In some years, the Best Picture race finds just two or three films vying for the last slot. In other years, there is a potential laundry list of movies trying to make the cut. 2024 looks like it will be somewhat (and an emphasis on “somewhat”) closer to the latter. The one thing we know for sure is that the “Barbeheimer” duo of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are pretty safe Best Picture nominee bets. And that will make both the Academy and broadcast partner ABC very happy.
READ MORE: “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things” are your 2024 Best Picture frontrunners…for now
Beyond those two blockbusters, the safest Best Picture nominee selections include Venice Golden Lion winner “Poor Things” as well as Cannes players “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall.” Then things get slightly trickier. Another Cannes favorite, “The Zone of Interest,” should make the cut. Alexander Payne’s comeback, “The Holdovers,” was a hit at Telluride with a ton of Academy members there to spread good buzz and it’s hard to imagine Netflix not getting “Maestro” across the nomination finish line. “Past Lives” was the rage out of Sundance, but didn’t exactly enjoy a ton of industry buzz during its summer release (although its $10.9 million domestic box office is a good sign).
Then there is “The Color Purple,” the Broadway musical adaptation of Alice Walker‘s novel with Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, and Fantasia Barrino. “All of Us Strangers” was another Telluride hit that has struck a chord with many and could be a quiet nominee in the wings waiting to pounce. And then there is “Air,” which along with TIFF Audience Award winner “American Fiction,” is one of two crowd pleasers in Amazon MGM Studios‘ stable. [Updated Nov. 17]
LIKELY
“Oppenheimer”
“Poor Things”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Anatomy of a Fall”
“Barbie”
ALMOST THERE
“Zone of Interest”
“The Holdovers”
“Maestro”
“Past Lives”
“American Fiction”
“All of Us Strangers”
POSSIBLE
“The Iron Claw”
“Air”
“May December”
“Origin”
LONGSHOTS
“Asteroid City”
“Napoleon”
“Priscilla”
“Saltburn”
“Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse”
“Ferrari”