By Max Carr
2026 is looking to be a jam-packed year for cinema, and the Oscars’ Best Picture race is bound to be one for the ages. The category will likely be a battle between visionary auteur director heavyweights with past Best Picture titles under their belts, with the early frontrunners being Christopher Nolan(Oppenheimer), Alejandro Inaritu(Birdman), and Steven Spielberg(Schindler’s List). Several other directors with Best Picture Nominations are also likely to be in contention, including Denis Villenuveau(Dune: Part Two) and Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin). Although it’s quite premature, I’d like to take my shot at predicting the Best Picture Nominations and Winner for the 2026 Academy Awards.
Predicting Potential Nominations
The Odyssey
Fresh off his 2023 best picture win for “Oppenheimer”, renowned visionary Christopher Nolan returns with this adaptation of the Greek Classic, Homer’s “Odyssey.” From the trailers, this looks to be a bombastic, large-scale epic with practical effects and a stellar cast, including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron. Although I expect the film to perform exceptionally well critically and commercially, I don’t think it will have quite the cultural impact that led Nolan to his first Best Picture win with Oppenheimer.
‘
Digger
Another former Best Picture winner is likely to be in the running this year, with Alejandro Inaritu, director of “Birdman”, back with “Digger”, a thriller starring Tom Cruise. Little is known about the film outside of the short teaser released last year, and the cryptic synopsis “The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic journey to prove that he’s humanity’s savior”. Given the sheer talent and magnitude of this Director and Lead Actor combo, Digger has extremely high expectations. But if it delivers, it could easily take home Best Picture, as well as Inarritu’s third Best Director award, and possibly earn Tom Cruise’s elusive first Best Actor award, which Inarritu helped Leonardo Dicrapio acquire with The Revenant.
Disclosure Day
After a string of big budget blockbuster misfires like “Ready Player One” and the “The BFG”, Spielberg is set to return to his roots in a sci epic in the same vein of “E.T” and “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind”. The film stars Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt, and focuses on a man trying to expose the secret of Aliens to the general public. The imagery in the trailers is classic Spielberg, evoking a sense of wonder and otherworldly whimsy. I am interested to see which direction this film takes, whether it will be a high-concept, thematically rich story that appeals to Oscar voters, or more of a entertaining popcorn flick meant to entertain mainstream audiences. I’m leaning towards the latter, but maybe Spielberg will surprise viewers with something a tier above.
Dune: Part 3
Dune: Part 3 is looking to be a spectacular, action-packed finale to the sprawling sci-fi epic that began in 2021. It is set to be darker and depict a brutal planet-wide war as Paul Atriedes’ conquest continues. Footage of the first few minutes were released at Cinemacon earlier this month, and audiences described the opening sequence of a battle as harrowing and compared it to “Saving Private Ryan”. Chalamet will also likely get another nomination for his performance, but in such a stacked category, it is unlikely he will win.
The Social Reckoning
A follow-up to The Social Network, this movie follows Facebook/Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg later in life, in the midst of legal trials and a shifting public perception of him and his company. It looks to be on a grander scale thematically then the first film, focusing more on the impact of social media on politics and society then the interpersonal relationships of Zuckerberg. The cast is stellar, featuring Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison. The biggest thing this film will have to overcome to have a chance of living up to its predecessor is the loss of two of the elements that made the first film so iconic. Director David Fincher is not returning, and neither is lead actor Jesse Eisenberg. It’s hard to imagine a world where this movie captures the same visual language and commanding lead performance without them, and it may prove that Director Aaron Sorkin and actor Jeremy Strong can not live up to the high standard set by The Social Network.
Toy Story 5
Many people claim the series should’ve ended after Toy Story 3, and I don’t disagree. The fourth film was serviceable but felt more like an epilogue. I have mixed feelings about the upcoming fifth installment. On one hand its hard not to be cynical about Disney Pixar’s motives for making the film. After recent original IPs from the studio have underperformed, they have announced plans to focus more on sequels and spinoffs to successful films. On the other hand, the premise is undeniably intriguing. The story finds the toys cast aside when Bonnie receives her first iPad.
Wild Horse Nine
Director Martin McDonagh is on a hot streak. His most recent films include “Three Billboards Outside Of Missouri” and “The Banshees Of Inisherin,” which both received best picture nominations but failed to take home the award. McDonagh might be in the position to finally take home the award with his latest outing, “Wild Horse Nine”, a dark comedy reminiscent of political thrillers of the 1970s, following two CIA agents in a precarious situation in Chile in the 70’s. The cast is stacked, the comedy is black, and the tension is evident in the trailers. I think this has a serious shot of taking home best picture, and at the very least, a nomination.
Predicting The Winner: DIGGER, ALEJANDRO INARITU.
Everything seems to line up for Digger to be the perfect storm for awards season success. The director is beloved by the Academy, having pulled off a remarkable feat and being one of only three directors to win back-to-back best director awards for Birdman and The Revenant in 2014 and 2015. The film also stars Tom Cruise, who is ripe for a prestige dramatic comeback after years of being stuck in Mission Impossible limbo. If the film lives up to the quality and boldness of Inaritus’ past work, it is a surefire pick for the best picture title. However, I believe Wild Horse Nine and The Odyssey to be dark horses in the race, and wouldn’t be surprised if either of them took home the gold come next March.
2026 is looking to be a jam-packed year for cinema, and the Oscars’ Best Picture race is bound to be one for the ages. The category will likely be a battle between visionary auteur director heavyweights with past Best Picture titles under their belts, with the early frontrunners being Christopher Nolan(Oppenheimer), Alejandro Inaritu(Birdman), and Steven Spielberg(Schindler’s List). Several other directors with Best Picture Nominations are also likely to be in contention, including Denis Villenuveau(Dune: Part Two) and Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin). Although it’s quite premature, I’d like to take my shot at predicting the Best Picture Nominations and Winner for the 2026 Academy Awards.
Predicting Potential Nominations
The Odyssey
Fresh off his 2023 best picture win for “Oppenheimer”, renowned visionary Christopher Nolan returns with this adaptation of the Greek Classic, Homer’s “Odyssey.” From the trailers, this looks to be a bombastic, large-scale epic with practical effects and a stellar cast, including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron. Although I expect the film to perform exceptionally well critically and commercially, I don’t think it will have quite the cultural impact that led Nolan to his first Best Picture win with Oppenheimer.
‘
Digger
Another former Best Picture winner is likely to be in the running this year, with Alejandro Inaritu, director of “Birdman”, back with “Digger”, a thriller starring Tom Cruise. Little is known about the film outside of the short teaser released last year, and the cryptic synopsis “The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic journey to prove that he’s humanity’s savior”. Given the sheer talent and magnitude of this Director and Lead Actor combo, Digger has extremely high expectations. But if it delivers, it could easily take home Best Picture, as well as Inarritu’s third Best Director award, and possibly earn Tom Cruise’s elusive first Best Actor award, which Inarritu helped Leonardo Dicrapio acquire with The Revenant.
Disclosure Day
After a string of big budget blockbuster misfires like “Ready Player One” and the “The BFG”, Spielberg is set to return to his roots in a sci epic in the same vein of “E.T” and “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind”. The film stars Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt, and focuses on a man trying to expose the secret of Aliens to the general public. The imagery in the trailers is classic Spielberg, evoking a sense of wonder and otherworldly whimsy. I am interested to see which direction this film takes, whether it will be a high-concept, thematically rich story that appeals to Oscar voters, or more of a entertaining popcorn flick meant to entertain mainstream audiences. I’m leaning towards the latter, but maybe Spielberg will surprise viewers with something a tier above.
Dune: Part 3
Dune: Part 3 is looking to be a spectacular, action-packed finale to the sprawling sci-fi epic that began in 2021. It is set to be darker and depict a brutal planet-wide war as Paul Atriedes’ conquest continues. Footage of the first few minutes were released at Cinemacon earlier this month, and audiences described the opening sequence of a battle as harrowing and compared it to “Saving Private Ryan”. Chalamet will also likely get another nomination for his performance, but in such a stacked category, it is unlikely he will win.
The Social Reckoning
A follow-up to The Social Network, this movie follows Facebook/Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg later in life, in the midst of legal trials and a shifting public perception of him and his company. It looks to be on a grander scale thematically then the first film, focusing more on the impact of social media on politics and society then the interpersonal relationships of Zuckerberg. The cast is stellar, featuring Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison. The biggest thing this film will have to overcome to have a chance of living up to its predecessor is the loss of two of the elements that made the first film so iconic. Director David Fincher is not returning, and neither is lead actor Jesse Eisenberg. It’s hard to imagine a world where this movie captures the same visual language and commanding lead performance without them, and it may prove that Director Aaron Sorkin and actor Jeremy Strong can not live up to the high standard set by The Social Network.
Toy Story 5
Many people claim the series should’ve ended after Toy Story 3, and I don’t disagree. The fourth film was serviceable but felt more like an epilogue. I have mixed feelings about the upcoming fifth installment. On one hand its hard not to be cynical about Disney Pixar’s motives for making the film. After recent original IPs from the studio have underperformed, they have announced plans to focus more on sequels and spinoffs to successful films. On the other hand, the premise is undeniably intriguing. The story finds the toys cast aside when Bonnie receives her first iPad.
Wild Horse Nine
Director Martin McDonagh is on a hot streak. His most recent films include “Three Billboards Outside Of Missouri” and “The Banshees Of Inisherin,” which both received best picture nominations but failed to take home the award. McDonagh might be in the position to finally take home the award with his latest outing, “Wild Horse Nine”, a dark comedy reminiscent of political thrillers of the 1970s, following two CIA agents in a precarious situation in Chile in the 70’s. The cast is stacked, the comedy is black, and the tension is evident in the trailers. I think this has a serious shot of taking home best picture, and at the very least, a nomination.
Predicting The Winner: DIGGER, ALEJANDRO INARITU.
Everything seems to line up for Digger to be the perfect storm for awards season success. The director is beloved by the Academy, having pulled off a remarkable feat and being one of only three directors to win back-to-back best director awards for Birdman and The Revenant in 2014 and 2015. The film also stars Tom Cruise, who is ripe for a prestige dramatic comeback after years of being stuck in Mission Impossible limbo. If the film lives up to the quality and boldness of Inaritus’ past work, it is a surefire pick for the best picture title. However, I believe Wild Horse Nine and The Odyssey to be dark horses in the race, and wouldn’t be surprised if either of them took home the gold come next March.
