The awards race is over, and if you’re a regularOscar Beatreader you know I’ve been covering this thing closely for the past six months. Which means the last thing I want to do is think about next year’s Oscars, but there’s no time like the present, and while the awards ceremony is on everyone’s minds we might as well get it over with, no?
This piece has become a staple here at Collider over the last few years, and onlast year’s listfive of the ten went on to become major contenders at this year’s ceremony. Can I improve that stat this time out? Maybe! Honestly one of the joys of putting this together is previewing some of the titles that aren’t major blockbusters that are heading our way over the next seven months. There’sa lotto look forward to in 2018, especially in the way of highly anticipated follow-ups from exciting younger directors.
But before we begin a note onMartin Scorsese’s gangster dramaThe Irishman. The Netflix film has been pegged for a 2019 release date, and while some may think that’s a January release date and the film could get an awards qualifying run, I’d point out that Scorsese sometimes takes up to a year (or longer) to edit his films andThe Irishmanis using extensive visual effects to de-age its stars.The Wolf of Wall Streetwrapped in January and it wasincrediblytough for Scorsese to get that ready in time for a December release, andIrishmanonly just wrapped this wee. So I’m willing to bet this is a genuine 2019 release, and thus won’t be in next year’s awards race.
But there’s plenty of other great potential 2018 Oscar movies to look forward to! Take a look at the full list below, and sound off in the comments with your own way-too-early predictions for what might be in next year’s awards race.
WhiplashandLa La LandfilmmakerDamien Chazelleis back in the Oscar fold this year, and while he scored a Best Director win forLa La Land, it doesn’t sound likeFirst Manwill be any less ambitious. Details are under wraps, but the film chronicles the months leading up to and including Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon, withRyan Goslingfilling the lead role andThe CrownbreakoutClaire Foyplaying his wife. The film also boasts a screenplay by Oscar-winningSpotlightwriterJosh Singer, so definitely keep an eye on this one.
It’s been far too long since we’ve seen new work from12 Years a SlavefilmmakerSteve McQueen, but not for lack of trying. He spent quite a bit of time on an HBO drama series that didn’t move forward, but he’s back in a big way this year with the heist dramaWidows. The film boasts an incredible cast that includesViola Davis,Colin Farrell,Carrie Coon,Daniel Kaluuya,Liam Neeson,Jacki Weaver,Robert Duvall, andElizabeth Debicki, and the story revolves around a group of women who assume the debt of their criminal husbands and forge a path of their own. Oscar-nominatedGone GirlscribeGillian Flynnwrote the script, and while thismaybe more of a commercial play, it’s one to watch out for regardless.
Adam McKay, the genius mind behindAnchormanandStep Brothers, won an Oscar for scripting his first foray into drama territory withThe Big Short. His follow-up project may be his most ambitious yet, and it has a lot of potential.Backseatchronicles the career of Dick Cheney, up through the George W. Bush administration, and the cast McKay has assembled here is insane:Christian Bale(Cheney),Amy Adams(Lynne Cheney),Steve Carell(Rumsfeld),Sam Rockwell(W), andTyler Perry(Powell). This is some seriously bold filmmaking, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
Where’d You Go Bernadette
The mere pairing of filmmakerRichard Linklaterand Oscar-winning actressCate Blanchettis enough to qualifyWhere’d You Go Bernadettefor this list. The film is based on the beloved novel byMaria Sempleand tells the story of young girl whose anxiety-ridden mother disappears, and whose search for said mother leads to revelations about her past. Creatively Linklater has been on a roll after broaching Oscar success withBoyhood, and whileEverybody Wants Some!!andLast Flag Flyingmay not have blown up, they were interesting efforts, so I can’t wait to see what Linklater does with this story. Could this be what returns him to the Oscars?
Untitled Robert Zemeckis
Many hailedRobert Zemeckis’ return to live-action filmmaking after a decade crafting performance-capture films, but thus far the Oscar-winningForrest Gumpdirector has yet to return to the Academy Awards. That could change with his new, untitled film out this year—it’s a true story drama based on a documentary calledMarwencolabout a man suffering from a mental condition as a result of being brutally assaulted.Steve Carellleads the film, and we can probably expect Zemeckis to be bringing some kind of visual wizardry to the table as well. Will we get something likeCast Awayagain, or is this more in line withThe WalkorAllied?
Mary, Queen of Scots
While on paper this may seem like a more traditional kind of Oscar movie, it’s hard to ignoreMary, Queen of Scotsgiven the pedigree involved. Two of this year’s Best Actress nominees lead the film,Saoirse Ronanas the titular Monarch andMargot Robbieas Queen Elizabeth I, and the story chronicles the rivalry between the two women. The movie marks the feature debut of British theater directorJosie Rourke, and Focus Features has staked out a prime November release date as the studio hopes to enter the Oscar fray once more. This year’sDarkest Hourperhaps?
On the Basis of Sex
On the Basis of Sexticks all the Oscar checkmarks: It’s a biopic, it’s timely, and it stars two very likable performers. Academy Award nomineeFelicity Jonesplays Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, whileArmie Hammerfills the role of her husband Martin D. Ginsburg. The film chronicles Ginsburg’s fight to bring the first landmark gender discrimination case before the Supreme Court. Moreover, the drama marks the return ofThe PeacemakerandDeep ImpactfilmmakerMimi Lederto the big screen, after spearheading the HBO seriesThe Leftovers. There’s a lot of potential here.
FilmmakerJames Grayhas come close to Oscar attention before with his last two films,TheImmigrantandThe Lost City of Z, butAd Astraseems like his most likely contender yet. The original sci-fi drama is anchored byBrad Pittas a man who searches the galaxy for his father, who disappeared on a mission to find alien life 20 years prior.Tommy Lee JonesandDonald Sutherlandco-star, and the potential here is huge given how adept Gray is at handling rich character dramas. Moreover, Oscar-nominatedInterstellarandDunkirkcinematographerHoyte van Hoytemais behind the camera, so this could be a contender in the craft categories as well.
If Beale Street Could Talk
Of course there’s alsoMoonlightdirectorBarry Jenkins’ follow-up filmIf Beale Street Could Talk, which could set us up for another Chazelle/Jenkins showdown during the awards race. TheJames Baldwinadaptation tells the story of a woman in Harlem who scrambles to prove her fiancé is innocent of a crime, all the while carrying their first child.Kiki Layneleads a cast that includesRegina King,Rian Tyree Henry,Dave Franco,Diego Luna, andPedro Pascal, and expectations are sky-high to see what Jenkins has put together here. Annapurna Pictures is behind the release, having just gotten into the distribution business themselves with last year’sDetroit, so it’ll be interesting to see how this one is rolled out.
This movie was actually on last year’s list as we expectedAlfonso Cuaron’s long-awaitedGravityfollow-up in 2017, but that didn’t happen, andRomanow looks to be a 2018 release. The secretive film from the Oscar-winning director is a character-centric, Mexico-set story that chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City. Cuaron previously said that some technical aspect of his approach accounts for the lengthy post-production period, so there are surprises in store. In the wake ofAlejandro G. Iñárritu’s double Best Director win andGuillermo del Torotaking the trophy this year, could Cuaron be back up on that stage to keep the Three Amigos train rolling? We’ll find out.
