While many award-winning films are released at the end of the year, the hottest titles this year, such as Everything everywhere all at once and Top Gun: Maverick are already being hailed as the top contenders for awards season.
Likewise, several highly anticipated films that are sure to capture the Academy’s attention will premiere in the second half of the year. It might be because of the talent in front or behind the camera or the ambitious, conceptual plot, but those attending the Oscars pools will want to pay attention to these films.
Everything Everywhere, All At Once (in theaters now)
From the visionary spirit of directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert comes Everything everywhere all at once, a multiversal adventure starring Michelle Yeoh. The plot follows a woman (Yeoh) who must connect with alternate versions of herself to stop a powerful being from destroying the multiverse.
Everything everywhere all at once was acclaimed by all critics, who praised the inventiveness of the screenplay and the film’s production values. Yeoh’s performance also garnered considerable praise, as did the work of her co-star Ke Huy Quan. The film was also a considerable commercial success, becoming A24’s highest-grossing domestic project, which bodes well for its awards prospects. Yeoh could receive his first-ever Oscar nomination, and there’s a good chance the film will land a Best Picture nod.
Top Gun: Maverick (in theaters now)
Contrary to popular belief, blockbusters are far from foreign presences at the Oscars. This year, Top Gun: Maverick may be the big movie that makes it even bigger at the Oscars. The legacy sequel follows Maverick (Tom Cruise) returning to the Top Gun program to train a new generation of pilots, including Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his late best friend Goose.
Top Gun: Maverick could reply Mad Max: Fury Road and Dunes‘s success stories, dominating the craft categories at the 2023 Oscars. Hold My Hand” by Lady Gaga.
Cha Cha Real Smooth (June 17)
The Sundance Film Festival is always a great platform for independent films, and this year’s breakthrough appears to be Cooper Raiff’s comedy-drama Cha Cha real smooth. The film follows Andrew (Raiff), a man who works as a bar mitzvah party host and his developing relationship with a mother (Dakota Johnson) and her autistic daughter (Vanessa Burghardt).
Cha Cha real smooth received positive reviews from critics, who praised Raiff’s direction and screenplay. The film has the potential to follow in the footsteps of other beloved comedies that received multiple Oscar nominations, and as last year’s Best Picture winner. CODAit will also stream on Apple TV+.
Moonflower Slayers (November)
Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese will reunite for the sixth time in The Moonflower Slayers, and this time they bring Robert De Niro – himself on his tenth collaboration with Scorsese – with him. Based on a true story, the film will follow a series of murders in 1920s Oklahoma, committed after the discovery of oil on tribal lands.
Recent Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons and Lily Gladstone co-star in the film, adding even more prestige to the project. The Moonflower Slayers is currently many pundits’ favorite to win Best Picture at the 2023 Oscars, and it’s easy to see why. Just take a look at the talent in front and behind the camera to know this will be one for the ages.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November 11)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will have the difficult task of addressing the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman and what it means for the legacy of Black Panther. Plot details remain under wraps, though the film remains slated for a November 11 release.
Director Ryan Coogler is now a proven talent, so hopes for the film are high. Its predecessor earned seven Oscar nominations and walked away with three statuettes, setting a precedent for wakanda foreveris success. The emotional weight of the script will help create a powerful narrative that could earn Marvel Studios another Best Picture nomination.
The Fabelmans (November 23)
Acclaimed directors who make semi-autobiographical films are often a recipe for success. Alfonso Cuarón and Kenneth Branagh both won Oscars for their personal black and white masterpieces, Rome and Belfast respectively, and now Steven Spielberg is following in their footsteps.
The Fabelmans is a loose adaptation of Spielberg’s childhood from age seven to eighteen and will star Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen and Paul Dano as fictionalized versions of Spielberg’s mother, uncle and father. The cast alone is lively enough, but Spielberg’s involvement and deep connection to the film makes it a surefire bet for Oscar glory. Both Williams and Rogen have a very good chance of scoring nominations in the supporting actor categories, and the film could easily claim Best Picture.
Avatar: The Way of the Water (December 16)
James Cameron is an Oscar darling, and betting against him seems like a wild ride. The acclaimed director finally returns this year with the sequel to his hit Avatar, Avatar: The Way of the Water. The film, which is set 10 years after the original, will follow the Sully family, although details remain unknown.
The first one Avatar received nine Oscar nominations, winning three. Work on the sequel began in 2017, turning back-to-back with the third film in the franchise. The production efforts were herculean and the Academy will surely take notice. Plus, Cameron is a revered director who has never made a bad movie. all the chances seem met Avatar: The Way of the Waterthe favor.
Babylon (December 25)
The highly anticipated sequel from Oscar winner Damian Chazelle to The Earth is Babylon, a period drama starring Diego Calva, Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt. Plot details remain unknown, but the film will be set during Hollywood’s Golden Age, with Robbie and Pitt playing Clara Bow and John Gilbert, respectively.
Babylon is one of the most hyped upcoming films, mainly due to the involvement of Chazelle and the main cast. It could finally earn Robbie an Oscar and is a sure bet for picking up crafting nominations. Actors like Tobey Maguire, who will play Charlie Chaplin, also have a chance at finally being recognized by the Academy.
The Whale (no confirmed release date)
Provocative author Darren Aronofsky will return this year with an adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s play The whale. The film follows Charlie (Brendan Fraser), a 600-pound man trying to reconnect with his seventeen-year-old daughter (Sadie Sink, one of stranger things‘ many breakout actors) after abandoning her years earlier.
Alongside Fraser and Sink, the supporting cast includes Hong Chau, Samantha Morton and Ty Simpkins. Aronofsky isn’t always a certainty when it comes to award-winning success, but if critics like the film, it could mean the first acting nominations for Fraser and Sink.
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9 Movies From 2022 That Could Be Major Oscar Contenders – CNET – ApparelGeek