We’re half way through the year and some of us see things as changing rapidly, others see it stagnating with little word about year-end releases. This week, we chose to add Sound and Visual Effects categories; however, Thomas wasn’t able to provide those predictions by publication time. We’ll update as soon as those are in (Added 6/23/2024).

KEY:

Introductions

Wesley Lovell: Very little movement this month with the biggest change being Megalopolis taking a bit of a dive but few other changes.
Pete Patrick: Post-Cannes we can take out Megalopolis and put in Anora as a major contender. The hype surrounding Substance, which lit up Cannes for a brief moment, has died down and is only a likely nominee for visual effects at this point. On the other hand, I’m hearing good things about Here while continuing to hear good things about Blitz and Conclave among the thus far unseen films. I’m also anticipating good things from Juror #2 and We Live in Time, one or both of which could make the list of ten Best Picture nominees. I’m removing A Complete Unknown from my predictions if and until we get confirmation that it will be released this year.
Thomas LaTourette: I have changed my picks around a lot this time. I am not sure that some of the big sequels (Joker: Folie à Deux, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, or Dune: Part Two) will make the final cut for best picture, director, or acting, but I might be proven wrong. One starts to hear of specific roles that sound like Oscar bait. And movies I had never heard of like Emilia Perez or His Three Daughters that sound interesting enough to make the list. It would not surprise me if it changes radically again, but it feels a bit firmer this time around.

Best Picture

WLPPTBTL Anora
WLPPTBTL The Apprentice
WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL A Complete Unknown
WLPPTBTL Conclave
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two
WLPPTBTL Emilia Perez
WLPPTBTL Gladiator 2
WLPPTBTL Here
WLPPTBTL His Three Daughters
WLPPTBTL Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
WLPPTBTL Joker: Folie à Deux
WLPPTBTL Juror #2
WLPPTBTL Kinds of Kindness
WLPPTBTL Megalopolis
WLPPTBTL Nickel Boys
WLPPTBTL Nosferatu
WLPPTBTL The Piano Lesson
WLPPTBTL Queer
WLPPTBTL Sing Sing
WLPPTBTL We Live in a Time
WLPPTBTL Wicked

Best Animated Feature

WLPPTBTL The Imginary
WLPPTBTL Inside Out 2
WLPPTBTL The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
WLPPTBTL The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol
WLPPTBTL Mars Express
WLPPTBTL Moana 2
WLPPTBTL Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
WLPPTBTL The Wild Robot

Best Directing

WLPPTBTL Anora – Sean Baker
WLPPTBTL Blitz – Steve McQueen
WLPPTBTL Conclave – Edward Berger
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two – Denis Villeneuve
WLPPTBTL Emilia Perez – Jacques Audiard
WLPPTBTL Here – Robert Zemeckis
WLPPTBTL Juror #2 – Clint Eastwood
WLPPTBTL Kinds of Kindness – Yorgos Lanthimos
WLPPTBTL Megalopolis – Francis Ford Coppola
WLPPTBTL Queer – Luca Guadagnino
WLPPTBTL Sing Sing – Greg Kwedar

Best Actor

WLPPTBTL Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
WLPPTBTL Daniel Craig – Queer
WLPPTBTL Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
WLPPTBTL Giancarlo Esposito – Megalopolis
WLPPTBTL Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
WLPPTBTL Andrew Garfield – We Live in a Time
WLPPTBTL Ed Harris – Long Day’s Journey Into Night
WLPPTBTL Samuel L. Jackson – The Piano Lesson
WLPPTBTL Barry Keoghan – Bird
WLPPTBTL Paul Mescal – Gladiator 2
WLPPTBTL Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice

Best Actress

WLPPTBTL Amy Adams – Nightbitch
WLPPTBTL Carrie Coon – His Three Daughters
WLPPTBTL Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
WLPPTBTL Karla Sofia Gascon – Emilia Perez
WLPPTBTL Angelina Jolie – Maria
WLPPTBTL Lady Gaga – Joker: Folie à Deux
WLPPTBTL Jessica Lange – Long Day’s Journey Into Night
WLPPTBTL Mikey Madison – Anora
WLPPTBTL Florence Pugh – We Live in a Time
WLPPTBTL Saoirse Ronan – Blitz
WLPPTBTL Zendaya – Challengers

Best Supporting Actor

WLPPTBTL Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
WLPPTBTL Willem Dafoe – Nosferatu
WLPPTBTL Harris Dickinson – Blitz
WLPPTBTL Ben Foster – Long Day’s Journey Into Night
WLPPTBTL Samuel L. Jackson – The Piano Lesson
WLPPTBTL John Lithgow – Conclave
WLPPTBTL Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
WLPPTBTL Jesse Plemons – Kinds of Kindness
WLPPTBTL Drew Starkey – Queer
WLPPTBTL Stanley Tucci – Conclave
WLPPTBTL John David Washington – The Piano Lesson

Best Supporting Actress

WLPPTBTL Joan Chen – Didi
WLPPTBTL Toni Collette – Juror #2
WLPPTBTL Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson
WLPPTBTL Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
WLPPTBTL Ariana Grande – Wicked
WLPPTBTL Natasha Lyonne – His Three Daughters
WLPPTBTL Lesley Manville – Queer
WLPPTBTL Saoirse Ronan – Blitz
WLPPTBTL Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
WLPPTBTL Emily Watson – Small Things Like These

Best Original Screenplay

WLPPTBTL Anora
WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL A Complete Unknown
WLPPTBTL The Fire Inside
WLPPTBTL Hard Truths
WLPPTBTL Here
WLPPTBTL His Three Daughter
WLPPTBTL Kinds of Kindness
WLPPTBTL A Real Pain
WLPPTBTL We Live in a Time

Best Adapted Screenplay

WLPPTBTL Conclave
WLPPTBTL Hit Man
WLPPTBTL Nickel Boys
WLPPTBTL Oh Canada
WLPPTBTL The Piano Lesson
WLPPTBTL Queer
WLPPTBTL Sing Sing

Best Original Song

Best Original Score

WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two
WLPPTBTL Megalopolis
WLPPTBTL Queer
WLPPTBTL Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse

Best Film Editing

WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL Conclave
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two
WLPPTBTL Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
WLPPTBTL Queer

Best Cinematography

WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two
WLPPTBTL Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
WLPPTBTL Gladiator 2
WLPPTBTL Megalopolis

Best Production Design

WLPPTBTL Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two
WLPPTBTL Megalopolis
WLPPTBTL Wicked

Best Costume Design

WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two
WLPPTBTL Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
WLPPTBTL Megalopolis
WLPPTBTL Wicked

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

WLPPTBTL Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two
WLPPTBTL Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
WLPPTBTL Joker: Folie á Deux
WLPPTBTL Nosferatu

Best Sound

WLPPTBTL Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two
WLPPTBTL Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
WLPPTBTL Gladiator 2
WLPPTBTL Joker: Folie à Deux
WLPPTBTL Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
WLPPTBTL Megalopolis
WLPPTBTL The Substance

Best Visual Effects

WLPPTBTL Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
WLPPTBTL Blitz
WLPPTBTL Deadpool & Wolverine
WLPPTBTL Dune: Part Two
WLPPTBTL Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
WLPPTBTL Gladiator
WLPPTBTL Joker: Folie à Deux
WLPPTBTL Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
WLPPTBTL Mufasa: The Lion King
WLPPTBTL The Substance
WLPPTBTL Twisters
WLPPTBTL Wicked