93rd Academy Awards (2021)

[imsounoriginal]

Too soon? Our ridiculously early predictions for 2021's Oscar contenders

Trophies are still freshly engraved, the plant-based cuisine is still digesting, and Netflix still is without a best picture win. Now that "Parasite" has conquered Hollywood's biggest night and made history, it's time to start looking ahead to the 93rd Academy Awards.

You might be thinking, isn't it way too early to be worrying about all that yet? We're months away from festival season and the deluge of Oscar bait, but you never can tell when a surprise contender might pop up. (It probably won't be "Birds of Prey" but this year's supporting actress nominee Margot Robbie is out to win someday!)

So what could cause a stir at the 2021 Oscar ceremony? Ready or not, here’s a way-too-early look at the major categories (with release dates for those films that have them):

Best picture

OK, "Cats" wasn't exactly an awards-season player but another big-time musical adaptation looms with some serious cred: a new version of 1962 Oscar winner "West Side Story" (in theaters Dec. 18) directed by Steven Spielberg that keeps its tragic love story set in 1957 New York City. For something a bit more musically modern, Ryan Murphy's "The Prom" brings the Broadway show to Netflix, revolving around four musical theater stars (Meryl Streep, James Corden, Andrew Rannells and Nicole Kidman) who travel to small-town Indiana to help a lesbian girl barred from bringing her girlfriend to their high school dance.

Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman" didn't live up to Oscar expectation, but Netflix has three other projects with A-list filmmakers locked and loaded: Spike Lee's war drama "Da 5 Bloods" follows four African American veterans who return to Vietnam to find their squad leader's remains; David Fincher's "Mank" centers on "Citizen Kane" screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman); and Ron Howard's "Hillbilly Elegy," based on the best-selling book and starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close, is about three generations of an Appalachian family seeking the American dream.

Sci-fi guru Denis Villeneuve's star-studded and anticipated adaptation of "Dune" (Dec. 18) might make some noise on a prime holiday release date, and Wes Anderson's latest ensemble film "The French Dispatch" (July 24) features American reporters working in France. Aaron Sorkin's "The Trial of the Chicago 7" (Sept. 25) is a period piece about the protests around the 1968 Democratic Convention. The super-secretive thriller "Tenet" (July 17) could snag Christopher Nolan a best picture nod just like his similarly puzzling "Inception." And Guillermo del Toro digs into the world of carnival-set film noir with a remake of "Nightmare Alley."

[more in link]

via USA Today

[CyberpunkCentral]

The only thing off the top of my head that might (???) possibly be nominated for something is Respect.

[Pieter V]

Think James Bond: No Time to Die (2020) and Tenet (2020) will get cinematography noms.

Especially James Bond.

[Cremildo]

"The Oscars are meaningless"
"It's too soon to start a thread"
"I hate the Oscars, they've become too woke"
"I don't care about the Oscars"
"[insert any Marvel blockbuster] must win or it's all bullshit"

There, I have preempted the threadcrappers. Discuss away.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

"The Oscars are meaningless"
"It's too soon to start a thread"
"I hate the Oscars, they'be become too woke"
"I don't care about the Oscars"
"[Insert any Marvel blockbuster] must win or it's all bullshit"

There, I have pre-emptied the threadcrappers. Discuss away.

Forgot one - the ratings will be lower than 2020.

[CyberpunkCentral]

West Side Story might be nominated for something as well.

Geez, looking at the list of 2020 and it seems a bit lacking compared to 2019. But that might be just because most of the films haven't been revealed yet.

[Arch Stanton]

PTA's first Oscar? Nah who am I kidding...

(If his movie even shoots in time lol)

[filmbuffTX]

I’m hoping ‘In The Heights’ turns out to be good. I could see it as an awards contender.

[nashcameronn]

Fincher's Mank could be a contender.

[CyberpunkCentral]

I THINK I saw the trailer for, but for the life of me I can't remember.

[imsounoriginal]

The movie that premiered at Sundance, about the Korean family running a farm in America (I can't remember the title, sorry), should be considered a likely contender at this point. Still way too early, but that one got a lot of buzz at Sundance.

[Himmel]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

The movie that premiered at Sundance, about the Korean family running a farm in America (I can't remember the title, sorry), should be considered a likely contender at this point. Still way too early, but that one got a lot of buzz at Sundance.

Minari

[CyberpunkCentral]

Originally Posted by Himmel

Minari

Dammit! You beat me to it.

[CyberpunkCentral]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

The movie that premiered at Sundance, about the Korean family running a farm in America (I can't remember the title, sorry), should be considered a likely contender at this point. Still way too early, but that one got a lot of buzz at Sundance.

Minari?

[SteelbookCat]

probably Birds of Prey for best costume and production design.

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by SteelbookCat

probably Birds of Prey for best costume and production design.

followup to the Oscar winning Suicide Squad!

[Cremildo]

In my opinion, the one true contender that's already been seen this year is The Father - I mean for acting, not really Best Picture.

[Damon1281]

Dolittle.
Best picture
Best special effects

[GeoffOliver]

I thought Glenn Close’s Sunset Boulevard would be out this year in time for her to win her Oscar for that (and get justice for Gloria Swanson loosing the award for the 1950 version), but I guess we can only hope for next year.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by GeoffOliver

I thought Glenn Close’s Sunset Boulevard would be out this year in time for her to win her Oscar for that (and get justice for Gloria Swanson loosing the award for the 1950 version), but I guess we can only hope for next year.

Maybe she'll win Best Supporting Actor for Ron Howard's Hillbilly Elegy.