It may seem mystifying to some people, and gratifying to others, but in spite of the fact that ratings for the awards show are down, a hell of a lot of folks are interested in who and what gets each year’s Oscars.
We here at TVWriter™ are interested as well, although some might say it’s because we have a horse we hope will be in the race. That’s the upcoming film, 1917, written by Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns, directed by that very same Mr. Mendes, and executive-produced by Jeb Brody and Ricardo Marco Budé. (Regular visitors to this site probably will understand one of the references here. If not, well, no worries.)
Where were we? Oh, right. Here: Because of the widespread interest, we’re proud to bring you the following predictions for Oscar noms. “Action!”
by David Canfield and Joey Nolfi
Over the past few months, EW has been offering in-depth analysis of this Oscar season’s (very) early days, assessing potential frontrunners, making the circuit rounds, and tracking the dominant narratives taking shape for 2020. Now, as the last remaining contenders start getting screened and precursor nominations officially trickle in, we’re ready to present our picks for who will make the cut on Jan. 13, when the 2020 Oscar nominees are announced.
We’ll update this post regularly as the race comes into tighter focus. And we’ll soon expand with predictions for every below-the-line category as well. As for now, check out our breakdowns of the directing, acting, and screenplay categories — in addition, of course, to Best Picture. UPDATED Nov. 25
BEST PICTURE
Epic new films by Oscar mainstays Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino lead this race, but a South Korean critical phenomenon and a surprise TIFF People’s Choice winner add plenty of intrigue. Tracking changes: Little Women reviews dropped this week, and it’s looking like one of the year’s best-reviewed films. Screenings of Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell and, especially, Sam Mendes’ 1917 have introduced two potential power players this season. And boffo box office for Ford v Ferrari proves this crowdpleaser is a real sleeper in this race.
The Top 10:
The Irishman (dir. Martin Scorsese)
1917 (dir. Sam Mendes)
Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (dir. Quentin Tarantino)
Little Women (dir. Greta Gerwig)
Marriage Story (dir. Noah Baumbach)
Ford v Ferrari (dir. James Mangold)
Jojo Rabbit (dir. Taika Waititi)
Joker (dir. Todd Phillips)
Richard Jewell (dir. Clint Eastwood)
In the Hunt:
Bombshell (dir. Jay Roach)
The Farewell (dir. Lulu Wang)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (dir. Marielle Heller)
The Two Popes (dir. Fernando Meirelles)
Longshots:
Waves (dir. Trey Edward Shults)
Hustlers (dir. Lorene Scafaria)
Pain and Glory (dir. Pedro Almodóvar)