Oscar predictions 2027: 25 films which could compete for best picture next year

The long awards season finally wrapped up last night with the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film, One Battle After Another, was ultimately awarded Best Picture, a well-deserved win.

The film won the top prize, beating out competitors like Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. Anderson also received awards for best director and best adapted screenplay.

The filmmaker finally won an Oscar, something he’d been hoping for after several near misses. Many people predicted this win, as he was a strong contender last year.

Considering that, we’re taking an early look at potential nominees for awards next year. Using our expertise, we’ve compiled a list of films that could be strong contenders when the awards are presented in 2027.

Keep in mind that most of the films listed haven’t been seen yet, except for a couple. Therefore, we’re judging which ones seem promising based on their titles and brief descriptions.

After the initial screenings, some films might fall out of favor and no longer seem like strong awards candidates. Conversely, we can expect surprises – just like this year – with other movies unexpectedly becoming major contenders in the months ahead.

I’m already getting excited thinking about the potential Best Picture nominees for 2027! Here’s a look at some films that could be in the running, and honestly, it suggests we’re in for another fantastic year of movies.

1. The Odyssey

Most people would be very surprised if Christopher Nolan’s next film after the hugely successful ‘Oppenheimer’ doesn’t receive many award nominations.

Although winning Best Picture two years running would be a tall order, this film has a strong combination of talented actors and crew, a great story, and a lot of early excitement. Unless something unexpected happens, it’s almost certain to be nominated for Best Picture. We’re eager to see Christopher Nolan’s take on the classic story of Homer’s epic.

2. Disclosure Day

Steven Spielberg consistently creates films that are likely to be nominated for Best Picture, and his latest two movies – West Side Story and The Fabelmans – were both nominated this decade.

The acclaimed director is revisiting his love of science fiction, this time focusing on UFOs, with a new film set to release this summer. Featuring a stellar cast including Josh O’Connor, Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, and Colman Domingo, many believe this movie will re-establish him as a major force in filmmaking.

3. Dune: Part Three

The first two movies in Denis Villeneuve’s impressive sci-fi series were nominated for Best Picture, and most experts expect the same for his new film, which continues the story based on Frank Herbert’s novel Dune Messiah.

These days, an Oscars ceremony almost always includes a movie with Timothée Chalamet, even though he hasn’t personally won an award yet. It feels like a tradition at this point.

4. Project Hail Mary

This enjoyable sci-fi adventure, based on the popular novel by Andy Weir, stars Ryan Gosling. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film is already getting excellent reviews and will be in theaters soon. We’ve even had a chance to see it already!

Andy Weir’s previous film adaptation, The Martian, received a Best Picture nomination, and this new movie seems likely to do the same. The Academy also tends to favor popular, large-scale films, and this one is both critically acclaimed and clearly appealing to audiences, making a nomination very probable.

5. Josephine

I’m so excited that Train Dreams is getting some real buzz! It’s awesome to see a film from Sundance, like this one, actually make it onto the list of potential Best Picture nominees. It really shows the festival can launch incredible movies.

Beth de Araújo’s second film received the best reviews of any movie at this year’s festival. Featuring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan, it has the potential to gain recognition from awards voters, even though it’s a smaller, independent project. The film tells the story of an eight-year-old child who sees a violent attack and then struggles with fear and distrust.

6. The Social Reckoning

Many people consider The Social Network being overlooked for Best Picture at the 2011 Oscars a major upset. It will be interesting to see if this new film – based on the 2021 Facebook leak revealed by Frances Haugen – receives the same kind of recognition.

Aaron Sorkin wrote the script and also directed this film, taking over from David Fincher. Jeremy Strong now plays Mark Zuckerberg, previously portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg. The cast also welcomes Mikey Madison, who won an Oscar in 2025, Wunmi Mosaku, nominated for an Oscar in 2026, and Jeremy Allen White, known for his role in The Bear.

7. The Adventures of Cliff Booth

Fincher isn’t directing the new film because he’s currently working on a sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar-nominated hit, Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood.

Brad Pitt returns as Cliff Booth in a new film from director Quentin Tarantino. Pitt previously won an Oscar for his performance in the first movie. This sequel is believed to take place in 1977, eight years after the original. Elizabeth Debicki joins the cast as a notable new member, though details about the story are still under wraps.

8. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew

Greta Gerwig’s first three films as a director – Lady Bird, Little Women, and Barbie – all received best picture nominations. Given this success, many believe her new, large-scale film, backed by Netflix, has a good chance of earning the same recognition.

Though it might seem surprising, a novel from C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series could be an Oscar contender, just like many expected with Barbie. Don’t underestimate Greta Gerwig’s potential for success.

9. Digger

I remember about ten years ago, Alejandro González Iñárritu was on fire with the Oscars, winning Best Director two years running for Birdman and The Revenant. It’s been a bit quiet since then, though – his 2022 film, Bardo, didn’t really factor into the awards conversation at all.

His upcoming movie has the potential to bring him back into Oscar contention, largely because it stars Tom Cruise. This film marks what Cruise apparently sees as a return to more critically acclaimed projects, after focusing primarily on action franchises recently. The movie’s brief description hints at a compelling story: it follows a powerful leader desperately trying to prove he’s a hero to humankind.

10. Ink

Danny Boyle is a well-respected filmmaker with a history of Oscar wins, and his newest film could put him back in contention for awards after a few years.

This film is based on the popular stage play of the same name and stars Jack O’Connell as Larry Lamb, a former editor at The Sun newspaper, and Guy Pearce as the powerful media owner Rupert Murdoch. The story charts Murdoch’s climb to power, and with such a talented cast and compelling subject matter, it seems like a strong contender for awards season.

11. Wild Horse Nine

Martin McDonagh is a familiar face at the Oscars, and he’s hoping to continue his streak of Best Picture nominations. His previous films, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin, were both nominated for the award, and he’s aiming for a third consecutive nomination.

John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, and Steve Buscemi star in his newest film, a historical drama set in Chile. The story follows two CIA agents on a challenging mission that tests their trust in each other as they travel from Santiago to Easter Island in 1973.

12. The Entertainment System Is Down

Ruben Östlund, the Swedish director of Triangle of Sadness, received his first-ever best picture nomination with that film. It remains to be seen whether his future work will earn him another nomination.

This funny and star-packed movie, featuring Keanu Reeves and Kirsten Dunst, centers around the passengers on a long flight who have to find ways to cope with boredom when the in-flight entertainment system fails.

13. Michael

Oscar nominations for films about famous musicians are often unpredictable, but recent history suggests a Michael Jackson biopic could be a contender. Considering Jackson’s massive and enduring popularity, Antoine Fuqua’s film has a good chance of being nominated.

Because of the ongoing and significant debate around Michael Jackson, it’s unclear how audiences will react to this film, meaning its success isn’t guaranteed right now.

14. Jack of Spades

Josh O’Connor is continuing to build a successful career, and his next big project will be with acclaimed director Joel Coen, one half of the famous Coen brothers filmmaking team.

This Scottish gothic mystery sounds promising, and if the reviews are positive, it could be the first film directed solely by one of the Coen brothers to be nominated for Best Picture.

15. Parallel Tales

If you enjoy French movies, you’ll be very excited to hear that Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Catherine Deneuve, and Vincent Cassel are all starring in a new film together.

With a celebrated director like Asghar Farhadi at the helm, a powerful story about the 2015 Paris attacks, and the Academy increasingly recognizing international films, this movie has a strong possibility of being nominated for Best Picture.

16. Artificial

I still remember when Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name was getting all the awards buzz almost ten years ago – it was incredible! While his movies since then haven’t quite reached that same level of recognition, he’s definitely stayed relevant and continues to make films people are talking about. He’s a director who consistently captures the current mood, and I’m always excited to see what he does next.

If the upcoming movie about Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, starring Andrew Garfield is well-received by critics, he might reprise the role in future installments. Keep an eye out for updates!

17. Paper Tiger

James Gray has consistently earned praise from critics for movies like We Own the Night, The Immigrant, and Armageddon Time, but he hasn’t gained much recognition from Academy Award voters.

This new crime thriller, featuring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller, tells the story of two brothers caught up in a risky plot involving the Russian mafia. It has all the elements of another fantastic film by this acclaimed director, and many are wondering if he’ll finally receive the Oscar recognition he deserves.

18. Fjord

With the Oscars increasingly recognizing international films, it’s a good time to highlight some of the most anticipated European releases this year. A particularly promising film is this new family drama from Romanian director Cristian Mungiu.

Featuring strong performances from Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan, both recent Oscar nominees, this film is packed with talent and worth watching.

19. 1949

It feels like ages since Paweł Pawlikowski’s last film, ‘Cold War,’ back in 2018. I remember being so impressed with it – he even got an Oscar nomination for Best Director! And before that, his film ‘Ida’ actually won the Best International Feature Film Oscar, way back in 2013. I’ve been eagerly waiting to see what he does next.

Considering the Academy’s recent appreciation for international films, this biographical drama about German novelist Thomas Mann seems like a strong contender for a nomination. This is especially true given that Sandra Huller, a recent Oscar nominee, stars in the film.

20. Butterfly Jam

Kantemir Balagov, a Russian director known for his 2019 film Beanpole, is now working on his first English-language movie. He’s brought together a talented cast including Riley Keough, Barry Keoghan, and Harry Melling.

Details about the story are still limited, but it appears to focus on a circus group of Circassian descent performing in New Jersey. Like other films with positive reviews, this one has the potential to be an awards contender.

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21. The Dog Stars

Ridley Scott, a consistently busy and acclaimed director, is back with a new thriller set after a devastating flu pandemic. The film stars Jacob Elordi as a pilot and Josh Brolin as a former marine, both navigating a world struggling to rebuild. Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce also appear. Scott has confidently called this his best film yet, which could mean it’s a strong contender for an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

22. The Drama

With stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, and a captivatingly mysterious story, this new film from the director of Dream Scenario is already generating excitement. Early reactions suggest it might become a defining movie of the moment.

Will the movie be strong enough to earn a Best Picture nomination? We’ll likely find out soon – it’s scheduled for release next month, and that will give us a good idea of its chances.

23. Klara and the Sun

Taika Waititi’s latest films, like “Next Goal Wins” and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” haven’t been as well-received as his previous work. However, his new film is based on the excellent novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, and features a strong cast including Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega, offering hope that it could be a return to form for the director.

Some experts are concerned about the long wait – nearly two years – between when the film finished production and its upcoming release. However, there’s still a possibility that the director could earn another Best Picture nomination, similar to the success he had with ‘Jojo Rabbit’ over five years ago.

24. Toy Story 5

Pixar is making a fifth Toy Story movie, bringing back beloved characters like Woody and Buzz. This time, they’ll face a new challenge: a frog-shaped tablet called Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, that threatens playtime. While it might be a surprise, the third Toy Story film was nominated for Best Picture, so it’s possible this new installment could also earn a top nomination – something Pixar hasn’t achieved recently, usually being recognized only for Best Animated Feature.

25. The Other Mommy

Horror movies had a fantastic showing at the 2026 Oscars, so it’s likely we’ll see another one nominated this year. While several possibilities exist – including the highly anticipated new A24 film, Undertone – we’re predicting this particular movie as a bit of a surprise pick.

Okay, so this movie stars Jessica Chastain – she’s incredible, and an Oscar winner, so that immediately grabbed my attention. It’s directed by Rob Savage, and the story centers around this creepy thing called ‘Other Mommy’ that starts terrorizing a young girl and her home. Honestly, it makes you wonder if the Academy will finally give horror the respect it deserves…

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about movies for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time, he’s interviewed many famous actors and reviewed all kinds of films.

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2026-03-16 21:09