As the Oscar nominees for 2024 (being awarded in 2025) are announced, we continue TheGamer’s tradition of looking ahead toꦜ the next year at what Oscar contenders are on the horizon. This year’s nominees feel a lot less crowd-ple♈asing than last year when Barbenheimer swept the cinematic world, though there are still some success stories if you look for them.

But the cinematic world never stops, and it is time to look beyond this year into next. Most of the films below have not been screene🌄d yet, so these guesses are made entirely on hope and reputation. Still, if you want to keep up with what could be some of the year’s most impactful movies, or just want to impress your friends with the gift of prophecy, join us in breaking down the movies most likely to be in the headlines this time next year.

Best Picture

A silhouette shot of Lo'ak touching Payakan's fin underwater as a glare of light can be seen from the surface.
  • After the Hunt
  • Avatar: Fire and Ash
  • The Battle of the Baktan Cross
  • The Bride
  • Frankenstein
  • Highest 2 Lowest
  • Marty Supreme
  • Michael
  • Mickey 17
  • Wicked: For Good

🍰With ten Best Picture nominees to consider, I’ll whistle through them here as many naturally appear in the acting categories as well. After the Hunt is a sexual tไhriller from Luca Guadagnino (if it ain’t broke…) and I find myself compelled to root for it after the baffling snub Challengers received this year.

Avatar speaks for itself, with the previous two films being nominated and breaking box office records. The Battle of the Baktan Cross is a Paul Thomas An�🧜�derson movie, and while those can be overlooked, I’m putting some chips on it nonetheless.

Then we get to what we call ‘the narrative’. There are two Frankenstein adaptations due out this year, one by a newbie emigrating from acting, and one from a seasoned vet (The Bride by Maggie Gyllenhaal and Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro). While they woꦜn’t be a Barbenheimer, combined they could both aid each others’ cause. Next up, Highest 2 Lowest is Spike Lee remaking Akira Kurosawa's High and Low. ‘Nuff said.

As for the three M-names, we’ll keep it simple. Marty Supreme is very secretive, but is being directed by Josh Safdie, finally returning after 2019's Un༺cut Gems, while Michael is the biopic of Michael Jackson which again will get ‘the narrative’ one ꧟way or another. Mickey 17 is the next film from Bong Joon-ho, who helmed the first foreign language Best Picture winner, Parasite, in 2019.

Lastly, we have Wick😼ed. Won’t win this year (part ones 𒁏rarely do), could win next year.

Best Actor

Dwayne Johnson sat in a boxing ring in The Smashing Machine
  • Dwayne Johnson, The Smashing Machine
  • Ed Harris, Long Day's Journey Into Night
  • Jeremy Allen White, Deliver Me From Nowhere
  • Paul Mescal, Hamnet
  • Timothee Chalamet, Marty Supreme

Look, I know it’s a huge swing. But The Rock is a born campaigner, and director Benny Safdie has the juice. I’m not sure how good I believe🀅 Johnson will be in a serious role, but I so badly want him to nail it. A nod would also feel like revenge for what I feel is the 2020s biggest acting snub, ignoring Johnson’s Baywatch co-star Zac Efron for his turn in The Iron Claw.

In a more normal prediction, I had Harris here last year and the movie was delayed. Still have faith. As for White, biopics do well at the Oscars, so if he can nail Springsteen - and he already has the look down - I think he will generate some buzz. Speaking of biopics, we don’t yet know if Chloe Zhao’s take on Sh♐akespeare’s life will be out this year, but if it is, Mescal as Big Willie Style himself could be in✤ the race.

Meanwhile, we know nothing about Timmy, and a win this year would i🐲mpact things, but Chalamet following up an Oscar nom 🎶plus Josh Safdie returning after so long away feels like a horse to bet on.

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked
  • Julia Roberts, After the Hunt
  • Cynthia Erivo, Wicked: For Good
  • Jessie Buckley, The Bride
  • Tessa Thompson, Hedda
  • Thomasin McKenzie, Perfect

Again, After the Hunt is now getting all the energy I would have put into Challengers, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:my movie of the year, and I expect Roberts will shine. As Zendaya did. Who- never mind. As for Erivo, I’ve already written about why 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:I don’t think this year is her year, and with Elphabﷺa’s arc in the second act, I see her coming back the second time around.

Buckley has been great in everything I’ve seen her in, including 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Dark Pictures, which is usually an actor’s undoing. With Gyllenh✨aal’s take focussed on The Bride of Frankenstein (hence the name), I expect it to offer her a sturdy platform. And for Thompson, even a serviceable adaptation 💎of Hedda Gabler would push actresses to their limits - if she finds hers, she has a chance.

As for McKenzie, I had her here last year and we’ve since heard zilch about this gymnastics moওvie that may not even exist anymore, or may end up in 2026 or beyond. But I am not 𝕴a quitter.

Best Supporting Actor

Fiyero looking at Glinda in Wicked
  • Colman Domingo, Michael
  • Jeffrey Wright, Highest 2 Lowest
  • Jonathan Bailey, Wicked: For Good
  • Russell Crowe, Nuremberg
  • Somebody, Warfare

Domingo is playing Michael’s abusive father Joe Jackson, which feels like the meatier, more nuanced role, and having been nominated last year for Rustin, this year for Sing Sing (I think Ralph Fiennes, Chalamet, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a possibly-AI-enhanced Adrien Brody are ahead of hi𒊎m in the queue), the mood will be that he is du꧅e.

For Wright, Lee’s tight, dialogue-heavy scripting seems t☂o play into his hands, and could deliver a treat. And with Bailey, Fiyero’s part is bigger in the second half (and rumoured to be bigger again in the movie), which could see the obvious goodwill Wicked ha𝕴s carrying him into the contest. For Nuremberg, the idea of Nazis being tried for crimes committed while in power could also be a movie that is one with ‘the narrative’ by this time next year, and Crowe still packs a punch when he wants to.

And I know the last one is a cheat but the supporting cast of Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland’s Warfare includes Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, and Will Poulter - three actors who have shown themselves capable of turning in 𝐆ꦐthe kind of performance that gets noticed.

Best Supporting Actress

Mia Goth in a bandana in X
  • Ayo Edebiri, After the Hunt
  • Emma Stone, Bugonia
  • Hailee Steinfeld, Sinners
  • Mia Goth, Frankenstein
  • Regina Hall, The Battle of Baktan Cross

Perhaps controversially, no Grande here, despite Erivo and Bailey. I think the sequel (or second half, in truth) will build more around Elphaba while also making space for Dorothy, who is not in the musical. That, plus the fact 🐽I would peg herღ as this year’s favourite, means she may make way.

Onto who is actually there. With Stone and Steinfeld, I admit it is a similar reason - I felt I needed to mention both Bugonia and Sinners before I ran out of room, and so they are here 🍸representing their respective movies overall, although Stone is a two-time former winner and Steinfeld a former nominee, so they are no slouches.

As for Goth, we are once more back to ‘the narrative’. Not only in that it’s the other Frank𒆙enstein movie, but in that many feel Goth was hard done to not to be nominated for Pearl, where the horror genre counted against her.

With Demi Moore scoring a nom for The Substance this year, the anti-horror tide may be tur🔥ning in time for Goth to benefit in 2026.

Then with Hall, I expect if PTA does get a Best Picture nod, his cast will be somewhere in the mix, and having put 🤡in the work to develop into a serious dramatic actress from her slapstick comedy beginnings, Hall is worth a special mention. After Licorice Pizza, I would also love to see Alana Haim here for Bakta✤n Cross, too.

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