The 2026-2027 awards race is already taking shape and many people have already started predicting which movies/actors/directors/casts will get the honour of bringing home an Oscar. The 99th Academy Awards will happen on March 14th 2027 but the Oscars will take place on January 21, 2027.
At this point, Oscar 2027 predictions are less about the locked-in nominees and more about which films and shows can drive the entire show towards them.
Best Picture Contenders: Oscar 2027 Predictions
Many films this year have already become public favourites and have emerged as the projects to watch for whenever the awards season begins.
Dune: Part Three
Dennis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three is arguably going to be the biggest player in the race when we talk about the Oscar 2027 predictions. The third installment of this sci-fi epic has a lot of expectations attached to it partly because of the anticipation, and partly because everyone wishes to see how it ends.
More importantly, Dune Part Two has a total of 6 Oscars including Best Picture. So, it is safe to say that Dune will definitely be in the running. These Oscars and Academy Awards have turned it into an Academy favourite franchise instead of just a movie franchise.
The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan’s follow-up after the mega-success of Oppenheimer, the Odyssey adapts Homer’s epic with one of the best casts one can even imagine.
From Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson to Zendaya and Tom Holland – every actor has done a phenomenal job because of which Oscar predictions for 2027 in the categories of actors will be more competitive.
This is why Odyssey is one of the main movies that are in the running when we talk about Oscar 2027 predictions.
Project Hail Mary
Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary is also another one of the biggest contenders for many Oscar categories because 2026 saw one of the most beautifully directed and a movie with dream-like scenes.
Early Oscar discussions have already identified it as one of the best picture contenders in 2027. Its strongest Oscar opportunities might come in areas like
- Visual effects
- Sound
- Best picture
More Films Driving the Oscar Buzz:
Digger
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Digger has significant awards potential thanks to its filmmaker, cast, and the storytelling. Tom Cruise will be this movie’s strongest talking point, according to many people.
If Digger can deliver the way it did in the trailer, then its ability to be a strong contender for the Oscar 2027 predictions, will be extremely strong especially among the Best Actor nominations.
Wild Horse Nine
Wild Horse Nine directed by Martin McDonaugh, might be another Oscar 2027 prediction about winning the Best Movie.
McDonagh’s previous movies have always performed great in the previous academy awards and Oscars + this movie also stars John Malkovich which makes it a good contender for the awards season 2026 under film categories.
The Films to Watch During Awards Season
Venice, Telluride and Toronto
Venice and Telluride will majorly provide the first indication of which films have some serious awards potential. Toronto then expands that by judging the People’s Choice Awards based on the audience reaction.
The Oscar 2027 predictions and the winners will soon determine the next few awards and how quickly those films and actors can climb the ladder.
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival is another important stop for all these artists and their work after the academy awards and Oscars are over.
The New York Film Festival focuses slightly less on Oscar 2027 predictions and way more on unconventional artists and their movies.
By the time these festivals end, the awards season of 2026 for films and art would have made it clear about which movies did the best.
Who Are the Early Best Picture Favourites
According to the Oscar 2027 predictions, the early best picture contenders for 2027 can be divided into three main categories:
| Tier | Film | Why They Matter |
| Early favourites | Dune: Part Three
The Odyssey |
Major directors, scale, great actors, academy appeal |
| Serious contenders | Project Hail Mary,
Digger, Wild Horse Nine |
Strong filmmakers, casts and genre potential |
| Wild cards | Michael and the other fall releases | Could surge after reviews and festival premiers |
However, this is still a really early time to discuss all the Oscar 2027 predictions because many important movies are yet to be released.
What Could Change the Oscar Race
Fall Festivals Will be the First Major Test
By November and December, the Oscar 2027 predictions will be stronger than before because critics’ awards and industry guild nominations will give a much better picture of the race.
The best picture contenders of 2027 will be clearer once the Academy’s preliminary voting begins December 7, 2026 and shortlisted candidates announced December 15.
January Will Reveal the Real Contenders
The biggest turning point will come on January 21, 2027 when the Academy will announce its nominations.
Until then, every Oscar 2027 predictions list can only be an approximate list we make instead of any definitive rankings.
Final Thoughts
The 2027 Oscars race has a very strong mix of prestige filmmaking and studio productions because we have current and future blockbusters locked and loaded – from Odyssey to Dune Three, from Digger to Wild Horse Nine – any of these can be nominated under multiple categories.
The real race will begin once the fall festival circuit begins though. December will end up telling us more about whether our Oscar 2027 predictions were correct or not.
