2026 Oscar

Variety The award circuits section is the house of all reward news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following elements: the official predictions of the next Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, organized by Variety Clayton Davis, editor -in -chief of the seniors. The prediction pages reflect the current race classification and do not reflect personal preferences for an individual competitor. Like other formal (and informal) surveys suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to a change depending on buzz and events. The predictions are updated every Thursday.

Oscar comments Best image (updated on June 30, 2025): It’s always questionable when the Oscar season’s official pistol is really triggered. Is it Cannes when the first half of the year ends? Or does he start with the Venice, Teluride and Toronto autumn trifecta, where world-class cinematographic efforts often make their debut? Anyway, it is time to take the first look at what promises to be a year filled with promising projects of the Oscar -winning authors, up -to -date visionaries and, without a doubt, some surprises on the road.

While we are still more than six months old nominations, and most of the most buzzing films of the year have not released so much trailer, Variety The first best image forecasts offer an instantaneous of what could define the season – and what can prove to be red herring.

Ask anyone to know what he heard is “the one”, and you will probably get the same response from each studio: “This is one of the best films I have ever seen” or “I would be shocked if he does not win. that GOOD.”

Studios are not known for hyperbole, right?

Nevertheless, in mind very The first predictions are “Hamnet” of the Focus features and the director “Nomadland” Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. A prestigious drama produced by Pippa Harris, Liza Marshall, Sam Mendes and Steven Spielberg, he is at the head of Robust Slate. The studio also offers another high -level competitor with “Bugonia”, the highly anticipated project of Yorgos Lanthimos. For those who keep the score: if Emma Stone produces and / or Lanthimos did not write it, it is generally a sign, it is a competitor of major prices (see: “poor things” and “the favorite”).

Then, there is “sentimental value”, the very publicized acquisition of Neon which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes festival of this year. Directed by Joachim Trier and produced by Maria Ekerhov and Andrew Berensen Ottmar, the film puts Neon back in the conversation after last year’s dominant race with “Anora”.

The CEO of Neon, Tom Quinn, seemed to be on a purchasing cane in the south of France, picking up several contenders, notably the winner of Palme d’Or “It was only an accident” of Jafar Panahi, winner of the “Sirāt” jury of Oliver Laxe and the “secret agent” of director Kleber Mendonça.

It is sure to say that Neon is preparing for a campaign of several title, joined by Netflix and Focus Function, which has the most formidable slates of all the studio this season. Ironically, neither Netflix nor Focus have never won the best film – despite many nominations – and the two push hard to change this story.

Netflix’s programming includes “Jay Kelly” by Noah Baumbach and “Frankenstein” by Guillermo Del Toro, who are both ranked at the start of the Top 10. If one or the other film lands with criticism and voters – or better still, both – the streamer could find a path to win the first insulsive prize. Additional titles include the long -awaited “A House of Dynamite” of Kathryn Bigelow and “New Wave” by Richard Linklater, which Netflix has acquired from Cannes and hopes will be the submission of France for the best international functionality.

Universal Pictures puts its tokens on “Wicked: For Good”, the second episode of the musical adaptation of Jon M. Chu, produced by Marc Platt. He hopes to achieve what few recent musicals have succeeded – not just attention, but a real photo of the best image, something that has not happened since “Chicago” (2002).

The 20th century studios “delivered me anywhere”, starring the buzzing performance of Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong, as well as a convincing story to which the voters of the industry can gravitate. Meanwhile, A24 returns with Dwayne Johnson and “The Smashing Machine” by Benny Safdie, a granular sports drama based on the characters. Also on the bridge: “Marty Supreme” by Josh Safdie, with Timothee Chalamet; “Mother Mary” long -awaited by David Lowery, with Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel; And “Eternity” by David Freyne with Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen, a possible escape under the radar.

While most frontrunners remain invisible, two outings at the beginning of the year have already expressed an assertion: the “sinners” of the bending of Ryan Coogler and the elegant drama of Joseph Kosinski “F1”. The two films gave solid results to the box office and praise of criticism.

It is important to remember that this is only the beginning. With more than 100 titles to unveil – including many “American acquisition TBD” – and the Glove of the Autumn Festival to come, anything can happen.

For the moment, the field takes shape, the contenders stir and the summer heat reaches record heights. Let the season start the season.

Note: all the titles, exit dates, studios and producers listed and credited are likely to change.