The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat hopes to find love from home viewers in its Hulu debut this weekend. The fact that it’s not in theaters came as an unexpected announcement from Searchlight Pictures (under the Disney umbrella) a few weeks back. Based on a 2013 novel from Edward Kelsey Moore, the decades spanning drama features Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, and Uzo Aduba as lifelong friends. Costars include Mekhi Phifer, Julian McMahon, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Russell Hornsby. Tina Mabry directs.
On paper, The Supremes looks like the type of crowdpleaser that might have appealed to awards voters. However, Searchlight went the streaming route. The strategy makes more sense as of the past few days. Earl’s sports a so-so 68% Rotten Tomatoes score at press time. Critics are kind to the performances of Ellis-Taylor (a Supporting Actress nominee for King Richard in 2021), Lathan, and Aduba (Emmy winner for Orange is the New Black).
Yet the reviews likely would have prevented this from generating much Oscar chatter. Searchlight also has other contenders that they’ll focus on. This includes the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown with Timothée Chalamet, Nightbitch with a potential Academy bait turn from Amy Adams, and A Real Pain which has already received Supporting Actor talk for Kieran Culkin.
If anyone had a shot from Supremes, it would be Ellis-Taylor. She would appear to have another bite at the apple with the upcoming Nickel Boys (also based on a bestseller) in the supporting field. As I always say, my Oscar Prediction posts will continue. They will not continue with this picture, per Searchlight.
The religious themed dramedy Between the Temples premiered at Sundance in January and it receives limited theatrical engagements this weekend. Nathan Silver directs and cowrites with a cast led by Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane. Costars include Dolly de Leon (who probably came close to a Supporting Actress nod for 2022’s Triangle of Sadness), Caroline Aaron, Robert Smigel, and Madeline Weinstein.
Reviews are mostly strong as it sits with 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are particularly kind to Schwartzman and Kane. The former is, of course, a Wes Anderson staple. The latter is a veteran actress whose sole Oscar nod in Supporting Actress came nearly 50 years ago for Hester Street.
Temples just isn’t visible enough for any Academy chatter and the same logic likely applies to the Golden Globes if it submits in the Musical/Comedy categories. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Zoë Kravitz makes her directorial debut and cowrites Blink Twice which opens this weekend. The psychological thriller features a packed cast including Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, and Alia Shawkat.
The $20 million production originally had a far more provocative title (look it up) and most critics are complimentary of Kravitz’s first behind the camera effort. The RT score is 80%. Some are saying it doesn’t quite pull off its mix of genres.
Twice hopes to be a decent late summer performer for Amazon Studios. That’s a big question mark. Awards viability isn’t as this was never conceived as a contender. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Serial killer thriller Strange Darling arrives in theaters this weekend from writer/director JT Mollner. Some of the best reviews of the year come with it. Willa Fitzgerald (from MTV’s version of Scream), Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, and Ed Begley, Jr. are among the cast of the acclaimed pic that was first seen nearly a year ago at Fantastic Fest.
Sporting a 98% RT rating, many critics are saying to enter Strange as blind as possible. Particular raves are devoted to Fitzgerald and the screenplay. This is not, however, a genre that awards voters usually honor. Don’t be surprised if Darling pops up on some top 10 lists in a few months. Seeing it in the Oscar mix? That would be strange. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
In eights days, the Venice Film Festival will get underway followed the next day by Telluride and followed by Toronto the following week. The trio of events, as they always do, kick off a flurry of awards activity and dozens of Oscar Prediction posts on this blog. The fests in Italy, Colorado, and Canada will make the picture for the 97th Academy Awards considerably clearer.
As you peruse the titles listed below, here are just some which will debut at one or more of the festivals: Conclave, Joker: Folie à Deux, Queer, Nickel Boys, The Piano Lesson, Saturday Night, The End, Maria, Nightbitch, Babygirl, The Room Next Door, I’m Still Here, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Brutalist, The Fire Inside, Hard Truths, We Live in Time, The Wild Robot, Piece by Piece, and The Last Showgirl.
The plan is for my next update to arrive on Labor Day. By that time, quite a few of these titles will already have eyeballs on them and reviews will be written. Consider this the penultimate forecast before it gets really real.
This update comes with a pair of changes in the supporting fields. In Supporting Actress, Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door) enters my quintet with Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) dropping out. Speaking of Conclave, John Lithgow is now in my Supporting Actor five over his costar Stanley Tucci.
You can peruse all the movement below as festival season is nearly upon us!
Best Picture
Predicted Nominees:
1. Blitz (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)
2. Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)
3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (E)
4. Anora (PR: 6) (+2)
5. Conclave (PR: 4) (-1)
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Queer (PR: 7) (E)
8. Nickel Boys (PR: 8) (E)
9. The Piano Lesson (PR: 10) (+1)
10. A Complete Unknown (PR: 9) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
11. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 11) (E)
12. Saturday Night (PR: 18) (+6)
13. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 13) (E)
14. The Room Next Door (PR: 15) (+1)
15. Nosferatu (PR: 12) (-3)
16. Nightbitch (PR: 14) (-2)
17. Gladiator II (PR: 16) (-1)
18. Maria (PR: 17) (-1)
19. The End (PR: 20) (+1)
20. A Real Pain (PR: 19) (-1)
21. Wicked (PR: Not Ranked)
22. All We Imagine as Light (PR: 24) (+2)
23. The Brutalist (PR: Not Ranked)
24. A Different Man (PR: 21) (-3)
25. Hard Truths (PR: 22) (-3)
Dropped Out:
The Fire Inside
Here
Best Director
Predicted Nominees:
1. Steve McQueen, Blitz (PR: 1) (E)
2. Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)
3. Sean Baker, Anora (PR: 5) (+2)
4. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)
5. Edward Berger, Conclave (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Luca Guadagnino, Queer (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 6) (-2)
9. RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (PR: 11) (+2)
10. James Mangold, A Complete Unknown (PR: 10) (E)
11. Malcolm Washington, The Piano Lesson (PR: 14) (+3)
12. Jason Reitman, Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)
13. Pedro Almodóvar, The Room Next Door (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 12) (-2)
15. Robert Eggers, Nosferatu (PR: 9) (-6)
Dropped Out:
Ridley Scott, Gladiator II
Marielle Heller, Nightbitch
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. Demi Moore, The Substance (PR: 12) (+3)
10. Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here (PR: Not Ranked)
11. June Squibb, Thelma (PR: 11) (E)
12. Carrie Coon, His Three Daughters (PR: 9) (-3)
13. Ryan Destiny, The Fire Inside (PR: 10) (-3)
14. Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl (PR: 15) (+1)
15. Florence Pugh, We Live in Time (PR: 13) (-2)
Dropped Out:
Zendaya, Challengers
Best Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (PR: 1) (E)
2. Daniel Craig, Queer (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Ralph Fiennes, Conclave (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Timothèe Chalamet, A Complete Unknown (PR: 4) (E)
5. Sebastian Stan, A Different Man (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Ethan Herisse, Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (+3)
7. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 7) (E)
8. John David Washington, The Piano Lesson (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Glen Powell, Hit Man (PR: 10) (+1)
10. André Holland, The Actor (PR: 8) (-2)
11. Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (PR: Not Ranked)
12. Gabriel LaBelle, Saturday Night (PR: 14) (+2)
13. Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness (PR: 11) (-2)
14. Paul Mescal, Gladiator II (PR: 12) (-2)
15. Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain (PR: 15) (E)
Dropped Out:
Tom Hanks, Here
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. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Isabella Rossellini, Conclave (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Selena Gomez, Emila Pérez (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Joan Chen, Dídi (PR: 9) (E)
10. Fernanda Montenegro, I’m Still Here (PR: Not Ranked)
11. Elle Fanning, A Complete Unknown (PR: 11) (E)
12. Lesley Manville, Queer (PR: 10) (-2)
13. Kathy Burke, Blitz (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Valeria Golino, Maria (PR: 14) (E)
15. Elizabeth Olsen, His Three Daughters (PR: 13) (-2)
Dropped Out:
Glenn Close, The Deliverance
Rachel Sennott, Saturday Night
Best Supporting Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Samuel L. Jackson, The Piano Lesson (PR: 1) (E)
2. Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)
3. John Lithgow, Conclave (PR: 10) (+7)
4. Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Stanley Tucci, Conclave (PR: 3) (-3)
7. Adam Pearson, A Different Man (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Drew Starkey, Queer (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Stephen Graham, Blitz (PR: 12) (+3)
10. Harris Dickinson, Blitz (PR: 8) (-2)
11. Hamish Linklater, Nickel Boys (PR: 13) (+2)
12. Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown (PR: 11) (-1)
13. Brian Tyree Henry, The Fire Inside (PR: 9) (-4)
14. Mark Eidelstein, Anora (PR: 14) (E)
15. Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Paul Raci, Sing Sing
Best Original Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. A Real Pain (PR: 4) (E)
5. Hard Truths (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Saturday Night (PR: 7) (+1)
7. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 6) (-1)
8. The End (PR: 9) (+1)
9. His Three Daughters (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Dídi (PR: 11) (+1)
11. Maria (PR: 10) (-1)
12. Challengers (PR: 12) (E)
13. Kinds of Kindness (PR: 13) (E)
14. The Brutalist (PR: Not Ranked)
15. The Substance (PR: 15) (E)
Dropped Out:
A Different Man
Best Adapted Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Sing Sing (PR: 2) (+1)
2. Conclave (PR: 1) (-1)
3. Nickel Boys (PR: 3) (E)
4. Queer (PR: 4) (E)
5. Dune: Part Two (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Room Next Door (PR: 5) (-1)
7. The Piano Lesson (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Nightbitch (PR: 8) (E)
9. A Complete Unknown (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Hit Man (PR: 9) (-1)
11. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 11) (E)
12. Inside Out 2 (PR: 12 (E)
13. The Fire Inside (PR: 15) (+2)
14. Gladiator II (PR: 14) (E)
15. Nosferatu (PR: 13) (-2)
Best International Feature Film
Predicted Nominees:
1. Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. I’m Still Here (PR: 2) (E)
3. Grand Tour (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Count of Monte Cristo (PR: 4) (E)
5. The Girl with the Needle (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Caught by the Tides (PR: 9) (+3)
7. Evil Does Not Exist (PR: 7) (E)
8. Simon of the Mountain (PR: Not Ranked)
9. All We Imagine as Light (PR: 6) (-3)
10. Uprising (PR: 8) (-2)
Dropped Out:
Kneecap
Best Animated Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. Inside Out 2 (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Wild Robot (PR: 2) (E)
3. Flow (PR: 5) (+2)
4. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Memoir of a Snail (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Piece by Piece (PR: 6) (E)
7. Moana 2 (PR: 7) (E)
8. Savages (PR: 8) (E)
9. The Most Precious of Cargoes (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Transformers One (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Best Documentary Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. Daughters (PR: 1) (E)
2. Black Box Diaries (PR: 2) (E)
3. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Sugarcane (PR: 6) (+2)
5. Will & Harper (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. No Other Land (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (PR: 7) (E)
8. Union (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Gaucho Gaucho (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Skywalkers: A Love Story (PR: 10) (E)
Best Cinematography
Predicted Nominees:
1. Blitz (PR: 1) (E)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)
3. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 3) (E)
4. Nosferatu (PR 4) (E)
5. Queer (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Emila Pérez (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Conclave (PR: 7) (E)
8. Anora (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Gladiator II (PR: 9) (E)
10. Maria (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
A Complete Unknown
Best Costume Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Nosferatu (PR: 5) (+3)
3. Wicked (PR: 3) (E)
4. Gladiator II (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Blitz (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Queer (PR: 9) (E)
10. Maria (PR: 8) (-2)
Best Film Editing
Predicted Nominees:
1. Blitz (PR: 1) (E)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)
3. Anora (PR: 3) (E)
4. Sing Sing (PR: 7) (+3)
5. Challengers (PR: 10) (+5)
Other Possibilities:
6. A Complete Unknown (PR: 6) (E)
7. Conclave (PR: 4) (-3)
8. Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (-3)
9. Queer (PR: 9) (E)
10. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 8) (-2)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Nosferatu (PR: 2) (E)
3. A Different Man (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Wicked (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Maria (PR: 8) (E)
9. Blitz (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Sasquatch Sunset (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Nightbitch
Best Original Score
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 2) (E)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Queer (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Emilia Pérez (PR: 8) (+3)
Other Possibilities:
6. Challengers (PR: 9) (+3)
7. Sing Sing (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Nosferatu (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Conclave (PR: 5) (-4)
10. Here (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Blitz
The Piano Lesson
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: 3) (E)
4. “Relentless” from Diane Warren: Relentless (PR: 4) (E)
5. TBD from Wicked (PR: 8) (+3)
Other Possibilities:
6. TBD from Piece by Piece (PR: 5) (-1)
7. TBD from Moana 2 (PR: 6) (-1)
8. “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper (PR: 7) (-1)
9. “Why Am I Here” from Shirley (PR: Not Ranked)
10. “Compress/Repress” from Challengers (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
TBD from Mufasa: The Lion King
Best Production Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Nosferatu (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Wicked (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Conclave (PR: 5) (-3)
9. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Queer (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Maria
Best Sound
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Blitz (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 2) (-1)
4. A Complete Unknown (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Wicked (PR: 9) (+4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 4) (-3)
8. Nosferatu (PR: Not Ranked)
9. A Quiet Place: Day One (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Civil War (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Emilia Pérez
Twisters
Best Visual Effects
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (PR: 2) (E)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 6) (+3)
4. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Here (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Blitz (PR: Not Ranked)
7. Twisters (PR: 7) (E)
8. Alien: Romulus (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Deadpool & Wolverine (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Wicked (PR: 5) (-5)
Dropped Out:
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Mufasa: The Lion King
And that equates to these movies generating these numbers of nominations:
11 Nominations
Dune: Part Two
9 Nominations
Blitz
8 Nominations
Emilia Pérez
6 Nominations
Gladiator II, Sing Sing
5 Nominations
Anora, Conclave, Joker: Folie à Deux, Queer
4 Nominations
Nosferatu
3 Nominations
A Complete Unknown, Nickel Boys, The Piano Lesson, Wicked
2 Nominations
A Different Man, A Real Pain
1 Nomination
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Black Box Diaries, Challengers, The Count of Monte Cristo, Daughters, Diane Warren: Relentless, Flow, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, 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, The Outrun, The Room Next Door, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, Sugarcane, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, The Wild Robot, Will & Harper
A thriller with a dose of camp, Skincare is out in limited fashion this weekend via IFC Films. From director Austin Peters, Elizabeth Banks stars as a celebrity aesthetician in hot water. The supporting cast includes Lewis Pullman, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Nathan Fillion.
Banks has had a multifaceted career in the last few years. While continuing to pop up in acting roles, she’s become just as known for hosting the TV game show Press Your Luck and her behind the camera work with Cocaine Bear being the most recent example.
Her headlining turn in Skincare has generated some cheers from critics. Reviews of the picture are far more mixed at 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s not a foundation where awards talk will occur. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Lee Daniels is in horror mode for the first time with The Deliverance, out in limited theatrical release this weekend before an August 30th Netflix streaming bow. The supernatural tale is inspired by real events with a cast led by Andra Day and Glenn Close. Costars include Rob Morgan, Caleb McLaughlin, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Tasha Smith, Omar Epps, and Mo’Nique.
Fifteen years ago, Daniels had an awards breakout when Precious landed six Oscar nods including a Supporting Actress victory for Mo’Nique. 2021’s The United States vs. Billie Holiday saw Day contending for lead Actress. Yet any chatter among this acting troupe in The Deliverance has not centered on them. Same goes for Ellis-Taylor, recently up in supporting for King Richard. Her role here is said to be smaller and she is far likelier to be in the mix with the upcoming Nickel Boys.
This brings us to Glenn Close. The eight-time Academy nominee has infamously come up short eight times. Some early write-ups have said her performance is impressive. However, the 47% Rotten Tomatoes score and its genre should rule out a ninth at bat. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
The six Alien features that preceded Alien: Romulus in the last four and a half decades have yielded an impressive 11 Oscar nominations and 3 victories. Fede Àlvarez, best known for 2013’s Evil Dead remake and Don’t Breathe, directs the first entry in seven years as Romulus attacks theaters this weekend. Cailee Spaeny (who probably came fairly close to an Academy nom last year for Priscilla), David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, and Spike Fearn star.
Reviews are doling out praise for its vibe that many critics say closely resemble the classic first two tales (1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens). On the other hand, some write-ups say it relies too much on nostalgia. The RT score is 82% and that tops the scores of its four immediate predecessors and places it third behind the aforementioned genre landmarks.
Let’s take a quick trip through awards history with the series. The original Alien from Ridley Scott won Best Visual Effects and was nominated for Art Direction (losing to All That Jazz). James Cameron’s 1986 follow-up Aliens landed a whopping seven nods and took Visual Effects and Sound Effects Editing. The other handful of mentions were for Sigourney Weaver in Actress (who fell short to Marlee Matlin from Children of a Lesser God), Art Direction (A Room with a View won), Original Score (which went to Round Midnight), and Film Editing and Sound (both of which that year’s BP victor Platoon picked up). 1992’s Alien 3 was a Visual Effects nominee with Death Becomes Her grabbing the prize. Five years later, Alien: Resurrection went empty-handed in terms of mentions. 2012’s Prometheus returned Ridley Scott to the director’s chair and a Visual Effects nom occurred with Life of Pi victorious. Finally, 2017’s Alien Covenant did not factor into any race.
So where does that leave Romulus? The production design and visual effects are being noted. The latter is where it is likeliest to contend. That said it would be behind Dune: Part Two, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and probably Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga already. There’s plenty of other contenders already out or scheduled for fall. Don’t be surprised if this is the second Alien saga to be left off the Academy’s ballots, but VE is feasible. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Before you laugh at me for putting “Oscar Predictions” in front of Borderlands (out tomorrow), the sci-fi action spectacle based on a popular video game series has plenty of special effects. Therefore Eli Roth’s rendering of the source material could theoretically play in Visual Effects.
It won’t. The cast includes two-time Academy Award recipient Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Édgar Ramirez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, and recent Supporting Actress winner Jamie Lee Curtis. However, this is shaping up to be one of the biggest box office bombs of 2024. With a budget reportedly in the $120 million vicinity, I don’t even have it reaching $10 million during opening weekend.
Then there’s the reviews. Oof. The embargo was lifted hours before its release and now we know why. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 3% with a grand total of one positive(ish) write-up (here’s looking at you Grace Randolph)!
You can safely assume Borderlands won’t resonate with the Academy’s voters. On the other hand, it is the likely frontrunner for the Razzie Awards early next year. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestseller, the romantic drama It Ends with Us begins what should be a fruitful box office run this weekend. Justin Baldoni directs and costars with Blake Lively. The supporting cast includes Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, and Hasan Minhaj.
Despite its financial prospects looking encouraging (it should finish a strong second behind Deadpool & Wolverine starring Lively’s hubby), Oscar possibilities are considerably weaker. The melodrama stands at 61% on RT and that won’t start any awards conversation. I will note the current rating is higher than 2022’s Where the Crawdads Sing (34%) which this is frequently being compared to. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
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