Oscar’s best picture race is already standing room only, so EMANCIPATION‘s prospects aren’t exactly bullish, especially with the baggage of a producer/lead actor who just knocked Oscar for a loop.
Here’s a list (alphabetical) of 10 films with the best picture buzz:
- BABYLON (Paramount)
- THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (Searchlight)
- EMPIRE OF LIGHT (Searchlight)
- EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (A24)
- THE FABELMANS (Universal/Amblin)
- SHE SAID (Universal/Annapurna/Plan B)
- TÁR (Focus)
- TOP GUN: MAVERICK (Paramount/Skydance)
- THE WOMAN KING (Sony/TriStar)
- WOMEN TALKING (UAR/Orion/Plan B)
And here (alphabetically) are 10 leading hopefuls:
- ARMAGEDDON TIME (Focus)
- AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER (Disney/20th Century)
- BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (Disney/Marvel)
- BONES AND ALL (UAR/MGM)
- ELVIS (WB)
- EMPIRE OF LIGHT (Searchlight)
- THE SON (Sony Pictures Classics)
- THE WHALE (A24)
- TILL (UAR/MGM/ORION)
- TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (Neon)
As for the lead actor, Smith (pictured with his post-slap Oscar) faces hand-to-hand combat for the five available noms from (alphabetically) these 10 frontrunners:
- Austin Butler (ELVIS)
- Tom Cruise (TOP GUN: MAVERICK)
- Adam Driver (WHITE NOISE/Netflix)
- Colin Farrell (THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN),
- Brendan Fraser (THE WHALE)
- Tom Hanks (A MAN CALLED OTTO/Sony/Playtone)
- Hugh Jackman (THE SON)
- Bill Nighy (LIVING/Sony Pictures Classics)
- Brad Pitt (BABYLON)
- Sam Worthington (AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER/Disney/20th Century)