Kelly Reichardt, acclaimed director of Night Moves, Certain Women, and First Cow, has premiered The Mastermind at Cannes. Dubbed as a heist movie where most of the story takes place post heist, Josh O’Connor is an art thief circa 1970. The supporting cast includes Alana Haim, John Magaro, Hope Davis, Bill Camp, Gaby Hoffman, and Amanda Plummer.
With distribution from Mubi, this is generating approving notices in France with 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 73 Metacritic. That said, Reichardt has yet to enter into the Academy’s consciousness and I doubt The Mastermind will change that. Unless Mubi mounts an amazing Best Actor campaign for O’Connor, my takeaway is that this won’t be a contender despite the good natured reactions (especially for him). My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Omaha is not centered around the play calls of legendary quarterback Peyton Manning. Instead this Sundance premiere is a road trip drama anchored by John Magaro’s performance. He plays a father taking his kids (Molly Belle Wright and Wyatt Solis) cross country in a directorial debut from Cole Webley.
Reviews are complimentary thus far with particular attention paid to Magaro. Despite receiving acclaim in pics like First Cow, Past Lives, and September 5, he’s yet to have his Oscar bait role. A distributor would really need to work some magic for Omaha to be that project. Maybe some Indie Spirit attention is likelier. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
My final predictions for nominees at the 97th Academy Awards arrives this Wednesday, January 15th prior to the announcement on Sunday, January 19th. Before I make them, I’m taking a deeper dive into the six major categories (Picture, Director, the four acting derbies) with detailed thoughts on where I think each race stands.
The second post in this series is Best Supporting Actor. If you missed my write-up for Best Actress, you can access it here:
Unlike some of the other categories… Best Picture for example… I do believe there’s a legit frontrunner in Supporting Actor and that’s Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain. He has received a quartet of significant Oscar precursor nominations thus far: the Golden Globe, the BAFTA long list, SAG, and Critics Choice. That’s in addition to a slew of critics group prizes. Most significantly, he won the Golden Globe last week. The only potential drawback to a victory is that A Real Pain is a question mark for Best Picture inclusion. Since the Academy’s BP nominees expanded to more than five (and now a set 10) starting in 2009, 14 of the 15 Supporting Actor recipients came from films nominated in the biggest race. The only exception is 2011 with Christopher Plummer from Beginners. If A Real Pain gets into the BP derby, it’ll be much simpler to project Culkin as the victor. If not, that makes him more of a soft leader in the contest.
There are two other performers with the aforementioned precursors to their credit – Yura Borisov in Anora and Edward Norton in A Complete Unknown. At this juncture, it would be bold to leave either of them off the ballot. Both come from surefire BP hopefuls.
So does Guy Pearce of The Brutalist. The veteran actor seeks his first nomination. I’ve had him consistently ranked 2nd behind Culkin for weeks. His SAG omission was a surprise, but he still looks relatively safe for inclusion.
That leaves us with one spot left to fill. Before we consider that, let’s remember a time when these gentlemen had shots for the 97th Academy Awards. In some cases, the movies didn’t turn out to be Oscar contenders or their roles weren’t substantial enough to make the cut. I speak of Tom Hardy or Michael Shannon from The Bikeriders, Benedict Cumberbatch in The Book of Clarence, Brendan Gleeson in Joker: Folie à Deux, and Giancarlo Esposito from Megalopolis.
There’s a next level up of performances. It might not be totally impossible for them to get in, but there’s been no evidence precursor wise to realistically believe they’re a threat. This list includes Josh O’Connor from Challengers, Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro from September 5 and Bill Skarsgård and Willem Dafoe in Nosferatu, and Drew Starkey in Queer. Same goes for Brian Tyree Henry (The Fire Inside), Adam Pearson (A Different Man), and Samuel L. Jackson (The Piano Lesson). Chris Hemsworth drew raves for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, but he hasn’t shown up anywhere. Same story for Dune: Part Two supporting players Javier Bardem and Austin Butler. And John Lithgow (Conclave) and Mark Eydelshteyn (Anora) are likely to cede the spotlight to their costars.
With one spot remaining, I have five contenders worthy of chatter: Jonathan Bailey (Wicked), Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing), Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice), Stanley Tucci (Conclave), and Denzel Washington (Gladiator II). Let’s walk through them one by one, shall we?
Speaking of costars, it sure seemed like Wicked‘s Jonathan Bailey would be on the outside looking in while his popular cast mates Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande would get noms. Yet his unexpected SAG inclusion this week puts him in the mix. Nevertheless I have him 5th out of these 5 possibilities.
Clarence Maclin took his real life experience behind bars and became a critical darling playing himself in Sing Sing. He made the BAFTA long list and Critics Choice ballot but missed SAG and the Globes. Oscar may still remember him, but he’s currently 3rd out of these 5 possibilities.
Jeremy Strong’s work as Roy Cohn in The Apprentice has snagged BAFTA long list, the Globes, and SAG and only missed Critics Choice. An excellent argument can be made for Culkin’s Succession costar. At the moment, I have him 2nd of the 5 possibilities which puts him just outside. I could see that changing when I make final picks on Wednesday.
Stanley Tucci is a dark horse for Conclave. No SAG, Globe, or Critics Choice. Just the BAFTA long list and I don’t have him predicted to make their final five. I could envision a scenario where he comes along for the ride at Oscar if they really love Conclave. He’s 4th out of these 5 possibilities.
Denzel Washington’s turn in Gladiator II was correctly called the sequel’s brightest spot. He has the BAFTA long list, Globe, and Critics Choice locked down. SAG voters, on the other hand, surprisingly ignored him. That makes a 10th acting Oscar nomination questionable. I currently have him 1st out of these 5 possibilities and that gets him in. This is mainly predicated on the fact that he’s Denzel Washington and that has worked before (see his 2017 nomination for Roman J. Israel, Esq.).
There you have it. My microscope analysis of Best Supporting Actor for the 97th Academy Awards. Let’s see how it shakes out Wednesday when I do my final picks. I’ll have a dive into Supporting Actress up next!
My first Oscar predictions in two weeks and it’s about what narratives I’m buying and which ones I’m selling. For example, I’m currently not sold that Paramount’s September 5 is the contender that some other prognosticators think it is.
On the flip side, I am starting to buy that Conclave is on the rise. The Focus Features effort from Edward Berger is performing well at the box office for an adult skewering drama. I think it has to a shot to win the big prize and that’s why you’ll see it elevated in multiple categories.
While my BP and directorial and Best Actress lineups are unchanged as far as hopefuls, Daniel Craig (Queer) returns to my Actor quintet at the expense of Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice). In Supporting Actor, it is the same five but Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) is perched atop the list for the first time. In Supporting Actress, I’m banking on Isabella Rossellini potentially riding that Conclave goodwill and that leaves Ariana Grande (Wicked) on the outside looking in.
You can read all the movement below and the next update should arrive on Thanksgiving weekend!
Best Picture
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)
2. Conclave (PR: 5) (+3)
3. Anora (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (-1)
6. Sing Sing (PR: 6) (E)
7. A Real Pain (PR: 7) (E)
8. Wicked (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (E)
10. Blitz (PR: 8) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
11. Gladiator II (PR: 11) (E)
12. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 12) (E)
13. The Substance (PR: 14) (+1)
14. Nosferatu (PR: 15) (+1)
15. A Complete Unknown (PR: 13) (-2)
Best Director
Predicted Nominees:
1. Brady Corbet, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Sean Baker, Anora (PR: 2) (E)
3. Edward Berger, Conclave (PR: 5) (+2)
4. Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (PR: 4) (E)
5. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (PR: 8) (+2)
7. RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Robert Eggers, Nosferatu (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
Steve McQueen, Blitz
Best Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Mikey Madison, Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. Angelina Jolie, Maria (PR: 2) (E)
3. Karla Sofia Gascón, Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun (PR: 4) (E)
5. Amy Adams, Nightbitch (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (PR: 6) (E)
7. Demi Moore, The Substance (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Cynthia Erivo, Wicked (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here (PR: 9) (-1)
Best Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Ralph Fiennes, Conclave (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown (PR: 4) (E)
5. Daniel Craig, Queer (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Glen Powell, Hit Man (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice (PR: 5) (-3)
9. Sebastian Stan, A Different Man (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Paul Mescal, Gladiator II (PR: 9) (-1)
Best Supporting Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Felicity Jones, The Brutalist (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Saoirse Ronan, Blitz (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Isabella Rossellini, Conclave (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Ariana Grande, Wicked (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (PR: 7) (E)
8. Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez (PR: 8) (E)
9. Margaret Qualley, The Substance (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Joan Chen, Dídi (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters
Best Supporting Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (PR: 2) (+1)
2. Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (-1)
3. Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (PR: 5) (+2)
4. Stanley Tucci, Conclave (PR: 4) (E)
5. Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Yura Borisov, Anora (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Adam Pearson, A Different Man (PR: 8) (E)
9. Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown (PR: 9) (E)
10. Brian Tyree Henry, The Fire Inside (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
John Magaro, September 5
Best Original Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Brutalist (PR: 2) (E)
3. A Real Pain (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 4) (E)
5. Saturday Night (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Substance (PR: 9) (+3)
7. September 5 (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Hard Truths (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Blitz (PR: 7) (-2)
10. Challengers (PR: 10) (E)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Conclave (PR: 1) (E)
2. Nickel Boys (PR: 2) (E)
3. Sing Sing (PR: 3) (E)
4. Dune: Part Two (PR: 4) (E)
5. I’m Still Here (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (E)
7. The Room Next Door (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Hit Man (PR: 9) (+1)
9. The Piano Lesson (PR: 10) (+1)
10. A Complete Unknown (PR: 8) (-2)
Best International Feature Film
Predicted Nominees:
1. Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 2) (E)
3. I’m Still Here (PR: 3) (E)
4. Vermiglio (PR: 4) (E)
5. The Girl with the Needle (PR: 8) (+3)
Other Possibilities:
6. Kneecap (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Universal Language (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Dahomey (PR: Not Ranked)
9. How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (PR: 6) (-3)
10. Grand Tour (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Armand
Best Animated Feature Film
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Wild Robot (PR: 1) (E)
2. Memoir of a Snail (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Inside Out 2 (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Flow (PR: 4) (E)
5. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Piece by Piece (PR: 9) (+3)
7. Moana 2 (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Savages (PR: 8) (E)
9. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (PR: 7) (-2)
10. Spellbound (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
The Most Precious of Cargoes
Best Documentary Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. No Other Land (PR: 1) (E)
2. Black Box Diaries (PR: 2) (E)
3. Daughters (PR: 6) (+3)
4. Will & Harper (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Sugarcane (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Dahomey (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Union (PR: 5) (-2)
8. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (PR: 4) (-5)
10. Separated (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Gaucho Gaucho
Best Cinematography
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)
3. Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. Conclave (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Nosferatu (PR: 8) (+3)
Other Possibilities:
6. Blitz (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Nickel Boys (PR: 7) (E)
8. Maria (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Gladiator II (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Anora (PR: 6) (-4)
Best Costume Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Wicked (PR: 1) (E)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 3) (E)
4. Nosferatu (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Blitz (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Maria (PR: 4) (-2)
7. The Brutalist (PR: 7) (E)
8. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Saturday Night (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Conclave (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Best Film Editing
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 2) (+1)
2. Anora (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (-2)
4. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)
5. Conclave (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Sing Sing (PR: 6) (E)
7. Nickel Boys (PR: 7) (E)
8. The Substance (PR: 8) (E)
9. Blitz (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Challengers (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
Saturday Night
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Substance (PR: 2) (E)
3. Nosferatu (PR: 6) (+3)
4. A Different Man (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Wicked (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Maria (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 9) (+2)
8. Emilia Pérez (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Sasquatch Sunset (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 5) (-5)
Dropped Out:
Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Original Score
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Conclave (PR: 2) (E)
3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Wild Robot (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Challengers (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Sing Sing (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Saturday Night (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Gladiator II (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Nosferatu (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Blitz
Best Original Song
Predicted Nominees:
1. “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)
3. “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot (PR: 5) (+1)
5. “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. “Forbidden Road” from Better Man (PR: 4) (-2)
7. “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight (PR: 8) (+1)
8. “Piece by Piece” from Piece by Piece (PR: 9) (+1)
9. “Beyond” from Moana 2 (PR: 10) (+1)
10. “Better Way to Live” from Kneecap (PR: 7) (-3)
Best Production Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Wicked (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Nosferatu (PR: 6) (+2)
5. Blitz (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Brutalist (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Conclave (PR: 7) (E)
8. Emilia Pérez (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Maria (PR: 9) (E)
10. Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Best Sound
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Gladiator II (PR: 2) (E)
3. Wicked (PR: 4) (E)
4. Blitz (PR: 4) (E)
5. Nosferatu (PR: Not Ranked)
Other Possibilities:
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (E)
7. Twisters (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Conclave (PR: 7) (-1)
9. The Substance (PR: Not Ranked)
10. A Complete Unknown (PR: 8) (-2)
Dropped Out:
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Civil War
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: 3) (E)
4. Wicked (PR: 7) (+3)
5. Twisters (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Better Man (PR: 6) (E)
7. Deadpool & Wolverine (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Mufasa: The Lion King (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Blitz (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Here
And that equates to these movies generating these numbers of nominations:
11 Nominations
Dune: Part Two
10 Nominations
Emilia Pérez
9 Nominations
The Brutalist, Conclave
6 Nominations
Wicked
5 Nominations
Anora, Blitz, Gladiator II, Nosferatu, Sing Sing
3 Nominations
A Real Pain, The Wild Robot
2 Nominations
I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Will & Harper
1 Nomination
Black Box Diaries, A Complete Unknown, Daughters, A Different Man, Flow, The Girl with the Needle, Inside Out 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Maria, Memoir of a Snail, The Outrun, Nightbitch, No Other Land, The Piano Lesson, Queer, Saturday Night, The Substance, Sugarcane, Twisters, Vermiglio, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
My votes are in for my latest Oscar predictions at the 97th Academy Awards and I’ve elected to elevate Wicked into my BP top ten with Gladiator II sliding out. This is based on buzz for early screenings and I will readily admit that sometimes those viewings can elicit exaggerated reactions. We’ll see if Wicked sticks around in a way that Gladiator II didn’t (the two pics both open November 22nd).
In other movement, Edward Berger (Conclave) is back in my directorial quintet with RaMell Ross (Nickel Boys) on the outside looking in. The five spot in Best Actor switches to Sebastian Stan playing a certain 45th POTUS with Daniel Craig (Queer) slipping. Ariana Grande’s witchy Wicked work enters the Supporting Actress derby with Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) falling to sixth place. In Supporting Actor, on the other hand, Conclave’s Stanley Tucci re-enters with Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) now out. You can peruse all the activity below!
Best Picture
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)
2. Anora (PR: 2) (E)
3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (E)
4. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)
5. Conclave (PR: 6) (+1)
6. Sing Sing (PR: 5) (-1)
7. A Real Pain (PR: 10) (+3)
8. Blitz (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (E)
10. Wicked (PR: Not Ranked)
Other Possibilities:
11. Gladiator II (PR: 8) (-3)
12. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 11) (-1)
13. A Complete Unknown (PR: 13) (E)
14. The Substance (PR: 15) (+1)
15. Nosferatu (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
The Room Next Door
September 5
Best Director
Predicted Nominees:
1. Brady Corbet, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Sean Baker, Anora (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Edward Berger, Conclave (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 7) (E)
8. Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Steve McQueen, Blitz (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Robert Eggers, Nosferatu (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Ridley Scott, Gladiator II
Best Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Mikey Madison, Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. Angelina Jolie, Maria (PR: 2) (E)
3. Karla Sofia Gascón, Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun (PR: 4) (E)
5. Amy Adams, Nightbitch (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (PR: 6) (E)
7. Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Demi Moore, The Substance (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here (PR: 9) (E)
10. Cynthia Erivo, Wicked (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door
Best Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)
3. Ralph Fiennes, Conclave (PR: 3) (E)
4. Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown (PR: 4) (E)
5. Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Daniel Craig, Queer (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain (PR: Not Ranked)
8. Glen Powell, Hit Man (PR: 8) (E)
9. Paul Mescal, Gladiator II (PR: 7) (-2)
10. Sebastian Stan, A Different Man (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
John David Washington, The Piano Lesson
Best Supporting Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. Saoirse Ronan, Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson (PR: 3) (E)
4. Felicity Jones, The Brutalist (PR: 4) (E)
5. Ariana Grande, Wicked (PR: Not Ranked)
Other Possibilities:
6. Isabella Rossellini, Conclave (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Joan Chen, Dídi (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Fernanda Montenegro, I’m Still Here
Best Supporting Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (PR: 2) (E)
3. Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Stanley Tucci, Conclave (PR: 6) (+2)
5. Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Yura Borisov, Anora (PR: Not Ranked)
8. Adam Pearson, A Different Man (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown (PR: 7) (-2)
10. John Magaro, September 5 (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
Ray Fisher, The Piano Lesson
Best Original Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Brutalist (PR: 2) (E)
3. A Real Pain (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Saturday Night (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Hard Truths (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Blitz (PR: 6) (-1)
8. September 5 (PR: 4) (-4)
9. The Substance (PR: 9) (E)
10. Challengers (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
His Three Daughters
Best Adapted Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Conclave (PR: 1) (E)
2. Nickel Boys (PR: 2) (E)
3. Sing Sing (PR: 3) (E)
4. Dune: Part Two (PR: 4) (E)
5. The Room Next Door (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (E)
7. I’m Still Here (PR: 8) (+1)
8. A Complete Unknown (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Hit Man (PR: 7) (-2)
10. The Piano Lesson (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Gladiator II
Best International Feature Film
Predicted Nominees:
1. Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 2) (E)
3. I’m Still Here (PR: 3) (E)
4. Vermiglio (PR: 4) (E)
5. Universal Language (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Kneecap (PR: 9) (+2)
8. The Girl with the Needle (PR: 5) (-3)
9. Grand Tour (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Armand (PR: 10) (E)
Best Animated Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Wild Robot (PR: 2) (+1)
2. Inside Out 2 (PR: 1) (-1)
3. Memoir of a Snail (PR: 3) (E)
4. Flow (PR: 4) (E)
5. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (PR: 5 (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Moana 2 (PR: 6) (E)
7. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (PR: 10) (+3)
8. Savages (PR: 8) (E)
9. Piece by Piece (PR: 7) (-2)
10. The Most Precious of Cargoes (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Orion and the Dark
Best Documentary Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. No Other Land (PR: 1) (E)
2. Black Box Diaries (PR: 4) (+2)
3. Will & Harper (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (PR: 8) (+4)
5. Union (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Daughters (PR: 3) (-3)
7. Sugarcane (PR: 7) (E)
8. Dahomey (PR: 9) (+1)
9. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (PR: 6) (-3)
10. Gaucho Gaucho (PR: 10) (E)
Best Cinematography
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)
3. Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. Blitz (PR: 4) (E)
5. Conclave (PR: 10) (+5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Anora (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (+2)
8. Nosferatu (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Maria (PR: 6) (-3)
10. Gladiator II (PR: 8) (-2)
Best Costume Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Wicked (PR: 3) (+2)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (-1)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Maria (PR: 4) (E)
5. Nosferatu (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Blitz (PR: 6) (E)
7. The Brutalist (PR: 7) (E)
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 8) (E)
9. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 9) (E)
10. Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Film Editing
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (+1)
2. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (-1)
3. Anora (PR: 3) (E)
4. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)
5. Conclave (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Sing Sing (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Nickel Boys (PR: 8) (+1)
8. The Substance (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Challengers (PR: 10 (E)
Dropped Out:
Blitz
Gladiator II
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Substance (PR: 4) (+2)
3. A Different Man (PR: 3) (E)
4. Wicked (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Nosferatu (PR: 6) (E)
7. Maria (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Sasquatch Sunset (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 5) (-4)
10. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 10) (E)
Best Original Score
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Conclave (PR: 2) (E)
3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (E)
4. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)
5. The Wild Robot (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Sing Sing (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Challengers (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Gladiator II (PR: 5) (-3)
9. Saturday Night (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Blitz (PR: 9) (-1)
Best Original Song
Predicted Nominees:
1. “El Mal” from Emila Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing (PR: 3) (+1)
3. “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez (PR: 7) (+4)
4. “Forbidden Road” from Better Man (PR: 5) (+1)
5. “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot (PR: 2) (-3)
Other Possibilities:
6. “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper (PR: 4) (-2)
7. “Better Way to Live” from Kneecap (PR: 8) (+1)
8. “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight (PR: 6) (-2)
9. “Piece by Piece” from Piece by Piece (PR: 9) (E)
10. “Beyond” from Moana 2 (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late
Best Production Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Gladiator II (PR: 2) (E)
3. Wicked (PR: 7) (+4)
4. Blitz (PR: 4) (E)
5. The Brutalist (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Nosferatu (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Conclave (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 8) (E)
9. Maria (PR: 9) (E)
10. Emilia Pérez (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Best Sound
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Gladiator II (PR: 2) (E)
3. Wicked (PR: 5) (+2)
4. Blitz (PR: 4) (E)
5. Twisters (PR: Not Ranked)
Other Possibilities:
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (-3)
7. Conclave (PR: 7) (E)
8. A Complete Unknown (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 9) (E)
10. Civil War (PR: 8) (-2)
Dropped Out:
The Brutalist
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: 3) (E)
4. Twisters (PR: 4) (E)
5. Deadpool & Wolverine (PR: 10) (+5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Better Man (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Wicked (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Mufasa: The Lion King (PR: 9) (E)
10. Here (PR: 5) (-5)
And that equates to these movies generating these numbers of nominations:
11 Nominations
Dune: PartTwo
10 Nominations
The Brutalist, Emilia Pérez
8 Nominations
Conclave
6 Nominations
Wicked
5 Nominations
Anora, Blitz, Gladiator II, Sing Sing
3 Nominations
A Real Pain, The Wild Robot
2 Nominations
Maria, Nickel Boys, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Twisters
1 Nomination
The Apprentice, Better Man, Black Box Diaries, A Complete Unknown, Deadpool & Wolverine, A Different Man, Flow, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, I’m Still Here, Inside Out 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Memoir of a Snail, Nightbitch, No Other Land, Nosferatu, The Outrun, The Piano Lesson, The Room Next Door, Saturday Night, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, The Substance, Union, Universal Language, Vermiglio, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Will & Harper
It’s been two weeks since I’ve updated my predictions in the feature-length categories and developments have occurred. Steve McQueen’s Blitz opened the London Film Festival and its Oscar stock took a hit. While I still have it being nominated in five categories including Picture and Supporting Actress (Saoirse Ronan), it falls out of my high five in Director and Original Screenplay, among others.
Another significant screening was the industry’s first look at Gladiator II a month before it debuts. With the caveat that these previews are often hyperbolic, the 24 years in the making sequel’s fortunes improved. I now have it contending for seven statues including Best Picture. Its rise causes The Room Next Door to drop out of my 10 BP hopefuls. Denzel Washington also re-enters my Supporting Actor picks with Stanley Tucci (Conclave) now on the outside looking in.
In Director, Blitz‘s McQueen is out in favor of RaMell Ross of Nickel Boys. I’ve put Daniel Craig back in my Actor quintet at the expense of Sebastian Stan in The Apprentice (which opened to dismal box office).
You can read all the movement below!
Best Picture
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)
2. Anora (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Sing Sing (PR: 6) (+1)
6. Conclave (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Blitz (PR: 2) (-5)
8. Gladiator II (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Nickel Boys (PR: 8) (-1)
10. A Real Pain (PR: 10) (E)
Other Possibilities:
11. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 14) (+3)
12. The Room Next Door (PR: 9) (-3)
13. A Complete Unknown (PR: 13) (E)
14. September 5 (PR: 12) (-2)
15. The Substance (PR: 15) (E)
Dropped Out:
Saturday Night
Best Director
Predicted Nominees:
1. Brady Corbet, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Sean Baker, Anora (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (+1)
5. RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Edward Berger, Conclave (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Steve McQueen, Blitz (PR: 2) (-6)
9. Ridley Scott, Gladiator II (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing
Best Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Mikey Madison, Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. Angelina Jolie, Maria (PR: 2) (E)
3. Karla Sofia Gascón, Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun (PR: 4) (E)
5. Amy Adams, Nightbitch (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (PR: 9) (+3)
7. Demi Moore, The Substance (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door (PR: 7) (-3)
Best Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2.Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Ralph Fiennes, Conclave (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown (PR: 4) (E)
5. Daniel Craig, Queer (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Paul Mescal, Gladiator II (PR: Not Ranked)
8. Glen Powell, Hit Man (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Sebastian Stan, A Different Man (PR: 9) (E)
10. John David Washington, The Piano Lesson (PR: 8) (-2)
Dropped Out:
Nicholas Hoult, Juror No. 2
Best Supporting Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. Saoirse Ronan, Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson (PR: 3) (E)
4. Felicity Jones, The Brutalist (PR: 4) (E)
5. Isabella Rossellini, Conclave (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Joan Chen, Dídi (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters (PR: 8) (-1)
10.Fernanda Montenegro, I’m Still Here (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Toni Collette, Juror No. 2
Best Supporting Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (PR: 6) (+3)
4. Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Stanley Tucci, Conclave (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Ray Fisher, The Piano Lesson (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Adam Pearson, A Different Man (PR: 7) (-2)
10. John Magaro, September 5 (PR: 10) (E)
Best Original Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Brutalist (PR: 2) (E)
3. A Real Pain (PR: 3) (E)
4. September 5 (PR: 6) (+2)
5. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 8) (+3)
Other Possibilities:
6. Blitz (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Saturday Night (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Hard Truths (PR: 7) (-1)
9. The Substance (PR: Not Ranked)
10. His Three Daughters (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Dídi
Best Adapted Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Conclave (PR: 1) (E)
2. Nickel Boys (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Sing Sing (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Dune: Part Two (PR: 6) (+2)
5. The Room Next Door (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Hit Man (PR: 7) (E)
8. I’m Still Here (PR: 8) (E)
9. The Piano Lesson (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Gladiator II (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Queer
A Complete Unknown
Best International Feature Film
Predicted Nominees:
1. Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 2) (E)
3. I’m Still Here (PR: 3) (E)
4. Vermiglio (PR: 5) (+1)
5. The Girl with the Needle (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Universal Language (PR: 4) (-2)
7. How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (PR: Not Ranked)
8. Grand Tour (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Kneecap (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Armand (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Cloud
Flow
Best Animated Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. Inside Out 2 (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Wild Robot (PR: 2) (E)
3. Memoir of a Snail (PR: 3) (E)
4. Flow (PR: 4) (E)
5. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Moana 2 (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Piece by Piece (PR: 9) (+2)
8. Savages (PR: 8) (E)
9. Orion and the Dark (PR: 6) (-3)
10. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Wohirrim (PR: 10) (E)
Best Documentary Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. No Other Land (PR: 1) (E)
2. Will & Harper (PR: 2) (E)
3. Daughters (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Black Box Diaries (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Union (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (PR: Not Ranked)
7. Sugarcane (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Dahomey (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Gaucho Gaucho (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Apocalypse in the Tropics
Best Cinematography
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)
3. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (+3)
4. Blitz (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Anora (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Maria (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Nosferatu (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Gladiator II (PR: 7) (+1)
9. Nickel Boys (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Conclave (PR: 9) (-1)
Best Costume Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Gladiator II (PR: 7) (+5)
3. Wicked (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Maria (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Nosferatu (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Blitz (PR: 3) (-3)
7. The Brutalist (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 10) (E)
Best Film Editing
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 4) (+3)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (-1)
3. Anora (PR: 3) (E)
4. Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Sing Sing (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Conclave (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Blitz (PR: 2) (-5)
8. Nickel Boys (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Gladiator II (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Challengers (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Saturday Night
September 5
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Wicked (PR: 4) (+2)
3. A Different Man (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Substance (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Nosferatu (PR: 2) (-4)
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 7) (E)
8. Maria (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Sasquatch Sunset (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 10) (E)
Best Original Score
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Conclave (PR: 4) (+2)
3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Gladiator II (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Wild Robot (PR: 6) (E)
7. Sing Sing (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Challengers (PR: 8) (E)
9. Blitz (PR: 9) (E)
10. Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
The Room Next Door
Best Original Song
Predicted Nominees:
1. “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez (PR: 9) (+8)
2. “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot (PR: 5) (+3)
3. “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing (PR: 2) (-1)
4. “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper (PR: 3) (-1)
5. “Forbidden Road” from Better Man (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight (PR: 6) (E)
7. “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (-6)
8. “Better Way to Live” from Kneecap (PR: 8) (E)
9. “Piece by Piece” from Piece by Piece (PR: 7) (-2)
10. “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
“Folie à Deux” from Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Production Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Gladiator II (PR: 3) (+1)
3. The Brutalist (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Blitz (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Nosferatu (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Conclave (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Wicked (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Maria (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Saturday Night
Best Sound
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Gladiator II (PR: 4) (+2)
3. Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. Blitz (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Wicked (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Brutalist (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Conclave (PR: 7) (E)
8. Civil War (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 8) (-1)
10. A Complete Unknown (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Visusal 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: 3) (E)
4. Twisters (PR: 7) (+3)
5. Here (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Better Man (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Wicked (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Mufasa: The Lion King (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Deadpool & Wolverine (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Blitz
And that all works out to these movies generating these numbers of nominations:
11 Nominations
Dune: Part Two
10 Nominations
The Brutalist, Emilia Pérez
7 Nominations
Gladiator II
6 Nominations
Anora, Sing Sing
5 Nominations
Blitz, Conclave
3 Nominations
Nickel Boys, A Real Pain, Wicked
2 Nominations
Maria, Nosferatu, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, The Wild Robot, Will & Harper
1 Nomination
The Apprentice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Better Man, Black Box Diaries, A Complete Unknown, Daughters, A Different Man, Flow, The Girl with the Needle, Here, I’m Still Here, Inside Out 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Memoir of a Snail, Nightbitch, No Other Land, The Outrun, The Piano Lesson, Queer, The Room Next Door, September 5, The Substance, Twisters, Union, Vermiglio, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
At the 92nd Academy Awards that occurred in February 2020, Joker led the way with 11 nominations and 2 victories for Joaquin Phoenix in Actor and the Original Score. At the 97th ceremony, the story will be much different. Joker: Folie à Deux debuted yesterday. It currently has matching 32% ratings with critics and audiences and a D Cinemascore grade (the worst of 2024 and lower than Megalopolis).
A couple of months ago, Deux was seen as a repeat possibility in Best Picture and for Phoenix and costar Lady Gaga. Now I think it’s a legitimate question as to whether Joker gets any nominations at all. Even with the poor word-of-mouth and incoming subpar box office numbers, some tech races are still viable. However, I would not surprised if it totally blanks. That’s what I’m projecting at the moment.
We have a change in Best Picture with The Room Next Door back in over Saturday Night. There’s been a consistent 5 in Best Actor for weeks, but that’s interrupted with Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) sliding in with Daniel Craig (Queer) falling to sixth. In Supporting Actress, Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) rises over Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez).
Speaking of Pérez, there’s uncertainty whether it will contend for Original or Adapted Screenplay. I’ve had it in the former and it now moves to the latter.
You can read all the movement below!
Best Picture
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)
2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Anora (PR: 3) (E)
4. Dune: Part Two (PR: 4) (E)
5. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (+1)
6. Sing Sing (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Conclave (PR: 7) (E)
8. Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (+1)
9. The Room Next Door (PR: 11) (+2)
10. A Real Pain (PR: 10) (E)
Other Possibilities:
11. Saturday Night (PR: 8) (-3)
12. September 5 (PR: 14) (+2)
13. A Complete Unknown (PR: 13) (E)
14. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 12) (-2)
15. The Substance (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Nosferatu
Best Director
Predicted Nominees:
1. Brady Corbet, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Steve McQueen, Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (E)
4. Sean Baker, Anora (PR: 4) (E)
5. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Edward Berger, Conclave (PR: 7 (E)
8. Mohammad Rasolouf, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing (PR: 9) (E)
10. Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Jason Reitman, Saturday Night
Best Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Mikey Madison, Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. Angelina Jolie, Maria (PR: 2) (E)
3. Karla Sofia Gascón, Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun (PR: 4) (E)
5. Amy Adams, Nightbitch (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (PR: 6) (E)
7. Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door (PR: 7) (E)
8. Demi Moore, The Substance (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here (PR: 10) (E)
Best Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Ralph Fiennes, Conclave (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown (PR: 4) (E)
5. Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Daniel Craig, Queer (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Glen Powell, Hit Man (PR: 7) (E)
8. John David Washington, The Piano Lesson (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Sebastian Stan, A Different Man (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Nicholas Hoult, Juror No. 2 (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Supporting Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. Saoirse Ronan, Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson (PR: 3) (E)
4. Felicity Jones, The Brutalist (PR: 4) (E)
5. Isabella Rossellini, Conclave (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Joan Chen, Dídi (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Toni Collette, Juror No. 2 (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Supporting Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (PR: 2) (+1)
2. Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (PR: 1) (-1)
3. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (PR: 3) (E)
4. Stanley Tucci, Conclave (PR: 4) (E)
5. Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (PR: 6) (E)
7. Adam Pearson, A Different Man (PR: 7) (E)
8. Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown (PR: 8) (E)
9. Ray Fisher, The Piano Lesson (PR: Not Ranked)
10. John Magaro, September 5 (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Drew Starkey, Queer
Best Original Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Brutalist (PR: 3) (+1)
3. A Real Pain (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Blitz (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Saturday Night (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. September 5 (PR: 9) (+3)
7. Hard Truths (PR: 8) (+1)
8. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 7) (-1)
9. His Three Daughters (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Dídi (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Emilia Pérez – moved to Adapted Screenplay
The Substance
Best Adapted Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Conclave (PR: 1) (E)
2. Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)
3. Nickel Boys (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Room Next Door (PR: 4) (E)
5. Emilia Pérez (PR: Not Ranked) – moved from Original Screenplay
Other Possibilities:
6. Dune: Part Two (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Hit Man (PR: 7) (E)
8. I’m Still Here (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Queer (PR: 6) (-3)
10. A Complete Unknown (PR: 8) (-2)
Dropped Out:
The Piano Lesson
Best International Feature Film
Predicted Nominees:
1. Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 2) (E)
3. I’m Still Here (PR: 3) (E)
4. Universal Language (PR: 6) (+2)
5. Vermiglio (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Grand Tour (PR: 4) (-2)
7. The Girl with the Needle (PR: 7) (E)
8. Kneecap (PR: 8) (E)
9. Cloud (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Flow (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Dahomey
Caught by the Tides
Best Animated Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. Inside Out 2 (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Wild Robot (PR: 3) (E)
3. Memoir of a Snail (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Flow (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (PR: 5 (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Orion and the Dark (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Moana 2 (PR: 7) (E)
8. Savages (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Piece by Piece (PR: 6) (-3)
10. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (PR: 10) (E)
Best Documentary Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. No Other Land (PR: 1) (E)
2. Will & Harper (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Black Box Diaries (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Daughters (PR: 2) (-2)
5. Sugarcane (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Union (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (PR: 7) (E)
8. Dahomey (PR: 5) (-3)
9. Gaucho Gaucho (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Apocalypse in the Tropics (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
Separated
Best Cinematography
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Blitz (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Anora (PR: 9) (+5)
5. Maria (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (E)
7. Gladiator II (PR: 7) (E)
8. Nosferatu (PR: 4) (-4)
9. Conclave (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Nickel Boys (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Costume Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Wicked (PR: 5) (+3)
3. Blitz (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Nosferatu (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Maria (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Brutalist (PR: 6) (E)
7. Gladiator II (PR: 2) (-5)
8. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 8) (-2)
Dropped Out:
Saturday Night
Best Film Editing
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Anora (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Brutalist (PR: 6) (+1)
5. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Sing Sing (PR: 7) (+!)
7. Conclave (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Saturday Night (PR: 5) (-3)
9. Challengers (PR: 10) (+1)
10. September 5 (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Gladiator II
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Nosferatu (PR: 2) (E)
3. A Different Man (PR: 3) (E)
4. Wicked (PR: 4) (E)
5. The Substance (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 10) (+3)
8. Sasquatch Sunset (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Maria (PR: 7) (-2)
10. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 8) (-2)
Best Original Score
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (E)
3. Emilia Pérez (PR: 8) (+5)
4. Conclave (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Sing Sing (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Wild Robot (PR: 6) (E)
7. Gladiator II (PR: 3) (-4)
8. Challengers (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Blitz (PR: 10) (+1)
10. The Room Next Door (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Original Song
Predicted Nominees:
1. “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)
3. “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper (PR: 4) (+1)
4. “Forbidden Road” from Better Man (PR: 10) (+6)
5. “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight (PR: 8) (+2)
7. “Piece by Piece” from Piece by Piece (PR: 6) (-1)
8. “Better Way to Live” from Kneecap (PR: 5) (-3)
9. “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez (PR: 9) (E)
10. “Folie à Deux” from Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
“Harley and Joker Waltz” from Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Production Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Brutalist (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Nosferatu (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Wicked (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Conclave (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Maria (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 7) (-2)
10. Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Joker: Folie à Deux
Best Sound
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Gladiator II (PR: 3) (-1)
5. The Brutalist (PR: 8) (+3)
Other Possibilities:
6. Wicked (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Conclave (PR: Not Ranked)
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 9) (+1)
9. A Complete Unknown (PR: Not Ranked)
10. joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 5) (-5)
Dropped Out:
Nosferatu
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: 3) (E)
4. Here (PR: 4) (E)
5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 8) (+3)
Other Possibilities:
6. Blitz (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Twisters (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Better Man (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Deadpool & Wolverine (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Wicked (PR: 7) (-3)
That equates to these movies generating these numbers of nominations:
11 Nominations
The Brutalist
10 Nominations
Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez
9 Nominations
Blitz
6 Nominations
Anora, Conclave, Sing Sing
3 Nominations
Gladiator II, Maria, Nosferatu, A Real Pain
2 Nominations
The Apprentice, Nickel Boys, The Room Next Door, Wicked, The Wild Robot, Will & Harper
1 Nomination
Better Man, Black Box Diaries, A Complete Unknown, Daughters, A Different Man, Flow, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Here, I’m Still Here, Inside Out 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Memoir of a Snail, Nightbitch, No Other Land, The Outrun, The Piano Lesson, Saturday Night, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, The Substance, Sugarcane, Universal Language, Vermiglio, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
When I did my forecast for the 96th Academy Awards around the same late September time frame last year, it yielded nine of the ten eventual Best Picture nominees. The only miss was not having The Zone of Interest in the hopefuls and I had it ranked 11th in other possibilities. It is also worth noting that eventual winner Oppenheimer was ranked #1.
For Best Director, it was four of five with Christopher Nolan correctly atop my chart. Four of five was also the score for Best Actress and Actor and I had victors Emma Stone (Poor Things) and Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) in first. For the supporting races, both were 3 out of five. In Supporting Actress, Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) was listed in second while Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) was projected highest in Supporting Actor. In the Screenplay derbies, it was 3 of 5 in each with Adapted recipient American Fiction and Original top finisher Anatomy of a Fall both listed 4th of 5.
That history lesson illustrates that the script for the previous Oscars had largely been written several months before nominations were unveiled. Will the 97th ceremony follow a similar pattern?
It sure doesn’t seem like it. I maintain that there’s no clear frontrunner for BP while Oppenheimer was definitely in that position a year ago. Solid to fair cases could be made for Blitz, The Brutalist, Anora, Emilia Pérez, Sing Sing, or Dune: Part Two to take gold. There’s also no slam dunks thus far in the acting competitions whereas Downey Jr. was kind of a no-brainer at this juncture and Murphy, Stone, and Randolph were in the 1 or 2 positions in their races.
That makes it all the more intriguing as the 2024 season plays out. The big news this week was that TIFF People’s Choice Winner The Life of Chuck will not open until summer 2025. Therefore you’ll see it drop from contention everywhere I had it listed as a possibility below. Last week, I only had Chuck actually being nominated in Adapted Screenplay. It is replaced by Dune.
I considered elevating the unseen Blitz back to first position in BP, but am giving it to The Brutalist still by a hair. It was announced this week that the latter will release on December 20th via A24. There is one change in BP as I’m putting in Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain for its initial top 10 appearance at the expense of The Room Next Door.
This week I’m also shutting the door on Tilda Swinton in Best Actress for The Room Next Door with Nightbitch‘s Amy Adams returning to the quintet. I went back and forth about whether to include Adams or Babygirl‘s Nicole Kidman.
You can all view all the movement below!
Best Picture
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)
2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Anora (PR: 3) (E)
4. Dune: Part Two (PR: 4) (E)
5. Sing Sing (PR: 5) (E)
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (E)
7. Conclave (PR: 7) (E)
8. Saturday Night (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Nickel Boys (PR: 8) (-1)
10. A Real Pain (PR: 15) (+5)
Other Possibilities:
11. The Room Next Door (PR: 10) (-1)
12. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 14) (+2)
13. A Complete Unknown (PR: 12) (-1)
14. September 5 (PR: 13) (-1)
15. Nosferatu (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
The Life of Chuck
Best Director
Predicted Nominees:
1. Brady Corbet, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Steve McQueen, Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (E)
4. Sean Baker, Anora (PR: 4) (E)
5. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 6) (E)
7. Edward Berger, Conclave (PR: 7) (E)
8. RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (PR: 8) (E)
9. Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing (PR: 9) (E)
10. Jason Reitman, Saturday Night (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Pedro Almodóvar, The Room Next Door
Best Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Mikey Madison, Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. Angelina Jolie, Maria (PR: 2) (E)
3. Karla Sofia Gascón, Emilia Pérez (PR: 3) (E)
4. Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun (PR: 4) (E)
5. Amy Adams, Nightbitch (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (PR: 6) (E)
7. Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (PR: 8) (E)
9. Demi Moore, The Substance (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here (PR: 9) (-1)
Best Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)
3. Ralph Fiennes, Conclave (PR: 3) (E)
4. Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown (PR: 4) (E)
5. Daniel Craig, Queer (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice (PR: 6) (E)
7. Glen Powell, Hit Man (PR: 7) (E)
8. Sebastian Stan, A Different Man (PR: 8) (E)
9. Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
Paul Mescal, Gladiator II
Best Supporting Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. Saoirse Ronan, Blitz (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Felicity Jones, The Brutalist (PR: 4) (E)
5. Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Isabella Rossellini, Conclave (PR: 8) (+2)
7. Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 7) (E)
8. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters (PR: 9) (E)
10. Joan Chen, Dídi (PR: 10) (E)
Best Supporting Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (PR: 1) (E)
2. Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (PR: 2) (E)
3. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (PR: 3) (E)
4. Stanley Tucci, Conclave (PR: 4) (E)
5. Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (PR: 6) (E)
7. Adam Pearson, A Different Man (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown (PR: 10) (+2)
9. John Magaro, September 5 (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Drew Starkey, Queer (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Mark Hamill, The Life of Chuck
Samuel L. Jackson, The Piano Lesson
Best Original Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Anora (PR: 1) (E)
2. A Real Pain (PR: 5) (+3)
3. The Brutalist (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Saturday Night (PR: 4) (E)
5. Blitz (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (E)
7. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 7) (E)
8. Hard Truths (PR: 9) (+1)
9. September 5 (PR: 10) (+1)
10. The Substance (PR: 8) (-2)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Conclave (PR: 1) (E)
2. Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)
3. Nickel Boys (PR: 3) (E)
4. The Room Next Door (PR: 4) (E)
5. Dune: Part Two (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Queer (PR: 7) (+1)
7. Hit Man (PR: 8) (+1)
8. A Complete Unknown (PR: 9) (+1)
9. The Piano Lesson (PR: 10) (+1)
10. I’m Still Here (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
The Life of Chuck
Best International Feature Film
Predicted Nominees:
1. Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 2) (E)
3. I’m Still Here (PR: 3) (E)
4. Grand Tour (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Vermiglio (PR: Not Ranked)
Other Possibilities:
6. Universal Language (PR: 6) (E)
7. The Girl with the Needle (PR: 7) (E)
8. Kneecap (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Dahomey (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Caught by the Tides (PR: 8) (-2)
Dropped Out:
All We Imagine as Light
Pedro Páramo
Best Animated Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. Inside Out 2 (PR: 1) (E)
2. The Wild Robot (PR: 2) (E)
3. Flow (PR: 3) (E)
4. Memoir of a Snail (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (PR: 4) (-1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Piece by Piece (PR: 6) (E)
7. Moana 2 (PR: 7) (E)
8. Orion and the Dark (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Savages (PR: 8) (-1)
10. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (PR: Not Ranked)
Best Documentary Feature
Predicted Nominees:
1. No Other Land (PR: 1) (E)
2. Daughters (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Will & Harper (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Black Box Diaries (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Dahomey (PR: Not Ranked)
Other Possibilities:
6. Sugarcane (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (PR: 6) (-1)
8. Union (PR: 7) (-1)
9. Separated (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Apocalypse in the Tropics (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Skywalkers: A Love Story
Best Cinematography
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 1) (E)
2. Blitz (PR: 3) (+1)
3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Nosferatu (PR: 4) (E)
5. Maria (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Gladiator II (PR: 10) (+3)
8. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 9) (+1)
9. Anora (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Nickel Boys (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Conclave
Best Costume Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Gladiator II (PR: 4) (+2)
3. Nosferatu (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Blitz (PR: 6) (+2)
5. Wicked (PR: 3) (-2)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Brutalist (PR: 9) (+3)
7. Maria (PR: 5) (-2)
8. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 8) (E)
9. Saturday Night (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Best Film Editing
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (+2)
2. Blitz (PR: 1) (-1)
3. Anora (PR: 2) (-1)
4. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (+2)
5. Saturday Night (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Brutalist (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Sing Sing (PR: 7) (E)
8. Conclave (PR: 8) (E)
9. Gladiator II (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Challengers (PR: 10) (E)
Dropped Out:
Nickel Boys
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Nosferatu (PR: 2) (E)
3. A Different Man (PR: 3) (E)
4. Wicked (PR: 7) (+3)
5. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Substance (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Maria (PR: 4) (-3)
8. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 8) (E)
9. Sasquatch Sunset (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 9) (-1)
Best Original Score
Predicted Nominees:
1. The Brutalist (PR: 2) (+1)
2. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (-1)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 4) (+1)
4. Sing Sing (PR: 3) (-1)
5. Conclave (PR: 7) (+2)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Wild Robot (PR: 5) (-1)
7. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: Not Ranked)
8. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (-2)
9. Challengers (PR: Not Ranked)
10. Blitz (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Saturday Night
The Room Next Door
The Life of Chuck
Best Original Song
Predicted Nominees:
1. “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez (PR: 1) (E)
2. “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing (PR: 2) (E)
3. “Harley and Joker Waltz” from Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 3) (E)
4. “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper (PR: 6) (+2)
5. “Better Way to Live” from Kneecap (PR: Not Ranked)
Other Possibilities:
6. “Piece by Piece” from Piece by Piece (PR: 4) (-2)
7. “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot (PR: 7) (E)
8. “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight (PR: Not Ranked)
9. “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez (PR: 10) (+1)
10. “Forbidden Road” from Better Man (PR: 9) (-1)
Dropped Out:
“Relentless” from Diane Warren: Relentless
“We’re Back” from Moana 2
Best Production Design
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 3) (E)
4. Nosferatu (PR: 4) (E)
5. The Brutalist (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Conclave (PR: 10) (+4)
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 8) (+1)
8. Wicked (PR: 6) (-1)
9. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 9) (E)
10. Maria (PR: 7) (-3)
Best Sound
Predicted Nominees:
1. Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (E)
2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)
3. Gladiator II (PR: 3) (E)
4. Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)
5. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 5) (E)
Other Possibilities:
6. Nosferatu (PR: 6) (E)
7. Wicked (PR: 7) (E)
8. The Brutalist (PR: 10) (+2)
9. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 8) (-1)
10. Twisters (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Civil War
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: 3) (E)
4. Here (PR: 5) (+1)
5. Blitz (PR: 6) (+1)
Other Possibilities:
6. Twisters (PR: 4) (-2)
7. Wicked (PR: 7) (E)
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (PR: 8) (E)
9. Better Man (PR: 10) (+1)
10. Deadpool & Wolverine (PR: 9) (-1)
And that adds up to these numbers generating these numbers of nominations:
11 Nominations
Dune: Part Two
10 Nominations
Blitz
9 Nominations
The Brutalist, Emilia Pérez
6 Nominations
Sing Sing
5 Nominations
Anora, Conclave, Gladiator II
4 Nominations
Nosferatu
3 Nominations
A Real Pain, Saturday Night
2 Nominations
Joker: Folie à Deux, Maria, Nickel Boys, Wicked, Will & Harper
1 Nomination
The Apprentice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Black Box Diaries, A Complete Unknown, Dahomey, Daughters, A Different Man, Flow, Grand Tour, Here, I’m Still Here, Inside Out 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Kneecap, Memoir of a Snail, Nightbitch, No Other Land, The Outrun, The Piano Lesson, Queer, The Room Next Door, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Vermiglio, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, The Wild Robot
Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5 covers similar ground as Steven Spielberg’s 2005 Best Picture nominee Munich regarding the 1972 Olympics hostage crisis. This version, which premiered at Venice and made its way over to Telluride, tells it from the perspective of the ABC broadcasting crew covering the games. John Magaro, Peter Sarsgaard, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch star.
Reviews from Italy and Colorado are impressive as the pic has emerged as a festival sleeper in recent days. Part of its flying under the radar status is the current lack of a stateside distributor. That should change soon. The question is whether September 5 gets dated for a 2024 release or if the buyer waits for 2025 consideration. Either way, I wouldn’t sleep on its chances for Picture, Original Screenplay, and Editing if it is granted a serious campaign. In 2003, Sarsgaard likely barely missed the Supporting Actor cut for Shattered Glass. Of the main cast, he might receive the heftiest push as legendary sports executive Roone Arledge. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
As we do every year on this here blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.
It begins with the ten BP contenders and then alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the other five big races. I’ve already covered seven of the BP nominees. They are linked at the bottom of the post. Next up is Celine Song’s Past Lives.
The Case for Past Lives:
Ever since it premiered at Sundance in January 2023, the relationship drama emerged as a serious contender and the momentum for a BP nod never ebbed. In addition to placement on many top 10 lists, Lives was up for top honors at the Globes and Critics Choice and won Best Film at the Gothams.
The Case Against Past Lives:
Song’s debut feature received the least amount of total nods with just two (BP and Original Screenplay). Every other contender was recognized for five or more. That means the principal cast (Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro) went unrecognized as did the direction. Other than Gotham (which seldom correlates with Oscar), Lives hasn’t really won anywhere. It’s even lost international feature competitions to fellow competitor Anatomy of a Fall.
The Verdict:
Considering the minimal haul, Lives was lucky to make the cut. It’ll go 0 for 2 on March 10th.
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