Killers of the Flower Moon, The Color Purple musical, Past Lives, Barbie, and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro transformation are all hot contenders to watch as the 2024 Oscars race takes shape.
Only three months out fromEverything Everywhere All at Once’s historic Best Picture victory and a crop of new contenders have already entered the awards multiverse to kick off another hunt for Oscars gold.
Because we can’t giveJennifer Lawrenceanother Academy Award simply forwearing flip-flopson aCannesred carpet, here are 10 (super early) 2024Oscarscontenders to watch as the new season takes shape via film festivals, box office hits, and critical raves of the year so far.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie are 2024 Oscars contenders to watch.Melinda Sue Gordon/Apple TV +; Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images; Warner Bros. Pictures
2024 Oscars contender to watch for Best Picture:Killers of the Flower Moon
Some legends never miss, and that’s the case when it comes toMartin Scorsese, who, over the last 20 years, has only directed one movie (Shutter Island) that hasn’t received at least one Oscar nod.
With the filmmaker’s modern muse,Leonardo DiCaprio, and reigning Best Actor winnerBrendan Fraserat the center of his new western-tinged thriller, expect signature Scorsese as the Hollywood vet continues pushing boundaries to new frontiers with this Apple streaming venture.
2024 Oscars contender to watch for Best Director:Barbie
Four years after her last movie,Greta Gerwiglooks to continue her Oscars hot streak after directing two consecutive Best Picture nominees inLady BirdandLittle Women.ThoughBarbieis based on the beloved line of children’s dolls, there’s zero chance that Gerwig’s take is a lifeless, generic commercial mannequin out of the box.
Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’.Melinda Sue Gordon/Apple TV +
With an ensemble cast (Margot Robbie,Ryan Gosling,Simu Liu,America Ferrera,Issa Rae,Nicola Coughlan,Michael Cera,Will Ferrell) and dazzling technical elements on display in the film’s first trailer,Barbieis shaping up to be one of the first across-the-board contenders of the summer season.
2024 Oscars contender to watch for Best Actor:Maestro
Bradley Cooperis music to the Academy’s ears, with nine nominations across a wealth of categories, from Best Picture (as a producer) to the leading man inA Star Is BornandSilver Linings Playbook.
Their affection for him has yet to crescendo into a victory, though that could change as he transforms body and soul to portray the late composerLeonard Bernstein inMaestro, a tale about his marriage to Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), which many believed to be a cover-up for his sexuality.
Margot Robbie in ‘Barbie’.Warner Bros. Pictures
All other elements aside, it’s an industry-tackles-industry project anchored by a straight actor portraying a queer man otherwise known as pure Oscars gold.
2024 Oscars contender to watch for Best Actress:The Color Purple
Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker’sThe Color Purpleholds a distinct record as the most-nominated yet undecorated film in Oscars history, with 11 nods that didn’t translate to a single victory.
The film’s upcoming revival, however, stands to course-correct more than just that project’s awards narrative, as Spielberg (who returns to produce alongside OG starOprah Winfrey) received criticism for helming a story about a predominantly Black cast of characters.
Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper on the set of ‘Maestro’.Netflix
Now, with Blitz Bazawule (and a wealth of recording industry talent including lead actressFantasia Barrinoand supporting performersTaraji P. Henson,Danielle Brooks,Halle Bailey,H.E.R., andCiara) driving the story, the revival could bringPurpleto new heights on screenandthe awards trail.
2024 Oscars contender to watch in technical categories:Oppenheimer
At this early stage, always assume that the most traditional Oscar fare is already on voters' radars and it doesn’t get much safer than a newChristopher Nolanspectacle,Oppenheimer, based on real-life historical events behind the man credited with creating the atomic bomb.
2024 Oscars contender to watch in Best Picture:Past Lives
Meet this year’s dark horse contender that’s currently bubbling under the surface of the main competition with red-hot audience reaction.
‘The Color Purple’ stars Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, and Fantasia Barrino.Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; Bennett Raglin/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty; Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Writer-director Celine Song’s moving,Greta Lee-starring drama(about two friends who reconnect after 20 years) stands on solid ground at this early point, with enthusiastic, universal critical acclaim and strong word-of-mouth driving the project’s box office on the specialty market the same pathEverything Everywhere All at Oncetook to awards glory last year.
2024 Oscars contender to watch in Best Actress:Priscilla
When deeply invested in the process of accepting thatJacob Elordi yes, that Jacob Elordi is playing Elvis Presley in a prestige drama, one must look beyond the chaos ofEuphoriaand put full faith inSofia Coppola’s vision for her take on the superstar singer’s relationship with Priscilla Presley.
The achy material practically begs for Coppola’s soft, contemplative approach (seeLost in Translation,Marie-Antoinette,Somewhere, etc.
Cillian Murphy in ‘Oppenheimer’.Universal Pictures
), and it’ll be interesting to see howThe Craft: Legacystar Cailee Spaeny (in the titular role) plays off of Elordi while the HBO actor is filtered through Coppola’s direction.
With the added emotional impact ofLisa Marie Presley’s heartbreaking deathat the top of 2023, the film’s relevance couldn’t be timelier for a deep dive into the private life of a well-known couple.
2024 Oscars contender to watch in Best Actress:May December
Actresses honoring actresses by playing actresses in prestige cinema is the kind of self-congratulatory cycle the Hollywood awards trail loves to repeat time and time again.
Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in ‘Past Lives’.Jon Pack/A24
PlugNatalie Portman,Julianne Moore, andTodd Haynesinto the equation, and you’ve essentially made an Oscar appear out of thin air by default.
The trio’s latest project about an actress researching a role about a married couple whose tabloid romance stunned the nation received near universal acclaim at Cannes and was gobbled up by Netflix for the kind of money ($11 million) that says “we’re not letting this movienotget awards attention” when the time is right.
2024 Oscars contender to watch in Best Director:TheZone of Interest
It’s been 10 years sinceJonathan Glazerdisturbed the hell out of everyone (and gave us that amazing meme ofScarlett Johanssonfalling on concrete) with his horrifying alien mind-benderUnder the Skin, but the horrors of his next project are rooted in a much more painful reality.
Jacob Elordi; Sofia Coppola; Cailee Spaeny.Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
A24 is set to distributeZone of Interest, a historical drama about Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hoss attempting to build an idyllic life for his family in a dream home next to the concentration camp.
Shortly after its Cannes debut, Interest ranked among the best-reviewed films in Metacritic history and should keep that momentum going once it expands across the festival (and specialty theatrical) circuit come awards time.
2024 Oscars contender to watch in Best Production Design:Asteroid City
Even if you findWes Anderson’s twee storytelling a tad grating, there’s no denying that the filmmaker’s visionary style is top-notch among his peers.
Julianne Moore, director Todd Haynes, and Natalie Portman at the Cannes premiere of ‘May December’.Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty
While his ensemble comedy about the oddball goings-on at a desert-based stargazing convention received less than enthusiastic reactions at Cannes, the project’s aesthetic should be enough to find the film among the strongest technical contenders of the 2024 Oscar race.
Other 2024 Oscars contenders to watch:
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‘The Zone of Interest’.A24
Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in ‘Asteroid City’.Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
