UPDATE: I've already realized I forgot to add Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly and John Hillcoat's The Wettest County to this list. That would make 27.
I haven't yet gotten around to cleaning up "The Contenders" section of the site just yet and while some may argue it's too early to look toward the 2013 Oscars considering we just closed the book on the 2012 Oscar ceremony I have to kindly disagree. If for no other reason, looking at films that might be vying for Best Picture next year we get to sort through a bunch of films that may end up being considered the year's best. What's wrong with that?
Granted, as is often the case when looking this far into the future, several of these films may end up being duds. Some may not actually hit theaters in 2012 (though most do have established release dates) and others just might not fit the Academy's "taste".
The biggest difficulty in compiling a list like this, however, is to try and not make it too long and still manage to not forget anything. With that said, please let me know of anything you think I may have left off that has a legitimate shot at Best Picture and also feel free to offer your thoughts on other categories as I still need to take a look at everything else before putting together a complete list of 2013 Oscar contenders.
This list is presented in alphabetical order so no favorites have been made yet though certain titles among these 25 certainly do bubble up closer to the top than others...
Anna Karenina
DIR. Joe Wright /TBA
So Joe Wright dabbled in non-period features the last two years with Hanna and The Soloist and so he's ready to head back in time with Keira Knightley once again. Last time he did that he scored a Best Picture nomination with Atonement and I have a hard time believing this adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel written by Oscar-winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love) won't be on most early year contender lists.
Cast: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew MacFadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Emily Watson, Olivia Williams and Ruth Wilson
Get more on this film here.
Argo
DIR. Ben Affleck /September 14
Ben Affleck's directorial career has started off very strong with Gone Baby Gone and The Town, the latter of which many thought would get a nomination for Best Picture but it ended up falling short. The third time's a charm right? With Argo, Affleck has compiled a stellar cast to tell the "based on a true story" events chronicling the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis -- the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. The kicker is that the rescue mission is undertaken as the CIA poses as a Hollywood film crew scouting a movie.
Cast: Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston, Scoot McNairy, Tate Donovan, Taylor Schilling, Clea DuVall, Richard Kind, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Victor Garber, Zeljko Ivanek, Chris Messina and Michael Parks
Get more on this film here.
Beasts of the Southern Wild
DIR. Benh Zeitlin /June 29
I don't know much about Beasts of the Southern Wild outside of the fact that everyone that saw it at Sundance this year seemed to love it. Fox Searchlight quickly snatched it up, which is a sign in and of itself, and laid out plans for a June release date. My guess is they will get it into the Cannes Film Festival, hope it garner's as much buzz on an international stage as it did in Sundance and get it into theaters one month later.
Cast: Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry
Get more on this film here.
Brave
DIR. Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman /June 22
If there's a chance an animated film is nominated that chance lies with Pixar right? This year's field looks pretty strong and I'm not sure I see this one having the impact of say Up or Toy Story 3, but I couldn't not consider it.
Voice Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane and Kevin McKidd
Get more on this film here.
Cloud Atlas
DIR. Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer /TBA
Will it be too weird? Will it be brilliant? Will it be a convoluted mess? The possibilities with this film are endless and to ignore its chances at greatness would be a mistake. If I was to bet I'd say it probably wouldn't end up among the final nominees, but that bet would only be partially due to the possibility of it not being any good, and more to the possibility that it just doesn't fit into the Academy's wheelhouse.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Ben Whishaw, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant and James D'Arcy
Get more on this film here.
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2013's Best Picture WILL BE "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey". I think that everyone is looking forward to the return of Middle Earth, and that INCLUDES the Academy. I challenge ANYONE to deny this. But... If "The Hobbit" DOESN'T win, I would be happy with "Cloud Atlas" mainly for it's ambitious nature and pure originality, "Inside Lleywn Davis", cause it's the fucking Coen Brothers!!! 'Nuff said. I DO think "Gangster Squad" will be GREAT, however, I don't see it as being "Best Picture" materal...
I deny it. There are a ton of excellent-looking films on the way this year. The Hobbit is not even in the top 10 movies I'm looking forward to. I highly doubt it ends up being the best movie released this year.
I ain't looking for another trip to Middle Earth. All three of the previous films are highly overrated and its a joke that The Return of the King won 11 Oscars.
Or maybe you just got bad taste in movies. I'll go with that.
I'm not really looking forward to The Hobbit... so no. And Cloud Atlas isn't technically original, it's an adaptation of a novel.
Dude...you haven't even seen the movies yet...hold your horses. I'm looking forward to The Hobbit as much as anyone, but to say it already deserves best picture is more than a little premature.
Mhm. The Hobbit will win. End of story. PERIOD!
I admit, I think I like "Zero Dark Thrity" as opposed to "Kill Bin Laden". Most people won't get the title, but I looked up what it means, cause I was currious. It's a military term that esentailly means thirty minutes after midnight. Zero hours, 30 minutes after Dark
When I was in the Army we used it as a catch all to mean any time you had to do something super early like PT, guard duty, weapons qual, etc. We'd always say Oh Dark Thirty, though.
Bren beat me to the punch. My dad was in the Army and he always said it as Oh Dark Thirty too. I guess the studio thinks "Zero" sounds cooler for a movie title.
Excellent, now I don't have to look it up either. I just have to decide whether to watch it.
Looks like a much stronger year than last year. Excited for TDKR, Django Unchained, Looper, This is Forty, Gangster Squad the most.
Wright is taking on an experimental approach with Anna Karenina, so I'm not sure if it will translate well with the Academy. Most of it was shot in a theater.
what about The Hunger Games....
What about it? For Best Picture you mean?
If Harry Potter can't get a nom then Hunger Games won't.
If the movie is good (which I hope so), then it will probably get some technical nominations, and hearing the newly released song "Abraham's Daughter" by Arcade Fire, they might get a chance at winning the Best Song Oscar.
I already realized I forgot two, Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly and John Hillcoat's The Wettest County.
I also made my top 20 and these were 2 of the 4 that I had and you didn't (the other two being The Place Beyond the Pines and The Hobbit)
Great list, btw!
I can't believe Cogan's Trade got a name change this late. And a much worse, and more generic, one (in my opinion). I hate that. I hope it was out of respect for George V. Higgins in some way I don't understand. Because I certainly don't understand it.
I saw "The Wettest County" at a screening in October. Good, but I don't expect it to be nominated for a single Oscar, let alone Best Picture.
Oh my god. Is it too early to say 2012 will go down as one of the all-time great years in film?
If TDKR and Looper both get Best Picture noms, I will be over the moon. Fingers crossed.
For TDKR to win Best Pic, it has to be the absolute hands down Best Picture. Looper to get a nom has to be the absolute hands down Best Picture.
Not to be nitpicky, but Bill Murray was up for the Oscar in 2004, not 2005.
This year looks a lot more promising than last year, especially some of the bigger budget movies that are being offered.
I noticed that too.
The Hobbit is a lock I think. Brave will take the Best Animated one, with the potential for 3 or 4 more nominations, maybe a best picture too. If Les Miserables will be as good as King's Speech, it will be a strong contender too. I really hope Dark Knight Rises will get the nomination, as well as the award.
This is probably one of my favorite times of year for the Oscar race. I love it because you get all these articles about the next awards ceremony that are essentially a primer for all the good movies that will be coming out later. Gives me something to look forward to and usually allows me to discover a new movie I hadn't heard before.
It's also awesome because you just know that some movie no one even knows about right now will find a way into the race like The Artist did.
Looks like a great year for movies, though! Much better than 2011 so far.
And every movie sounds SO amazing, given the pedigree. Inevitably, come Oscar bait season, maybe half of these movies will receive bad-to-middling reviews and we'll all be a little disappointed. But it's so much fun to ooh and ah over so many potential classics.
Most likely, the biggest Best Picture contenders next year will come out of nowhere. A year ago, nobody knew what The Artist was.
Just over a year ago. That film was bough by the Weinstein Co. before Cannes ever started and there was buzz that it could stick around.
Just looking at this list, it's clear 2012 will be a much more exciting year for movies than 2011 was. I'm a little surprised you left off Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," though.
Thought about it, but none of Anderson's films have ever been nominated for Best Picture. I just don't see his style fitting what the Academy looks for.
It may not be an Oscar contender but the movie "The Guilt Trip" with Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen is going to be a huge hit. Have friends who have been to screenings. Paramount Vanatage likes it so much they've moved from Spring to November 3
I'm working on a most anticipated list for 2012 and I pretty much agree with these as the films that jump out as Oscar contenders at this point. Just a few nitpicks / differences of opinion:
While it almost seems like The Dark Knight Rises has to be nominated for Best Picture if it's any good, I'm still not sold. Nolan definitely won't be nominated for Best Director (if he couldn't get in for Inception there's no way he's getting in for Batman), and I still have a feeling the Academy will snub it just because it's a comic book film, probably the genre they respect the least, below comedy and sci-fi even. I'm not saying that as a comic book snob (the only comic book I've ever read is Watchmen), just as someone who has followed the Academy for a long time now. And while The Dark Knight Rises may get in, I really don't think Looper will, regardless of quality. The Academy doesn't respect sci-fi and I definitely don't see them nominating a sci-fi film AND a comic book film in the same year.
I also doubt This is Forty will be a Best Picture contender, though it's definitely positioned as such as those kind of big R-rated comedies have been almost exclusively summer films. If any mainstream comedy was going to make the cut Bridesmaids would have done it, and while it was probably one of the first films out, This is Forty seems like it will be too mainstream to break that barrier.
I also don't think I would pencil Day-Lewis in as the Best Actor frontrunner quite so quickly. Don't ask me why I remember this, but back after the 2009 ceremony someone commented that for the next year there had never been a more certain Best Actor nominee than Day-Lewis in Nine...and we saw how that turned out. Couple that with the fact that by the time Lincoln hits theatres Spielberg won't have delivered a good film in seven years (all the way back to Munich, which I still haven't had the urge to rewatch), and I have serious doubts about Lincoln. Hopefully it will be good, but there's definitely cause for concern.
If I had to pick a Best Picture frontrunner this early it would be Les Miserables, just because it seems to have everything that has been appealing to the Academy for the last couple years. Also, I have to point out once again that it will now have been six years since a studio film won Best Picture (The Departed). I don't have a problem with that, as the independent films are where most of the best work in Hollywood is being done now, with the studios mainly focused on opening weekend numbers, comic book franchises, and 3D. However, every year I wonder if there's a chance a quality studio film can break out, since those that are good seem to be fighting an uphill battle. The Social Network almost pulled it off in 2010, but this past year there really weren't any true quality studio pictures. But if any film is going to do it, Les Miserables seems like the best possibility.
Another issue with Day-Lewis...no one has EVER won Best Actor three times. He seems like the most likely contender to do it (maybe along with Tom Hanks, though he hasn't been doing many quality projects lately), but he's still get at least a couple decades of work ahead of him. I suspect he will eventually get a third Best Actor Oscar (maybe even a Hepburn-tying fourth), but I think it will take an earth-shattering Daniel Plainview-esque performance for him to pull it off.
Day-Lewis will be a serious contender but won't win. I think his previous two wins will help make Murray the eventual winner. Also, I sense that we can declare Anne Hathaway the winner of the best supporting actress race for Les Miserables.
I agree with picking Les Mis as the frontrunner. Looking at the categories, the competition, and the type of story this is, if it is pulled off perfectly, it could tie Titanic, and if Hugh pulls an upset on Bill and Daniel, they could win 12
I'm really hoping The Dark Knight Rises is a great and satisfying finale to Nolan's trilogy, but I have reservations about it's Oscar chances. Sure, the Academy expanded the field to 10 nominees likely because of The Dark Knight's snub in 2008. But as you said, if Nolan couldn't even get a directing nomination for Inception then I have a hard time imagining the old, white men voting for a superhero movie.
I remember reading a brief interview with Francis Ford Coppola at the DGA Awards last year, and when he was asked about the nominees he mentioned how he thought Christopher Nolan has done some great stuff such as Memento. But when the interviewer asked him if he thought The Dark Knight was one of his great works, Coppola replied, "The Dark Knight is not one of them. Memento is." I mention this because I feel like that is how a lot of Academy members, specifically in the directors branch, feel about Nolan and his Batman films, no matter how well reviewed they are by critics.
Terrence Malick has two movies coming out this year. Voyage of Time and the Untititled one with Ben Affleck. He seems to be an academy favorite. What do you think?
Voyage of Time sounds like something experimental that won't have much of a chance and I'll believe a Malick film is coming out in a given year once it has an official release date. :)
LOL in what universe is Terrence Malick an Academy favorite?
The Academy nominated The Tree of Life for picture and director while the other guilds didn't, so they obviously respect him to some degree. I think he's sort of like Ingmar Bergman or David Lynch, where he's admired but his movies aren't Academy friendly enough to win major categories. I can't see him winning an Oscar, I wouldn't be surprised if he got an honorary award from them one day.
He got nominated for Tree of life and The Thin Red line when both of those movies, in my opinion are flawed.
I love Terrence Malick, but with so little information about the Untitled film, there's no way to know how it would do with the academy. Also, no one really knows that it will be coming out this year, although considering he's shooting two more movies this summer/spring, I'm guessing it will.
Also, I don't think there's been any real confirmation that Voyage of Time is going to happen or if it's just something Malick has been interested in doing with the extra nature footage from the Tree of Life.
Malick must think he's going to die soon. His productivity level has skyrocketed compared to his first 20 years.
What about those 7 Psychopaths? Looks like a potential contender too (or I just like Martin McDonagh too much and wish so).
Have faith in Paul Thomas Anderson!! The Master will own the Oscars. Retribution for There Will Be Blood!!
Retribution? Clearly No Country for Old Men was the better film.
But yes, I do hope that this will be PTA's year.
No Country was not better the oscars are a joke! Blood will be remembered the way other films who have been shunned by the academy!
you should correctly label this is 2012 Best Picture Oscar. I hate it when the awards are referred to the year the ceremony is broadcasted..
Sorry to hear about your hatred. Maybe just lighten up a bit?
Why not just say "85th Annual Academy Awards" then? Because both 2012 and 2013 are legitimate ways of naming them. 2012 is the year of release but the event will be held in 2013.
Sacha Baron Cohen is in Les Miserables? Who is he playing? Thenardier?
Oui.
I just wanted to ask, do you legitimately believe that This Is Forty is actually a contender or is it just hope on your part? BTW, Indiewire also had This is Forty as a possible contender. I'm just wondering why you would think the academy would actually go for it and actually nominate the film
I think they could. Probably a Best Original Screenplay nom.
Brad, I was just wondering why the title is not best picture contender for 2012. I understand the awards will be held in 2013 but aren't they awarding the best movies of 2012? Just curious.
I'm curious where The Surrogate is. Do you not see it as likely, or did you forget about it?
Yo man! Why won't Moonrise Kingdom be a contender?
For me that film just was too hipstery to get a nomination.
I think you meant to say that Bill Murray came close to an Oscar in 2003, not 2005.
probably:
THE MASTER-if it gets a 2012 release I LOVE PTA!!
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES-only if it gets the rave reviews TDK did.
LINCOLN-Speilberg. enough said
THE HOBBIT:AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY but I don´t see it as THE best pic of 2012
DJANGO UNCHAINED
ZERO DARK THIRTY-if it´s anything close in style to THE HURT LOCKER
BRAVE-I´m rooting for this one, looks gorgeous
SAVAGES-it depends on the approach of mr. STONE
ANNA KARENINA-experimental approach or not, Joe Wright rarely dissapoints
Does anyone else think Cogan's Trade was a MUCH better name than Killing Them Softly?
I do.
ditto
Both sound like sequels to previously similarly titled movies.
Two issues with this list.
First, Midnight in Paris did not show all of us why we love Woody Allen. I thought it was pedantic and stupid just like most of Allen's ouvre.
Second, The Dark Knight was one reason the Academy expanded the number of Best Picture nominees, but it was hardly the sole reason. WALL•E came out the same year and actually won several Critics' associations' best picture awards. It was far more shocking when it didn't appear in the Academy's five nominees in 2008 than Batman. I think the exclusion of both of them is what led to the change, not one or the other.
Oscar Wishes
Best Picture: The Dark Knight Rises
Director: Christopher Nolan
Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix - The Master
Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo Dicaprio - Django Unchained
Best Actress: Amy Adams - Trouble with the Curve
Best Supporting Actress: Emma Stone - The Gangster Squad
Best Original Screenplay: Django Unchained
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Dark Knight Rises
But hey, the Oscars is all about dreams being destroyed :(
I agree with a lot of these, as you can see in my Oscar wrap-up post on my blog (click on my name to see it).
Of the ones mentioned, I would say that the ten films with the best chances (as of now) at receiving a Best Picture nomination are:
The Master
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Nero Fiddled
Zero Dark Thirty
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Les Miserables
The Great Gatsby
Argo
If The Dark Knight Rises opens to some magnificent rave reviews, then I'd say it's definitely got a shot. Also, there will be a dark horse that makes itself known around September, you can be sure of that.
One last note, I agree with what some have said: Cogan's Trade > Killing Them Softly
I'm really excited about this year in film. All these titles have the potential to be really really good. Les Miserables seems like the current favorite to me, but I wouldn't out Lincoln. Like Brad said, if Spielberg can get a nom for War Horse then....
Being a Brad Pitt fan, I was hoping that Cogan's Trade might get him a win, but the Best Actor competitions looks really tough this year. Btw I agree with the guys above, Killing Them Softly is a really crappy name.
I'm going to be old fashioned and wait and see some of these films before pronouncing any of them a lock or serious contender or even deciding it would be some kind of travesty if TDKR doesn't get in.
But then I also agree with Coppola over TDK. That film never deserved BP in the first place and it's quite unfortunate it's correct snub led to this increased field nonsense in the first place.
Les Miserables, if done very well, could be a big winner. It is not an ordinary musical, but a dramatic tale whose themes of redemption, idealism, and love are solid selling points. The characters are fascinating and if the acting...and singing...are excellent, how can they withhold Oscar nods and even wins from this sole representative of this genre? It has a popular fanbase worldwide and may even surprise not just with artistic acclaim but box office success, too.
What about Nicole Kidman's Stoker and The Paperboy?
LIFE OF PI! Great novel! So excited!
Even if Cloud Atlas turns out to be a masterpiece, it seems unlikely that it'll be nominated for Best Picture. My impression, having read the book, is that it's going to be a very artistic movie. That does not necessarily mean it'll be great. I just mean that if it's done the way I imagine, it's going to be something like 2001: A Space Odyssey with a much more obvious narrative. The book is one of my all-time favorite novels--it's one of the greatest journeys you'll ever take. And I'm hoping the movie will be the same.
Wow Brad. You totally snubbed Breaking Dawn Part II. Shame.
Revenge of The Sith didn't get nominated for BP,
Deathly Hallows part 2 didn't get nominated for BP and it's highly that Breaking Dawn part 2 will follow suit.
As for next year's Oscars I have a strange feeling that Tarantino's western is Harvey Weinstien's biggest weapon.
When Nine bombed we all thought Harvey finally failed.
Until he discovered he had one Ace up his sleeve called Inglourious Basterds.
I'm pretty sure Evengan was kidding about Breaking Dawn Part II. Anyone in their right mind knows that movie has no chance of being nominated for anything, unless it's the MTV Movie Awards, People's Choice or the Razzies.
Prometheus anybody? Remember that District 9 got a Best Pic nom... Guess we'll have to wait and see.
The Master is going to win. if it doesnt, it will just be a reminder that the academy are a bunch of fools! anyone who denies fassbender in Shame and harrelson in Rampart.....
Hey, no one has seen it yet. How can you know for sure it's going to win? Save the argument until all the cards are up on the table.
They are right, i know it hasn't been confirmed yet but Malick untitled project sounds also like a contender.
What about the Iceman? Both Iceman films? The Michael Shannon and Mickey Rourke version? I think both Mickey Rourke and Michael Shannon could be a potential for an Oscar for best actor... And what about Mickey Rourke's Gareth Thomas biopic he's going to star in? I could see him getting an Oscar for best actor in that. What's the news on that?
I think your last sentence speaks to why those films weren't mentioned, but like many have said, a film not even included on the list or that we're not even thinking about could surprise us all. Who knows?
Soooo what about lone survivor?
and how about Frank or Francis by Charlie Kaufman? I've heard it will come out this year also.
I think that "Frank or Francis" will be for the 2013.
no im serious guys, The Master is going to win... might as well end the discussion now
Though I would have loved to see him in an Ang Lee-directed movie, I don't think Adolfo Celi will be part of the cast of Life of Pi. The actor who is probably best remembered by world-wide audiences for his role as Emilio Largo in "Thunderball", died in 1986..
Hey, great list, can't wait to see almost all these movies! Just a quick note, under Bill Murray's new film about FDR, you mentioned that he came close to Oscar glory in 2005 for 'Lost in Translation'. He was actually nominated in 2003 for that film, and ended up losing to Sean Penn.
Oh, and only in a perfect world would Dark Knight Rises be nominated for Best Picture
What About On The Road?
I think The Hobbit will be nominated for sire
can't wait :)
where is ' Bel Ami" if you mention "Ana Katrina" or "On the Road" I very much look forward to these.
what about " Cosmopolis"
No mention of "World War Z"??? Despite being a zombie movie, which many people (at least the people I know) associate with cheap B-product, Max Brooks's novel carries the triumph-of-humanity type of story that the Academy is craving these days.
Wes Anderson needs to FINALLY be nominated for "Moonrise Kingdom". An artist like Wes will never be seen again in American cinema. Same thing goes for Tim Burton, whose phenomenal body of work (particularly "Beetlejuice", "Edward Scissorhands" and "Sweeney Todd") has been painfully ignored. Forget "Brave" ... "Frankenweenie" not only has 2012's best chance of an animated Best Picture, but also of an animated Best Director.
"Skyfall" could pull an upset ... James Bond is an infamously bumpy road of a franchise, but with Sam Mendes in control you never know. Another dark horse (brace yourself!)
... is Seth MacFarlane's "Ted", which if you think about its plot has enormous potential, but ONLY IF (I stress ONLY IF) MacFarlane transcends his emotionally-hollow "Family Guy" origins. Raise your hand if you've seen "The Book of Mormon". Trey Parker & Matt Stone took a major departure from "South Park" and crafted a Broadway musical that will no doubt be resonating with future generations. I try to have faith that MacFarlane will do something similar.
Surprised The Surrogate isn't on here. I hear John Hawkes is a shoe-in for an Oscar nom.
Best Picture contenders, but still, that film may be one that gets added soon.
I would add "Great Osage County" in for Best Pic... and Meryl having an 18th nom wouldn't hurt, hehehe; also hope "Prometheus" is good enough, I'd nom Fassbender for a Coca-cola Ad by now :)
There's a mistake in the cast of Life Of PI...Adolfo Celi was an italian actor but he died in 1986.
I think the Hobbit has a good chance at being even better than the LotR movies. Many people prefer the more fantastical setting and characters of The Hobbit, plus it's less of a heavy war story. I also see it doing very well in the nominations, but probably not winning except for the art categories, like Cinematography, VFX, Sound, etc.
The Hobbit will be good but it lacks the urgency of LoTR's premise of having to destroy the ring to save everyone. That said, if The Hobbit is going to win any award, it will be for the 2nd movie, as we've seen that trend with LoTR.
I think it's a big sad that of all the movies with buzz for Oscars, only two are centered around women: one is based on classic novel and one is a Pixar animated movie. I guess we'll have to wait until next year for Meryl Streep and her August Osage County heavyweight.
bill murray was nominated in '04, not '05 :-)
Prometheus anyone???
Enjoyed reading this article, although I have to disagree with many things said in the THIS IS FORTY post.
First, the Academy has honored comedies in the past (Annie Hall, The Apartment), albeit, not in a long time.
Secondly, I think it's a GIANT stretch to suggest that 40-Year-Old Virgin would have been a BP nominee for 2005, and an even bigger one to say the same thing about WEDDING CRASHERS. The Academy's made some strange moves in the past, but I don't see them doing that.
I seriously can't believe you didn't include Prometheus on this list considering some of the ones you did include (Looper? Really? I want it to be good, but still...) Anyway, Ridley Scott, high-concept sci-fi, phenomenal cast including previous Oscar winners? Mental that you didn't include it as a possible contender....
Well "Prometheus" will have to be really good considering it will be premiering in the end of the summer blockbuster and before the Oscar-worthy season, besides the work of Rian Johnson seems strong too me, he should have received a nomination for "Brick".
I am piling up some hopes for Anna Karenina. I have been a fan of Joe Wright's works, but this time he has a very difficult job of topping the epic masterpiece that is Atonement, which unfortunately came out in such a competitive year as 2007.
The Master will be a certain Best Picture and Best Director nominee. I am an staunch opponent of Paul Thomas Anderson's work, but his pictures are so loved by the Academy that there is little doubt that this year, The Master will pop up with at least 6-7 nominations. I expect a Best Supporting Actor nom for Joaquin Phoenix though. I miss him.
I personally think that not at least considering 'The Hunger Games' for this award is kind of not fair. I mean it looks as if it has pretty much everything the LOTR movies had. Darker source material, plenty of violence, and it looks to have Jennifer Lawrence do a very solid performance. I'm not saying that it's going to be nominated, I mean, it's way too early in the year for that, but I think that you should at least consider it...
If "The Hunger Games" is done properly (90% likely based on the latest reviews), and Lionsgate thinks enough ahead to map out a proper award-campaigning process, it WILL be a major Oscar contender. The concept and themes developed by Suzanne Collins (primarily the social destructiveness of reality TV) are too relevant for our times to be ignored.
Apparently "Parker" has been moved to January, Will this ruin it's chances?
you forgot "Great Hope Springs" which I saw at a test screening in Jan. This one is funny, sad and great performances by Tommy Lee Jines, Meryl Streep(of course) and Steve Carrel.
I am rooting for PTA this year, boogie nights and there will be blood were great. I also kind of like Dark Shadows, it does not have the ingredients for a best picture, but I could see it being a good movie and could challenge a movie like this is 40 for a comedy vote. Also, I am anxious to see Zero Dark Thirty the whole idea is compelling and Bigelow can create a raw style that could bring the story to life. Lastly, I like Les Mis and the Great Gatsby great books and both have great directors and casts to back them up.
cool ,,, :) <3
I saw a movie at Sundance I loved. It is called Arbitrage by new director Nicholas Jarecki. It stars Richard Gere in a fabulous performance. The critics gave it incredibly good reviews. I think it was an original screenplay. It should be considered in some category like best actor, or original screenplay or something.
I would definitely have the sleeper 'Bel Ami' up for Best Costumes and Original Soundtrack, they were amazing.
PICTURE:
1. Lincoln
2. The Master
3. Les Miserables
4. Hyde Park on Hudson
5. Argo
6. Zero Dark Thirty
7. Great Gatsby
8. Anna Karena
9. Life of Pi
10. Beasts of Southern Wild
DIRECTOR:
1. PT Anderson- The Master
2. Steven Spielberg- Lincoln
3. Tom Hooper- Les Miserables
4. Ben Affleck- Argo
5. Ang Lee- Life of Pi
ACTOR:
1. Daniel Day Lewis- Lincoln
2. Bill Murray- Hyde Park on Hudson
3. Phillip Seymour Hoffman- The Master
4. Hugh Jackman- Les Miserables
5. John Hawkes- 6 Sessions
ACTRESS:
1. Quvenzhale Wallis- Beasts of southern wild
2. Keira Knightley- Anna Karena
3. Laura Linney- Hyde Park on Hudson
4. Marion Coitillard- Rust and Bone
5. Carey Mulligan- Great Gatsby
SUPPORTING ACTOR:
1. Jaoquin Phoenix- The Master
2. Leonardo DiCaprio- Django Unchained
3. Russell Crowe- Les Miserables
4. John Goodman- Argo
5. Woody Harrellson- 7 Psychopaths
SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
1. Vanesssa Redgrave- Song for Marion
2. Anne Hathaway- Les Miserables
3. Amy Adamms- The Master
4. Sally Field- Lincoln
5. Samantha Barks- Les Miserables
OG SCRIPT:
1. The Master
2. Hyde Park on Hudson
3. Inside Llywen Davis- if it is released this year
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. Django Unchained
ADAPTED SCRIPT:
1. Les Miserables
2. Lincoln
3. Argo
4. Quartet
5. The Silver Lings Playbook
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
1. The Master
2. Les Miserables
3. Dark Knight Rises
4. Life of Pi
5. Django Unchained
EDITING:
1. The Master
2. Lincoln
3. Argo
4. Les Miserables
5. Zero Dark Thirty
SCORE:
1. The Master
2. Moonrise Kingdom
3. Lincoln
4. The Dark Knight Rises
5. Les Miserables
So far this is my favorite comment, you possibly have already predicted the nominees for next year but i would like to see Lawless squeezing in the nominations at least Tom Hardy for Best Actor
What about moonrise kingdom?
Wtf?! What about Moonrise Kingdom?? I think that has a far better chance of being nominated than "Savages"...
PICTURE:
1. The Master
2. Lincoln
3. Les Miserables
4. Hyde Park on Hudson
5. Argo
6. Beasts of the Southern Wild
7. Anna Karenina
8. Zero Dark Thirty
9. Life of Pi
10. The Great Gatsby
DIRECTING:
1. Paul Thomas Anderson- MASTER
2. Steven Spielberg- LINCOLN
3. Tom Hooper- LES MISERABLES
4. Ben Affleck- ARGO
5. Christopher Nolan- THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
ACTOR:
1. Daniel Day Lewis- LINCOLN
2. Jaoquin Phoenix- THE MASTER
3. Bill Murray- HYDE PARK ON HUDSON
4. Hugh Jackman- LES MISERABLES
5. John Hawkes- THE SESSIONS
ACTRESS:
1. Quvenzhane Wallis- BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
2. Laura Linney- HYDE PARK ON HUDSON
3. Keira Knightley- ANNA KARENINA
4. Marion Coitillard- RUST AND BONE
5. Maggie Smith- QUARTET
SUPPORTING ACTOR:
1. Phillip Seymour Hoffman- THE MASTER
2. Leonardo DiCaprio- DJANGO UNCHAINED
3. Russell Crowe- LES MISERABLES
4. Dwight Henry- BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
5. Woody Harrellson- 7 PSYCHOPATHS
SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
1. Vanessa Redgrave- SONG FOR MARION
2. Anne Hathaway- LES MISERABLES
3. Amy Adams- THE MASTER
4. Sally Field- LINCOLN
5. Judi Dench- BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
1. The Master
2. Hyde Park on Hudson
3. Moonrise Kingdom
4. Amour
5. Django Unchained
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
1. Beasts of the Southern Wild
2. Lincoln
3. Les Miserables
4. Argo
5. Silver Linings Playbook
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
1. The Master
2. Dark Knight Rises
3. Life of Pi
4. Les Miserables
5. Django Unchained
EDITING:
1. The Master
2. Lincoln
3. Les Miserables
4. Argo
5. The Dark Knight Rises
ART DIRECTION:
1. Les Miserables
2. Anna Karenina
3. The Great Gatsby
4. Life of Pi
5. Great Expectations
SCORE:
1. The Master
2. Lincoln
3. Anna Karenina
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. The Great Gatsby
COSTUME:
1. Les Miserables
2. Lincoln
3. Anna Karenina
4. The Great Gatsby
5. Mirror Mirror
VISUAL EFFECTS:
1. The Avengers
2. Life of Pi
3. Dark Knight Rises
4. Cloud Atlas
5. The Hobbit
Life of Pi, Life of Pi, Life of Pi and SO MUCH Beasts of the Southern Wild. Just Don't forget them academy
Okay, so Rock of Ages was a major disappointment at the box office, but I can't believe that Tom Cruise has any real competition for best supporting actor. He was nothing short of fantastic, and he deserves the award hands down. I'm so over the same old same old celebrities getting the nods. Just because they win an award or receive a nomination, it seems as though they're saluted time and time again for mediocre junk.
Hate to disappoint the people predicting Oscar nominations, but The Great Gatsby isn't going to be released until June 2013. Hopefully, this isn't because it's a complete mess, which is the case with most films that are held back. The exception was Titanic, another Leonardo DeCaprio film. I recall the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version was a major box office bomb, although I liked it with the exception of Farrow. I just couldn't vision anyone waiting 7 years for her. Too bad Robert Evans replaced his soon to be ex-wife, Ali MacGraw, with Farrow, an excellent actress, but no heart stopper in the looks dept.
The Masters will probably garner a Best Picture nomination, but it shouldn't. It's the worst thing I've seen in ages, but every time that stupid director makes a movie the Academy goes nuts over his crap. Boogie Nights, Magnolia and There Will Be Blood are all crap and all got nominations. I'm kind of over the Oscars. I would like to see Tom Cruise receive a nomination for his fantastic performance as a rock star in Rock of Ages, but that probably won't happen., There will be some fly by night they'll be raving about very shortly who will win.
The Master, not "Masters". You would seriously preference Rock of Ages over it? Also, the Guardian ranked him as the greatest living director, so I wouldn't think of Anderson as "stupid".
Has anyone seen "The Perks of being a Wallflower"???
The academy loves a brilliant coming-of-age movie!
Well this list was half right, too bad the academy ended up forgeting some of the ones in here or they got moved till. next year. 2014 race HERE WE GO!
You should start reposting these articles, or posting a link to them, after the oscars. It's kind of fun to look back and see what looked good on paper but ultimately fizzled.