As is our tradition, May begins our first predictive look at the year’s Oscar hopefuls. A lot of factors will play into how well our guesses hold up. Expect many of them to fall by the wayside as the year progresses and new contenders to rise into their places.

Tripp was unable to participate in this first round, but assures us that he will be joining future predictions.

KEY:

Introductions

Wesley Lovell: The first predictions are always the hardest and I find myself concerned that I had so few contenders listed this year, but we still have a few months for things to solidify.
Peter J. Patrick: At this point any predictions we make are pure speculation. Perhaps the Cannes Film Festival happening now will make things a little clearer. In the meantime, these are those in the top six categories that look best to me on paper.
Thomas LaTourette: At this point it is mostly guesswork. Many of these films, and others that did not make the list, sound good on paper, but we have no idea if they will actually prove to be any good. Only Air has opened. em>Barbie remains a question mark. It looks intriguing but I have no idea what it will eventually be about. It might be wonderful or just not work. Will Bradley Cooper strike gold with his second film as director? It will be interesting to see what lies ahead.

Best Picture

WLPPTBTL Air
WLPPTBTL Asteroid City
WLPPTBTL Barbie
WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL The Color Purple
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part 2
WLPPTBTL The Holdovers
WLPPTBTL Killers of the Flower Moon
WLPPTBTL Maestro
WLPPTBTL Napoleon
WLPPTBTL Oppenheimer
WLPPTBTL Past Lives
WLPPTBTL Saltburn
WLPPTBTL A Thousand and One

Best Directing

WLPPTBTL Barbie – Greta Gerwig
WLPPTBTL Blitz – Steve McQueen
WLPPTBTL The Color Purple – Blitz Bazawule
WLPPTBTL The Holdovers – Alexander Payne
WLPPTBTL Killers of the Flower Moon – Martin Scorsese
WLPPTBTL Maestro – Bradley Cooper
WLPPTBTL Napoleon – Ridley Scott
WLPPTBTL Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan
WLPPTBTL Past Lives – Celine Song
WLPPTBTL Saltburn – Emerald Fennell

Best Actor

WLPPTBTL Bradley Cooper – Maestro
WLPPTBTL Leonardo DiCaprio – Killers of the Flower Moon
WLPPTBTL Colman Domingo – Rustin
WLPPTBTL Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
WLPPTBTL Barry Keoghan – Saltburn
WLPPTBTL Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
WLPPTBTL Jonathan Myers – Magazine Dreams

Best Actress

WLPPTBTL Fantasia Barrino – The Color Purple
WLPPTBTL Annette Bening – Nyad
WLPPTBTL Penélope Cruz – L’Immensitá
WLPPTBTL Greta Lee – Past Lives
WLPPTBTL Helen Mirren – Golda
WLPPTBTL Carey Mulligan – Maestro
WLPPTBTL Margot Robbie – Barbie
WLPPTBTL Saoirse Ronan – Blitz
WLPPTBTL Emma Stone – Poor Things
WLPPTBTL Teyana Taylor – A Thousand and One
WLPPTBTL Kate Winslet – Lee

Best Supporting Actor

WLPPTBTL Matt Damon – Oppenheimer
WLPPTBTL Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
WLPPTBTL Colman Domingo – The Color Purple
WLPPTBTL Ryan Gosling – Barbie
WLPPTBTL Brian Tyree Henry – Flint Strong
WLPPTBTL Samuel L. Jackson – The Piano Lesson
WLPPTBTL John Magaro – Past Lives
WLPPTBTL Jesse Plemons – Killers of the Flower Moon
WLPPTBTL Dar Salim – Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant

Supporting Actress

WLPPTBTL Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
WLPPTBTL Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
WLPPTBTL Viola Davis – Air
WLPPTBTL Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
WLPPTBTL Taraji P. Henson – The Color Purple
WLPPTBTL Vanessa Kirby – Napoleon
WLPPTBTL Carey Mulligan – Maestro
WLPPTBTL Carey Mulligan – Saltburn
WLPPTBTL Rosamund Pike – Saltburn