Tag: academy awards

Oscar Predictions – Downton Abbey: A New Era

After the original grossed nearly $200 million worldwide in 2019, the sequel to Downton Abbey subtitled A New Era arrives in theaters on May 20. It’s in UK cinemas this Friday with the majority of the cast from the series it’s based on (which ran domestically on PBS) returning.

With Simon Curtis (maker of My Week with Marilyn and Woman in Gold) taking over directorial duties from Michael Engler, early reviews for part II are in line with its predecessor. 2019’s Abbey has an 84% Rotten Tomatoes rating while Era‘s currently sits at 78%.

The TV show scored a heaping on Emmy nods with costar Maggie Smith winning Supporting Actress. However, despite Critics Choice nominations for Costume and Production Design, the cinematic rendering didn’t catch the attention of Academy voters. If it couldn’t do so, I’m doubtful its follow-up will manage to either. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: The Bad Guys

We’re not yet a third of the way into 2022 and it’s at least feasible that three of the five eventual Best Animated Feature nominees will have been released. DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys opens this Friday and with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, it shouldn’t be counted out for inclusion.

It joins the already out Turning Red (Disney) and Apollo 10 1/2 (Netflix) as viable contenders for the prize. None are shoo-in nominees, but all three had their chances assisted today with the announcement that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has been pushed to 2023.

Bottom line: there’s two-thirds of the year left for other hopefuls to emerge, but The Bad Guys has a fighting shot to make the cut. My Oscar Predictions posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: The Tale of King Crab

Set in the late 19th century, the treasure themed adventure drama The Tale of King Crab hit the festival circuit last year and is premiering in limited release stateside this Easter weekend. The Italian production comes from documentary filmmakers Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis, making their fiction debut.

Nearly all reviews are positive as it stands at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, many of the critics aren’t gushing over it. I’m skeptical that its home country selects it as their entry for International Feature Film at the Oscars.

Italy got their contender in the final five in 2021 with The Hand of God. Don’t look for this Tale, despite some praise, to claw its way into the competition. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Picture)

My initial early take on the Oscar landscape in the major categories brings us to Best Picture! If you missed my posts covering Director and the four acting races, they’re here:

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Director)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Actress)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Actor)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actress)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actor)

At this early stage in the proceedings, it’s a whole lotta guesswork going on. Some of these titles could end up getting pushed back to 2023. There’s no doubt some of these will fail to garner the critical raves they require to contend.

Yet we have to start somewhere so here’s the first look at my 10 projected BP nominees and 15 other possibilities!

TODD’S APRIL 2022 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: BEST PICTURE

Babylon

Bardo

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The Fabelmans

Killers of the Flower Moon

Rustin

She Said

The Son

The Whale

Women Talking

Other Possibilities:

Armageddon Time

Asteroid City

Avatar 2

The Banshees of Inisherin

Canterbury Glass

Don’t Worry Darling

Elvis

Empire of Light

The Killer

Poor Things

Shirley

TAR

Three Thousand Years of Longing 

Till

White Noise

Look for these to be updated (and ranked) in May!

Oscar Predictions: Father Stu

If you prefer Mel Gibson playing Mark Wahlberg’s dad in a drama involving religion and inflammatory muscle diseases and not comedy sequels like Daddy’s Home 2, then Father Stu might be your jam. The biopic is out today and the faith-based experience (a rare one that’s rated R) hopes to cash in during Easter weekend.

A passion project for its star, the role for Wahlberg seems like the type of material meant to garner awards chatter. Yet an underwhelming 44% on Rotten Tomatoes tells a different tale. The artist formerly known as Marky has one Oscar nomination to his credit in Supporting Actor for 2006’s The Departed. Even though three of his cast members were up for The Fighter in 2010 (with Christian Bale and Melissa Leo winning), he failed to punch in.

Bottom line: Father Stu would need divine intervention to score a nod for Wahlberg or anything else. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Director)

My super duper earliest Oscar predictions in the big races has reached Best Director with only Picture left. If you missed my posts covering the four acting derbies, you can peruse them here:

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Actress)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Actor)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actress)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actor)

These will be monthly predictions until August when they become weekly. Here’s how I have the filmmakers performing at this early stage. I currently have four past winners and a first-time nominee in the mix.

TODD’S APRIL 2022 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: BEST DIRECTOR

Damien Chazelle, Babylon

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Bardo

Sarah Polley, Women Talking

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans

Other Possibilities:

Darren Aronofsky, The Whale

Noah Baumbach, White Noise

James Cameron, Avatar 2

Daniels, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Sam Mendes, Empire of Light 

David O. Russell, Canterbury Glass

Maria Schrader, She Said

George C. Wolfe, Rustin

Florian Zeller, The Son

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Actress)

For my first Oscar picks for the 95th Academy Awards, I’ve arrived at Best Actress. If you missed the posts covering the other three acting categories, you can access them here:

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Actor)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actress)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actor)

Obviously release dates and category placements can (and will) change, but I honestly had a tough time whittling this list down to 15 names. Leaving out Jennifer Lawrence (Red, White and Water) and Tilda Swinton (Three Thousand Years of Living) or Florence Pugh (Don’t Worry Darling) seems a bit risky. It’s a sign of how competitive Actress could be for 2022 – just as it was the past two years.

Like with the other derbies, here’s how I see the race playing out nearly a year ahead of time.

TODD’S APRIL 2022 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: BEST ACTRESS

Danielle Deadwyler, Till

Regina King, Shirley

Carey Mulligan, She Said

Margot Robbie, Babylon

Emma Stone, Poor Things

Other Possibilities: 

Naomi Ackie, I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Ana de Armas, Blonde

Cate Blanchett, TAR

Olivia Colman, Empire of Light 

Viola Davis, The Woman King

Laura Dern, The Son

Greta Gerwig, White Noise

Frances McDormand, Women Talking

Saoirse Ronan, See How They Run

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Director is up next!

Oscar Predictions: The Northman

To call The Northman a box office gamble is an understatement. This is a fantasy bloodbath about Vikings (budgeted at a reported $90 million) from a filmmaker known for low-budget (though beautifully shot) horror tales. Robert Eggers directs with a cast led by Alexander Skarsgard and supporting players consisting of Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Bjork, and Willem Dafoe. Its Oscar prospects are iffy as well.

Ahead of its April 22nd stateside bow, the review embargo is lifted. Like 2016’s The Witch and 2019’s The Lighthouse (the director’s previous movies), this is garnering solid reviews at 88% currently on Rotten Tomatoes. Whether audiences take to it is yet to be determined.

Critics are particularly praising some of the tech aspects. Costume Design, Production Design, Sound, Visual Effects, and Cinematography could all be in play come awards time. Three years ago, The Lighthouse received a Cinematography nod for Jarin Blaschke and he returns behind the camera. For The Lighthouse, Willem Dafoe likely came close to a Supporting Actor nod. I don’t envision any of the cast vying for acting prizes in the third Eggers effort.

Bottom line: don’t expect The Northman to be up for Best Picture or in other major categories. Down the line races could be another story… or it could just as easily end up like 2021’s The Green Knight and come up empty-handed. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Actor)

My first forecast for the major Oscar races continues with Best Actor. If you missed the posts covering the supporting categories, you can find them right here:

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actor)

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actress)

As I pointed out in my Supporting Actor write-up, we don’t know yet where some heavy hitters will be placed. I projected Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon) and Brad Pitt (Babylon) in supporting, but they could end up here. On the flip side, Willem Dafoe (Poor Things) is listed under Other Possibilities for Actor. We’ll see if he remains here or goes supporting.

Here’s how I have it looking in this extremely early stage. Actress is next!

TODD’S APRIL 2022 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: BEST ACTOR

Colman Domingo, Rustin

Adam Driver, White Noise

Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Hugh Jackman, The Son

Jesse Plemons, Killers of the Flower Moon

Other Possibilities:

Christian Bale, Canterbury Glass

Austin Butler, Elvis

Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Bardo

Diego Calva, Babylon

Willem Dafoe, Poor Things

Idris Elba, Three Thousand Years of Longing

Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin 

Michael Fassbender, Next Goal Wins

Gabriel LaBelle, The Fabelmans

Viggo Mortensen, Thirteen Lives

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actress)

My first glance at who and what I think could be on the Oscar’s radar screen for next year continues with Best Supporting Actress. If you missed my post for Supporting Actor, it’s right here:

2022 Oscar Predictions: April Edition (Best Supporting Actor)

At this early stage, there’s obviously plenty of mystery for category placements. For instance – Women Talking could have its whole cast (that includes Frances McDormand, Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, and Jessie Buckley) in this race. I’m putting McDormand in lead at this juncture with the rest here and only Buckley making the top five. The same applies for Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan in She Said. They could both be lead or supporting (as of now I’m going with the former in Actress and the latter in supporting).

Let’s get to it and I’ll have Best Actor up next!

TODD’S APRIL 2022 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

Jessie Buckley, Women Talking 

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Zoe Kazan, She Said

Vanessa Kirby, The Son

Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans

Other Possibilities:

Raffey Cassidy, White Noise

Hong Chau, The Whale

Patricia Clarkson, She Said

Claire Foy, Women Talking

Whoopi Goldberg, Till

Dakota Johnson, Cha Cha Real Smooth

Rooney Mara, Women Talking 

Audra McDonald, Rustin

Sadie Sink, The Whale

Jean Smart, Babylon