By Kalena Reynolds | Staff Writer
As the Oscars award show approaches, the competition for film heats up. 2023 was an undoubtedly remarkable year for cinema — between “Barbie,” “Oppenheimer,” “Maestro” and others, along with extensive writers strikes. The list is not lacking, and the academy will announce nominations on Jan. 23, meaning now is the perfect time to cast predictions and wait for announcements.
Here are some probable nominations for the most popular categories of the Oscars. Keep in mind, the deadline for submissions for general categories was Nov. 15, 2023, and the preliminary shortlist for eight categories was Dec. 14-18, 2023. The nomination period for the Oscars is Jan. 11-16.
Best Picture
“Oppenheimer” has had an incredibly successful awards season. The film has brought in $938 million so far at the box office, making it the third-highest-grossing movie of the year as of September and the second-highest-grossing rated-R film ever. The film won five Golden Globes, one of them being Best Motion Picture in the drama category.
The film has made an incredible mark on 2023 and will undeniably make a mark at the Oscars. “Oppenheimer” stars many notable actors like Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh. The film was nominated for multiple Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe awards, setting it up as a good bet for Best Picture at the Oscars.
Best Actor
The best actor category at the Oscars is meant for actors who did superior work in films. Following the film’s drastic popularity, Cillian Murphy, who starred as the lead role in “Oppenheimer,” is a good contender for the award. One critic called his performance “explosive in a breathtaking movie.”
Others in the running for this award are Bradley Cooper in “Maestro,” Leonardo DiCaprio in “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Paul Giamatti in “The Holdovers.” While each actor has a good chance at winning this category, Cillian Murphy has had a career resurrection with his role in “Oppenheimer” and without a doubt wowed critics and viewers worldwide.
Best Actress
Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Emma Stone in “Poor Things“ and Margot Robbie in “Barbie” are all actresses with high chances of securing the best actress category at the Oscars. However, after winning Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture at the Golden Globes, Lily Gladstone will likely win again. She was the first indigenous actress nominated for best actress in a motion picture at the Golden Globes. The actress has racked up a number of awards nominations this year and is bound to make a statement at the Oscars as well.
Best Director
A few of the top runners for Best Director this year are Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer,” Greta Gerwig for “Barbie” and Martin Scorsese with “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Predictions of the category lean toward Nolan as the category winner after his recent win at the Golden Globes. Winning Best Director at the Oscars would be a significant and surprising milestone for the notable filmmaker. Nolan has been nominated for an Oscar five times, including two for Best Picture and one for Best Director, but has yet to win.
