McConaughey, The Rivals of Amziah King (PR: 11) (-1)
13. Willem Dafoe, Late Fame (PR: 15) (+2)
14. Oscar Isaac, Frankenstein (PR: 14) (E)
15. Will Arnett, Is This Thing On? (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
Best Supporting Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Ayo Edebiri, After the Hunt (PR: 1) (E)
2. Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good (PR: 2) (E)
3. Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value (PR: 3) (E)
4. Gwyneth Paltrow, Marty Supreme (PR: 4) (E)
5. Mari Yamamoto, Rental Family (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleass, Sentimental Value (PR: 6) (E)
7. Laura Dern, Jay Kelly (PR: 7) (E)
8. Emily Blunt, The Smashing Machine (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Jennifer Lopez, Kiss of the Spider Woman (PR: 12) (+3)
10. Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another (PR: 8) (-2)
11. Thomasin McKenzie, The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: 11) (E)
12. Regina Hall, One Battle After Another (PR: Not Ranked)
13. Angelina LookingGlass, The Rivals of Amziah King (PR: 10) (-3)
14. Hailee Steinfeld, Sinners (PR: 13) (-1)
15. Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners (PR: 15) (E)
Dropped Out:
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Best Supporting Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value (PR: 1) (E)
2. Andrew Garfield, After the Hunt (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Adam Sandler, Jay Kelly (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Delroy Lindo, Sinners (PR: 4) (E)
5. Akira Emoto, Rental Family (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Jeremy Strong, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: 6) (E)
7. Sean Penn, One Battle After Another (PR: 7) (E)
8. Paul Mescal, Hamnet (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Miles Caton, Sinners (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Stephen Graham, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: 13) (+3)
11. Jude Law, The Wizard of the Kremlin (PR: 12) (+1)
12. Jonathan Bailey, Wicked: For Good (PR: 10) (-2)
13. Mark Hamill, The Life of Chuck (PR: 11) (-2)
14. Bradley Cooper, Is This Thing On? (PR: 15) (+1)
15. Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein (PR: 14) (-1)
Best Original Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Sentimental Value (PR: 1) (E)
2. Jay Kelly (PR: 2) (E)
3. Sinners (PR: 4) (+1)
4. After the Hunt (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Marty Supreme (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Rental Family (PR: 5) (-1)
7. It Was Just an Accident (PR: 7) (E)
8. Sorry, Baby (PR: 8) (E)
9. The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: 9) (E)
10. The Rivals of Amziah King (PR: 10) (E)
11. The Secret Agent (PR: 13) (+2)
12. Is This Thing On? (PR: 11) (-1)
13. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (PR: 15) (+2)
14. A House of Dynamite (PR: 14) (E)
15. Weapons (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Ella McKay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Bugonia (PR: 1) (E)
2. One Battle After Another (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Hamnet (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (PR: 4) (E)
5. No Other Choice (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Train Dreams (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Ballad of a Small Player (PR: 11) (+3)
9. The Life of Chuck (PR: 9) (E)
10. Frankenstein (PR: 6) (-4)
11. Wicked: For Good (PR: 10) (-1)
12. The Smashing Machine (PR: 13) (+1)
13. Late Fame (PR: 15) (+2)
14. The Wizard of the Kremlin (PR: 12) (-2)
15. Die, My Love (PR: 14) (-1)
Best International Feature Film
Predicted Nominees:
1. Sentimental Value (PR: 1) (E)
2. It Was Just an Accident (PR: 2) (E)
3. No Other Choice (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Secret Agent (PR: 4) (E)
5. The President’s Cake (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Sound of Falling (PR: 9) (+3)
7. Sirât (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Left-Handed Girl (PR: 7) (-1)
9. All That’s Left of You (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Nouvelle Vague (PR: 8) (-2)
Best Animated Feature Film
Predicted Nominees:
1. Zootopia 2 (PR: 1) (E)
2. Scarlet (PR: 5) (+3)
3. KPop Demon Hunters (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Arco (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Elio (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. A Magnificent Life (PR: 6) (E)
7. Ne Zha 2 (PR: 7) (E)
8. In Your Dreams (PR: 8) (E)
9. Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Animal Farm (PR: 9) (-1)
Best Documentary Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Perfect Neighbor (PR: 1) (E)
2. 2000 Meters to Andrivka (PR: 2) (E)
3. Seeds (PR: 3) (E)
4. Mr. Nobody Against Putin (PR: 6) (+2)
5. Apocalypse in the Tropics (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Cutting Through Rocks (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Deaf President Now! (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 (PR: 8) (E)
9. Come See Me in the Good Light (PR: 9) (E)
10. Architection (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Timestamp
Best Casting
Predicted Nominees:
1. Sinners (PR: 1) (E)
2. Sentimental Value (PR: 2) (E)
3. Wicked: For Good (PR: 5) (+2)
4. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Rental Family (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Marty Supreme (PR: 7) (+1)
7. One Battle After Another (PR: 8) (+1)
8. After the Hunt (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Jay Kelly (PR: 9) (E)
10. The Life of Chuck (PR: 10) (E)
Best Cinematography
Predicted Nominees:
1. Sinners (PR: 1) (E)
2. Frankenstein (PR: 2) (E)
3. Bugonia (PR: 3) (E)
4. Marty Supreme (PR: 6) (+2)
5. One Battle After Another (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Hamnet (PR: Not Ranked)
7. Jay Kelly (PR: Not Ranked)
8. Avatar: Fire and Ash (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Nouvelle Vague (PR: 8) (-1)
10. The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: 5) (-5)
Dropped Out:
The Rivals of Amziah King
Wicked: For Good
Best Costume Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Wicked: For Good (PR: 1) (E)
2. Sinners (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Frankenstein (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Kiss of the Spider Woman (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Hamnet (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Marty Supreme (PR: 6) (E)
7. The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: 7) (E)
8. Mother Mary (PR: 8) (E)
9. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Couture (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Snow White
Best Film Editing
Predicted Nominees:
1. Sinners (PR: 1) (E)
2. Marty Supreme (PR: 2) (E)
3. Bugonia (PR: 3) (E)
4. Jay Kelly (PR: Not Ranked)
5. After the Hunt (PR: 9) (+4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Sentimental Value (PR: 4) (-2)
7. One Battle After Another (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Avatar: Fire and Ash (PR: Not Ranked)
9. F1 (PR: 5) (-4)
10. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Wicked: For Good
Frankenstein
A House of Dynamite
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Predicted Nominees:
1. Frankenstein (PR: 1) (E)
2. Wicked: For Good (PR: 2) (E)
3. Sinners (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Smashing Machine (PR: 4) (E)
5. Kiss of the Spider Woman (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Wizard of the Kremlin (PR: Not Ranked)
7. 28 Years Later (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Wolf Man (PR: 8) (E)
9. Christy (PR: 7) (-2)
10. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Superman
Mother Mary
Best Original Score
Predicted Nominees:
1. Sinners (PR: 1) (E)
2. Frankenstein (PR: 2) (E)
3. After the Hunt (PR: 3) (E)
4. Jay Kelly (PR: Not Ranked)
5. Bugonia (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. One Battle After Another (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Wicked: For Good (PR: 6) (-1)
8. A House of Dynamite (PR: Not Ranked)
9. The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Sentimental Value (PR: 7) (-3)
Dropped Out:
F1
Best Original Song
Predicted Nominees:
1. TBD from Wicked: For Good (PR: 1) (E)
2. “I Lied to You” from Sinners (PR: 2) (E)
3. “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless (PR: 3) (E)
4. “Golden” from Kpop Demon Hunters (PR: 5) (+1)
5. TBD from Wicked: For Good (second song) (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. TBD from Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: 4) (-2)
7. TBD from The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: Not Ranked)
8. TBD from Zootopia 2 (PR: 8) (E)
9. “Relentless” from Diane Warren: Relentless (PR: 7) (-2)
10. “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
“Pale, Pale Moon” from Sinners
Best Production Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Wicked: For Good (PR: 1) (E)
2. Sinners (PR: 4) (+2)
3. Frankenstein (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Avatar: Fire and Ash (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Hamnet (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Testament of Ann Lee (PR: 6) (E)
7. Marty Supreme (PR: 9) (+2)
8. Bugonia (PR: 7) (-1)
9. One Battle After Another (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Kiss of the Spider Woman (PR: 8) (-2)
Dropped Out:
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Best Sound
Predicted Nominees:
1. F1 (PR: 1) (E)
2. Wicked: For Good (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Sinners (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Avatar: Fire and Ash (PR: 4) (E)
5. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Frankenstein (PR: 10) (+4)
7. Warfare (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (PR: 7) (-1)
9. A House of Dynamite (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Superman (PR: 9) (-1)
Best Visual Effects
Predicted Nominees:
1. Avatar: Fire and Ash (PR: 1) (E)
2. Superman (PR: 2) (E)
3. Wicked: For Good (PR: 4) (+1)
4. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Frankenstein (PR: 8) (+3)
Other Possibilities:
6. Tron: Ares (PR: 5) (-1)
7. F1 (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (PR: 7) (-1)
9. How to Train Your Dragon (PR: 9) (E)
10. Mickey 17 (PR: 10) (E)
That works out to these movies generating these numbers of nominations:
14 Nominations
Sinners
11 Nominations
Wicked: For Good
8 Nominations
Sentimental Value
7 Nominations
After the Hunt, Bugonia, Marty Supreme
6 Nominations
Frankenstein, Jay Kelly
4 Nominations
Avatar: Fire and Ash, Hamnet, Rental Family
3 Nominations
It Was Just an Accident
2 Nominations
Kiss of the Spider Woman, KPop Demon Hunters, No Other Choice, One Battle After Another, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
1 Nomination
2000 Meters to Andrivka, Apocalypse in the Tropics, Arco, Diane Warren: Relentless, Elio, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, F1, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, The Perfect Neighbor, The President’s Cake, Scarlet, The Secret Agent, Seeds, The Smashing Machine, Superman, The Testament of Ann Lee, Zootopia 2
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