Tag Archives: Academy Awards

🏆 Oscars 2026 Predictions: Best Picture Contenders & Early Awards Buzz

Posted on August 25, 2025 | Leave a comment

The race for the 98th Academy Awards is heating up, with several films already making waves in the 2025 festival circuit and early screenings. Here are the top Best Picture contenders to watch as we approach the Oscars 2026.

🎬 Top Best Picture Contenders for the 2026 Oscars

1. Frankenstein

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz
Release Date: October 17, 2025 (Theatrical), November 7, 2025 (Netflix)
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Studio: Netflix
Why It’s Buzzing: Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel has garnered early acclaim for its emotional depth and visual storytelling. The film’s ensemble cast and del Toro’s direction position it as a strong contender for multiple Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

2. One Battle After Another

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Drama
Why It’s Buzzing: This film, inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, has generated significant anticipation due to Anderson’s direction and the star power of DiCaprio and Penn. Early discussions suggest it could be a major player in the Best Picture category.

3. Sentimental Value

Director: Joachim Trier
Cast: Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Drama
Why It’s Buzzing: Premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Sentimental Value won the Grand Prix and received excellent reviews. Its critical acclaim and emotional storytelling make it a strong contender for Best Picture.

4. After The Hunt

Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Julia Roberts
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Why It’s Buzzing: This dramatic thriller, featuring Julia Roberts as a college professor grappling with a serious accusation, has been highlighted as an early contender for Best Picture due to its compelling narrative and Roberts’ performance.

5. Mickey 17

Director: Bong Joon Ho
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Genre: Sci-Fi, Black Comedy
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Why It’s Buzzing: Bong Joon Ho’s latest film, based on the novel Mickey7, has received positive reviews for its innovative storytelling and strong performances. Its unique premise and critical acclaim position it as a potential Best Picture nominee.ats up with exclusive interviews, nominee reveals, and expert analysis.

📅 Key Dates for the 2026 Oscars

  • December 2025: Film release deadlines for eligibility
  • January 2026: Official Oscar nominations announced
  • March 2026: The 98th Academy Awards ceremony

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Oscars Winners 2024 — Predictions and Afterthought

Posted on March 11, 2024 | Leave a comment

I’ve accurately predicted 14 out of 23 categories, which comes out to about 60%. It’s not my lowest success rate over the past three years on Gold Derby, but it’s not my best either. I had a feeling I should have stuck with the winners of the precursor awards, but the Academy has a reputation for making unexpected choices sometimes. Overall, I’m quite content with the outcome. I really thought Lily would win Best Actress, but I also believe Emma was very much deserving of the recognition.

As for Best Original Song, I was particularly confident about “I’m Just Ken” because I feel that the Academy might go for something unexpected this year just to make noise. LOL

Wow, Poor Things overperformed! I was convinced Maestro had the makeup and hairstyling category locked down. Tough break, Bradley!

The Boy and the Heron taking the win is just fantastic news! I was on the edge of my seat, especially considering the strong campaign for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Seeing Hayao Miyazaki come out on top is truly gratifying.

A big round of applause for Godzilla Minus One as well! What a tremendous victory for Japan! Perfect Days should’ve won, tbh, but to each his own. 


Here are the the winners:

Best Picture – Oppenheimer

Best Director
Christopher Nolan — Oppenheimer

Best Actor
Cillian Murphy — Oppenheimer

Best Actress
Emma Stone — Poor Things
(I predicted Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon)

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Downey Jr. — Oppenheimer

Best Supporting Actress
Da’Vine Joy Randolph — The Holdovers

Best Adapted Screenplay
American Fiction
(I predicted Oppenheimer to get this)

Best Original Screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall
(I predicted The Holdovers to win this one)

Best Visual Effects
Godzilla Minus One

Best Costume Design
Poor Things
(I had Barbie here)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Poor Things
(I predicted Maestro here)

Best Cinematography
Oppenheimer

Best Production Design
Poor Things

Best Sound
The Zone of Interest

Best Film Editing
Oppenheimer

Best Original Score
Oppenheimer

Best Original Song
“What Was I Made For” — Barbie
(Tsk. I should have stuck with Billie here. I predicted I’m Just Ken to pull an upset instead)

Best Animated Short Film
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko
(I predicted Letter to a Pig)

Best Live-Action Short Film
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Best Documentary Short Film
The Last Repair Shop
(I predicted The ABCs of Book Banning)

Best Documentary Feature Film
20 Days in Mariupol

Best International Feature Film
The Zone of Interest

Best Animated Feature Film
The Boy and the Heron

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My 2014 Oscar Final Predictions – My Winners And Spoilers!!

Posted on February 28, 2014 | Leave a comment

Oscar Trophy - Specials

With the awards season for the films of 2013 culminating on Sunday as the 86th Academy Awards present the Oscar to their respective winners, I’m also coming up (as per usual) with my final predictions for this year’s Oscars.

Best Picture

As much as I’m hoping that Gravity will win this category, I’m still leaning  towards a 12 Years A Slave win not only because it’s winning every precursor award giving bodies prior to the big night but because it’s a total Oscar bait like what I’ve always mentioned. Don’t get me wrong though, I love the film and I feel that it was a well made one but if I were to give it to THE best film of 2013 – Gravity should win this one hands down.

SPOILER: GRAVITY

Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron created a masterpiece with Gravity. Rarely that a director create something that is as powerful as this one. Steve McQueen can win the Best Picture but Cuaron has got this in the bag already.

SPOILER: STEVE MCQUEEN (NOT MUCH THOUGH)

BEST ACTORFrom my review, McConaughey’s rendition in Dallas Buyers Club as the homophobic Texan who became the unlikely hero of the gay community was flawless – it’s like the male Sophie – luminescent, one of a kind and truly singular. He’s untouchable here as much as I’d love for Leo to finally get an Oscar.

SPOILER: LEONARDO DICAPRIO

BEST ACTRESSAfter winning a statuette for her supporting role in Aviator, Cate is ready to finally claim what’s rightfully her to begin with (hhmm,  paging Gwyneth.) Her performance in Blue Jasmine was said to be the best of her career and I have to believe that for she won almost all the major award giving bodies for her work in the film. Yay!

SPOILER: SANDRA BULLOCK FOR GRAVITY.

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club 

Leto’s best work to date as Rayon is a groundbreaking performance that only deserves accolades like this one. In this film, Jared Leto proved that he’s special!

spoiler: Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Lupita Nyong’o for 12 Years a Slave

I’ve only high praises for Jennifer Lawrence but I find Lupita’s performance more memorable and for that alone, I’m giving her this one. Plus, I don’t think the Academy’s ready to give her an Oscar with her winning just last year.

SPOILER: Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle.

Best Original Screenplay – Her

Best Adapted Screenplay – 12 Years A Slave

Best Animated Feature – Frozen

Best Foreign Language Film – The Great Beauty (Italy)

Best Documentary – 20 Feet from Stardom

Best Film Editing – Gravity

Best Original Score – Gravity

Best Original Song – Let It Go

Best Cinematography – Gravity

Best Visual Effects – Gravity

Best Sound Editing – Gravity

Best Sound Mixing – Gravity

Best Production Design – The Great Gatsby

Best Makeup and Hairstyling -American Hustle

Best Costume Design – The Great Gatsby by Catherine Martin

Best Documentary – Short Subject – Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall

Best Live Action Short Film – Avant que de tout perdre (Just Before Losing Everything) – Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras

Best Animated Short Film – Get a Horse!

*I submitted this prediction to the 4th Pinoyexchange Oscar Pool (my fourth year of joining! during the first year, I placed 8th, unplaced on the second year and came in at 10th place last year)

for 50 bonus points, after predicting the winners for all 24 categories, the participant has the option to pick ONE PEx Oscar Prediction (listed below) which s/he will think will happen.

PEx Oscar Predictions:

  1. Leonardo DiCaprio will finally win his first Oscar
  2. “Let it Go” will not win Best Original Song
  3. There will be a tie in at least one category
  4. The Best Film Editing winner will not win Best Picture
  5. The Best Director winner will come from the Best Picture winner

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My 2013 Oscar Predictions!

Posted on February 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

Tonight is the biggest night in Hollywood as stars converge in Dolby Theater for the 85th Academy Awards. Last year was a very good year in films and the battle for tonight would validate the selected few who will get to win the Oscars and have their name written in the Oscar history book. With that being said, the competition is as stiff as last year when Meryl Streep and Viola Davis battled it out for the Best Actress category with the former winning her third statuette.

As for this year, like what I’ve been doing for the last couple of years – I’d be presenting my predictions / thoughts in certain categories with the THINK  and WANT format or Think / Want / Should Win format or Winner / Spoiler blah blah.

Here they are…

Best Picture

Argo

THINK / WANT / SHOULD – Argo is arguably the one to beat tonight with its unprecedented accolades left and right. The Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and the BAFTA hailed it as their Best Picture and I cannot imagine the Academy not following through and not recognizing the film despite the controversial snub of its director Ben Affleck.

SPOILER: If the Academy will snub this film just to be different, the award may go to Lincoln or Life Of Pi.

Best Director

It should only be between Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee

It should only be between Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee

With Ben Affleck getting no love from the Academy, I’ve this feeling that the Oscar will go to either Steven Spielberg or Ang Lee – both are previous winners. With this, I think it’ll be Steven Spielberg simply because I kinda think that (on a personal level) Spielberg’s direction was much better than the Life Of Pi of Ang Lee.

SPOILER: Ang Lee for Life Of Pi

Best Actor (LOCKED)

Daniel Day Lewis masterfully portraying Abraham Lincoln

Daniel Day Lewis masterfully portraying Abraham Lincoln

Think / Want / Should / No Spoiler: British actor Daniel Day Lewis is one of the favorites of the Academy having won two Oscars already. With his beyond impressive portrayal of Abe Lincoln, DDL could easily walk away with his third win – a well deserved win at that.

Best Actress

A Scene from Silver Linings Playbook

A Scene from Silver Linings Playbook

Now this is one of the most awaited categories of the night. Everybody thought Jennifer Lawrence had this already in the bag until Emmanuelle Riva’s name pops in and even snatching the BAFTA from JLaw. This could be a very interesting upset if the Silver Linings Playbook actress will go home empty handed after tonight.

THINK: Jennifer Lawrence – given the that American voters dominates the Academy, I should think that JLaw will get this.

 Emmanuelle Riva

WANT and SHOULD  /SPOILER: Emmanuelle Riva – her moving portrayal in Amour is beyond. This is her first nomination and was touted to be the oldest to get the nod for this category. Not for sentimental reason because Miss Riva’s 86 but because I believe that she actually deserved it more than Jennifer.

Best Supporting Actress (LOCKED)

Anne Hathaway in one of the most heart wrenching scene of Les Mis

Anne Hathaway in one of the most heart wrenching scene of Les Mis

No one – as in no one can beat Anne Hathaway tonight. Her portrayal of the ever so distraught Fantine in Les Misérables is perfection. The dynamic of her emotions as she sings the theme of the song has sealed her Oscar destiny. It’ll be such a shocker if Sally Field would snatch this one from her.

Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz

You cannot go wrong with Christoph Waltz when it comes to being cynical and all and Tommy Lee Jones have proven her worth a long time ago. I should think that it’s only between them and I’m betting towards Waltz winning this. Atleast I think the Academy have voted for him.

TLJ

SPOILER: Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln

Best Original Screenplay

Think / Want / Should – Amour

Best Writing Adapted Screnplay

Think / Want  – Lincoln

Should – Argo

Best Animated Feature

Think / Should / Want – Brave

Best Editing

Think/ Should/ Want – Argo

Best Original Score

Think/ Should/ Want – Life Of Pi

Best Original Song

Think/ Should / Want  – Adele for Skyfall

Best Visual Effects

Think/ Should/ Want – Life Of Pi

Best Sound Editing

Think/ Should/ Want – Life Of Pi

Best Foreign Film

Think/ Should/ Want – Amour

Best Production Design

Think/ Should/ Want – Les Miserables

Best Make Up And Hair

Think/ Should/ Want – Les Miserables

Best Costume Design

Think/ Should/ Want – Les Miserables

‘have not seen any of the short film / documentary categories so I opted to leave them alone instead of merely guessing! I hope the deserving winners would win tonight! ‘till next year!

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