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Published 4/1/2026
Written by: Braylon Mitchell
You can visit my Oscar Predictions page at the time of this list's publication to see these exact predictions currently displayed over there, but my predictions page changes weekly and will continue to do so as the year goes on and we enter the upcoming awards season- so, I thought I'd commemorate in advance my predictions for the 2027 Best Picture ten with this early predictions list.
As of now, this is to share my predictions and months from now will be to look back on to either laugh at or applaud.
Here are my predictions for the 2027 Best Picture Oscar nominees, as of April 2026.
OTHER CONTENDERS I'M CONSIDERING STRONG POSSIBILITIES (in alphabetical order)
Behemoth! (Dir. Tony Gilroy) (Searchlight)
Being Heumann (Dir. Sian Heder) (Apple)
Clarissa (Dir. Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri) (NEON)
Disclosure Day (Dir. Steven Spielberg) (Universal)
Fatherland / 1949 (Dir. Pawel Pawlikowski) (TBD, likely either MUBI or NEON)
Jack of Spades (Dir. Joel Coen) (TBD)
The Memory Police (Dir. Reed Morano) (TBD)
Saturn Return (Dir. Greg Kwedar) (Netflix)
The Social Reckoning (Dir. Aaron Sorkin) (Sony)
#10
All of a Sudden (Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi) (NEON)
Plot: Two scholars exchange letters about chance and risk. As the philosopher falls ill, their academic correspondence evolves into intimate discussions about mortality and a deeper connection forms between them.
I was in between including either this film or "Fatherland" as the second international film in this predicted Best Picture lineup since, spoiler alert, I have another international film ranked higher in my predictions; for the past three years there's been two foreign films nominated. I ultimately decided to go with predicting "All of a Sudden". Although, it's truly a coin toss until both films premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May- then we'll know which one will be the bigger awards play, if it could be both, or if it's neither. After all, there are many films at Cannes we're not currently thinking about awards-wise that could breakthrough similar to how "The Secret Agent" did last year. We don't know yet, but that's the point of these early predictions- to predict, to guess.
In the 2021/22 Awards Season Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi's film "Drive My Car" landed nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and an Oscar win for Best International Feature- which at the time for a slow burn foreign film from Cannes without major studio distribution was considered a shocking success and an awards season rarity; although now in hindsight makes better sense as in the years to come the academy has progressively become much more inclusive when it comes to nominating international cinema. Awards voters/critics remember "Drive My Car" and while Hamaguchi has made films since then that didn't receive awards attention- if "All of a Sudden" is acclaimed and follows up on the emotional promise of it's story premise, I could see Hamaguchi having another awards hit on his hands.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Tao Okamoto), Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature.
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Actress (Virginie Efira), Best Casting, and Best Cinematography.
#9
No One Cares (Dir. Jesse Eisenberg) (A24)
Plot: A shy woman unexpectedly cast in a local musical production loses herself in the role under the spell of the strong-willed director, immersing herself in the high-stakes world of community theater.
Jesse Eisenberg is still early on in his directing career, only having directed two films as of now "When You Finish Saving the World" and "A Real Pain"- the latter of which won Kieran Culkin a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and was extremely close to a Best Picture nomination. Eisenberg is fresh off the success of "A Real Pain" and has already proven his strengths when it comes to directing & writing- sure, this film could be a nonstarter if its not as good as we're hoping but at the moment I have no reason to believe that if it hits it won't be a solid awards player. Especially considering the potential for acting nominations and a win (c'mon, tell me a Paul Giamatti overdue win narrative doesn't sound possible) through this large ensemble of established talent and new talent alike, I feel like this film will be a treat for fellow actors to watch. Plus, at the time of making these predictions it's the biggest possible awards player A24 has on their 2026 slate.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Actress (Julianne Moore), Best Supporting Actor (Paul Giamatti), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Original Score.
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Bernadette Peters), Best Supporting Actress (Havana Rose Liu), Best Supporting Actress (Halle Baliey), Best Supporting Actress (Cara Buono), Best Casting, Best Editing, and Best Original Song (TBA).
#8
Dune: Part Three (Dir. Denis Villeneuve) (Warner. Bros)
Plot: Follows Paul Atreides years after his rise to power, as he grapples with the devastating consequences of his holy war.
One of the biggest question marks of the upcoming 2026/27 Awards Season.
Either it'll be in the exact same awards situation as "Dune: Part Two" with a couple nominations and a win or two in the tech categories, do worse with only three or so nominations but still get into the Best Picture lineup, does much better with more nominations/wins than last time and gets Denis Villeneuve his overdue Best Director nomination, or the film isn't well received and it only gets Best Visual Effects & Best Sound nominations.
I don't think it'll falter that hard even if the film isn't as well regarded as the previous two (the source material is said to be much tougher, much bleaker to pull off) but I also don't think it'll be the "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" of the trilogy and win Best Picture or anything like that as I know some are predicting/hoping it could.
I'm predicting this film to do just about as well as "Dune: Part Two" did with the Oscars, no matter how well its received- except, since "Project Hail Mary" and "The Odyssey" are apart of the party this time it might not walk away with wins for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound as easily this time.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound.
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Director, Best Casting, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score (If illegible).
#7
Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (Dir. Greta Gerwig) (Netflix)
Plot: Follows children Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer as they navigate magical worlds using rings created by Digory's Uncle Andrew.
Greta Gerwig's last three films ("Lady Bird", "Little Women", and "Barbie") were each in their own rites awards darlings and were nominated for Best Picture- now, following up the cultural phenomenon that "Barbie" was three years ago Gerwig is tackling adapting the iconic, beloved Narnia book series. Yes, a major Narnia adaptation has been done before and had some moderate awards success twenty years ago ("The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" won the Best Makeup & Hairstyling Oscar in 2006) but unlike that adaptation this one not only has one of Hollywood's hottest directors behind it, but also has Netflix behind it- pushing it to have a major IMAX release smack dap in the middle of the holiday season/awards season. This film seems to fits the bill perfectly for the type of fantasy/sci-fi/genre Best Picture nominee that gets in based off the support of a ton of below the line nominations and general popularity. Either this film will have a similar awards path to that of other fantasy/sci-fi hits "Dune" or "The Lord of the Rings" or "Avatar" or "Wicked" or it'll have a similar awards path to the "Harry Potter" franchise where it's acknowledged just not in a major way. Who's to say if this film's sequel or sequels get into Best Picture, but for this first venture into Gerwig's Narnia I'm betting that strong awards recognition will follow. In particular, I could see this film becoming a possible frontrunner to win crafts categories.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Casting, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Original Song (TBA).
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Daniel Craig), Best Supporting Actress (Carey Mulligan), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Original Score.
#6
Fjord (Dir. Cristian Mingiu) (NEON)
Plot: An immigrant Romanian family living in Norway is subject to an investigation and faces the scrutiny of the local judicial system.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm predicting that at least two international films (likely Cannes premieres) will get into the Best Picture lineup- and sight unseen, "Fjord" seems like the default option for one of those two slots. It's lead by recently Oscar nominated actors Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, is from a well known filmmaker that's won the Palm D'Or before but has yet to have a film breakthrough into the Oscar race, tackles timley themes about prejudice towards immigrants, and has NEON behind its distrubtion & campaign- if it's acclaimed at Cannes, go ahead and offically pencil this film in as the "big international title" of the Best Picture lineup. If that's the case, expect Stan and Reinsve to each land their respective second Oscar nominations too.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Sebastian Stan), Best Actress (Renate Reinsve), Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature.
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Casting, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.
#5
Cry to Heaven (Dir. Tom Ford) (TBD, possibly Focus Features)
Plot: Venetian nobleman Tonio Treschi rises to fame as a soprano, after his half-brother castrated him, under the guidance of opera star Guido Maffeo.
Again, this is one of the biggest question marks of the 2026/27 Awards Season. Not only because we're not entirely sure if it'll actually be finished on time to release in 2026, but also because of how many questions there still are surrounding this film.
Will its story be too dark/emotionally taxing for most viewers? Will people even be able to connect with the story? How will it utilize its impressive cast ensemble? Which actors could be singled out for nominations, is it Nicholas Hoult and Aaron Taylor Johnson or will others be standouts? Which studio will pick it up? Is it Focus Features like the rumors are saying or will another studio nap it up? Will it have a fall festival run or will it cold-release sometime near Christmas/early January?
There are a lot of questions on my mind when it comes to this film's awards chances, so more so than other films on this list I feel like I'm truly making a blind guess predicting this film. If its a hit with critics and has enough eyes on it, I could absolutely see this being a full on mainstay throughout the season- it simply seems like the type of film that'll get people talking. If the reception and buzz is positive, this looks like it'll have the right amount of juice to be a major contender. Plus, despite this only being his third film in the span of fifteen years- Tom Ford is a director who's overdue to finally have a film of his crack into the Best Picture lineup.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Actor (Nicholas Hoult), Best Supporting Actor (Aaron Taylor Johnson), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Cirian Hinds), Best Supporting Actor (Colin Firth), Best Supporting Actress (Adele), Best Supporting Actress (Thandiwe Newton), Best Cinematography, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Sound, and Best Original Score.
#4
Project Hail Mary (Dir. Phill Lord, Christopher Miller) (Amazon/MGM)
Plot: A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing Earth's sun and that an unexpected friendship may be the key.
For the past four years we've had at least one film from Quarter One or Quarter Two of the year getting into Best Picture, most of the times a very acclaimed and beloved blockbuster- think how recent nominees such as "Top Gun: Maverick", "Everything Everywhere All At Once", "Barbie", "Oppenheimer", "Dune" Part Two", "Sinners", and "F1" had early year releases and for the most part that didn't effect their awards paths at all, if anything strengthened them. Well, we might as well pencil in "Project Hail Mary" to be added to that list. It's the only film on this predictions list that we've seen, and all signs indicate it'll be a significant Oscars player. I hate saying things are an 100% lock because nothing in life is ever 100%, but I'll be damned if this doesn't feel like a lock for a Best Picture nomination. Oscar bait is a taboo, frowned upon term in the film/awards community- but Oscar bait doesn't automatically mean "Bohemian Rhapsody" it can take different forms, like an emotionally driven action comedy about a Korean family facing taxes and the multiverse or a socially relevant meta comedy based around the most iconic Mattel "girl's toy" in history or mega-crowdpleaser sci-fi blockbuster about a beloved actor becoming best friends with a lovable crab rock alien. Oscar bait can totally be when a film with a unique story or a unique style or a genre-heavy film leaves a major emotional impact and has the working parts of an awards package & campaign, Oscar bait isn't just biopics or period pieces. Yes, that type of typical Oscar bait still exists and the academy still goes for it often- but the term Oscar bait as we know it is changing, and changing for the better. Oscar bait is now more than ever starting to mean "good success, good campaign, good story, good emotions".
Yes, it's early but I predict this film has a shot to maybe win an Oscar or two as well. I'm very interested in this film's possible prospects to win Best Adapted Screenplay. Looking at the possible competition in the adapted screenplay category this year, sight unseen this film does feel like one of the strongest contenders to win. I'm putting down my chips now that either "Project Hail Mary" or "Cry to Heaven" will win Best Adapted Screenplay, which means a path to win Best Picture exists for both of those. Folks, what can I say except "Project Hail Mary" will be a very strong film at the Oscars next year.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Score.
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Sandra Huller), Best Casting, and Best Costume Design.
#3
The Odyssey (Dir. Christopher Nolan) (Universal)
Plot: After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Circe along the way.
His follow up to "Oppenheimer" which won seven academy awards including Best Picture, Christopher Nolan is still in the afterglow of the biggest hit of his career and one of the biggest awards hits of the decade- so yes, "The Odyssey" already feels like a given for a Best Picture nomination. We don't have to question whether or not it'll be good, this is Christopher Nolan we're talking about- Nolan tackling a massive scale period piece action epic based on one of the most ancient and influential stories in human history, bursting at the seams with a huge cast of stars and craft that already seems impeccable equals awards season no brainer. This film would have to be a disaster for it to get anything less than ten Oscar nominations. It'll likely make close to a billion dollars, be a massive cultural hit, and be a mainstay throughout all of awards season with nominations and below the line wins. Who knows, this could even bring Christopher Nolan his second Best Director win. Depending how big of a role she has in the film, it could maybe bring Anne Hathaway a second Best Supporting Actress win. It could bring Hoyte Van Hoytema his second Best Cinematography win, based off the fact alone that brand new cameras were invented to shoot the film entirely on IMAX 70mm I'd say that actually feels bound to happen. There's so much to be excited about when it comes to this film, and its awards season prospects are certainly apart of that excitement.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway), Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Score.
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Actor (Matt Damon), Best Supporting Actor (Tom Holland), Best Supporting Actor (Jon Bernthal), and Best Adapted Screenplay.
#2
Digger (Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu) (Warner Bros.)
Plot: The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's savior before the disaster he's unleashed destroys everything.
I'll sell my kidney on the black market if "Digger" isn't an Oscar nominated film in January 2027. Will I really? No. I need my kidneys, I guess- but, seriously every single thing about this film that we know about feels like it's begging to be an Oscar darling. Heavy social commentary with its main two characters being the richest man on Earth and the president of the United States (Tom Cruise as the billionaire, John Goodman as the president), direction from two time Best Director winner Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, cinematography from three time Best Cinematography winner Emmanuel Lubezki, a massive cast of Oscar nominated actors, and the position as Warner Bros. main contender hot off an awards season where they had massive success with their films "One Battle After Another" and "Sinners".
It doesn't matter if the film is well reviewed or not, in fact I'm already suspecting it'll get mixed reactions from critics, because this film is bonafide Oscar bait that feels like it can't fail. This is the academy's favorite type of worm, and they'll surely bite. In particular, a Best Actor nomination for Tom Cruise feels instantly locked- in fact, an Oscar win kind of already feels locked. That's sometimes a bad sign for something to feel so certain so early on and mainly based off speculation, but then again that can sometimes mean plain and simply even months or years in advance that a role/character is so perfect for an actor that an awards sweep feels easy and hard to dispute. It'll have to take a truly great, narrative driven campaign for another contender to beat him.
Be excited for "Digger", it's going to be a big fish this year.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Tom Cruise), Best Supporting Actor (John Goodman), Best Supporting Actress (Sandra Huller), Best Original Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Makeup & Hairstyling.
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Supporting Actor (Jesse Plemons), Best Supporting Actor (Riz Ahmed), Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Score.
#1
Wild Horse Nine (Dir. Martin McDonagh) (Searchlight)
Plot: CIA agents Chris and Lee face a trust-testing mission from Santiago to Easter Island during 1973 Chile.
Do I actually think this'll win Best Picture? No, but I do think that as of now it's the most likely to be nominated. Outside of last year where there was a rare occurrence of all of their prospects not receiving awards love ("Rental Family", "Is This Thing On?", and "The Testament of Ann Lee") for the past decade or so Searchlight Pictures has been one of the most steadfast studios when it comes to top notch awards campaigns and getting their contenders into Best Picture lineups. If Searchlight acquires a strong awards film, they push it hard and succeeded at getting nominations- consistent in getting their film wins as well.
After having two major awards successes with "Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri" in 2017 and "The Banshees of Inisherin" in 2022, Martin McDonagh is in a position now where any film that he makes will be heavily considered awards-wise and I have no reason to believe that this film won't be continuation of that success. This film looks to have that similar brand of McDonagh humor, compelling character relationships, and showcases the CIA's overthrowing of the Chilean government which considering the real life events that've occurred this year with Venezuela and Iran makes the events portrayed in this film feel all the more directly relevant to today. It's that social relevance along with the potential package of winning director or screenplay and an acting award that makes me, for the time being, have this film in the placeholder spot as temporary frontrunner to possibly win.
My Predicted Nominations:
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (John Malkovich), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell), Best Supporting Actor (Steve Buscemi), Best Supporting Actress (Mariana Di Girolamo), Best Original Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Editing, and Best Original Score.
Other Possible Nominations:
Best Supporting Actress (Parker Posey), Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.
Link to my always updating Oscar Predictions page below:
Go back and click on the posters of each film to view its trailer- all except No One Cares, Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, Fjord, Cry to Heaven as they have not released trailers as of the time of publishing.
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