And The Oscar Goes To….Who Will Take Home an Academy Award This Coming Sunday?

Winner Predictions for the 94th Academy Awards

The 94th Academy Awards will be airing on March 27th and several films are going to win big, including CODA, The Power of the Dog and West Side Story.

There are some huge notable movies up in the major categories at the Oscars this year. While my favorite picture of the year (Licorice Pizza) will most likely have to settle for its nominations being its reward, there are several films and performers who are shoo-ins for some of the big prizes.

The Best Picture Oscar was, at one point in early December, destined to be Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story but after winning both the SAG award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture and the Producers Guild of America award for Best Film, the focus has shifted to the probable Oscar winner, CODA. Another sure-fire bet at Sunday night’s ceremony will be Troy Kotsur for Best Supporting Actor for CODA.

Speaking of West Side Story, another shoo-in for the Academy Award is Ariana DeBose for Best Supporting Actress. She was simply phenomenal in Spielberg’s film and though initially it seemed the nomination (which was always guaranteed) would be her reward, the performance DeBose gave in the picture has resonated with audiences. There is very little chance that DeBose would lose in this category. Her win would also be the Academy’s way to reward Spielberg’s terrific remake in one of the major categories.

Best Actor is a toughie. While Benedict Cumberbatch has always been a favorite of mine for his tremendous work in The Power of the Dog, it seems he hasn’t paid his dues the same way Will Smith (King Richard) has. Both performances by these actors were equally compelling and it’s one of the toughest categories of the year because both men were so phenomenal but after winning most of the preliminary awards, it seems Smith will reign triumphant this year. If there is an upset (and I doubt there will be), it would be Cumberbatch.

This past year’s Best Actress has, for me, always been Jessica Chastain for her work in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Though getting a nomination in this category this year was very hard and it was a cutthroat year for actresses, Chastain’s work was among the best performances of all-time and I foreshadow a win for her. If there is an upset, it would be Kristen Stewart (Spencer) but this is a year where past nominees (such as Smith) seem to get preference in the leading categories and Chastain is certainly due for a trophy.

Best Director will most likely be Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) though her recent controversy surrounding her comments about Venus and Serena Williams is going to take a bit of the triumph out of her winning the award unless people have forgiven her for her comments and they may have by now. Campion would follow in Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)’s footsteps as a winning female director if she takes home the gold.

Best Original Screenplay is certainly a chance for the Academy to reward Belfast and its creator, Kenneth Branagh while Best Adapted Screenplay is a toss up between CODA and Drive My Car. I would say CODA stands the better chance but don’t count out the very well-written character piece, Drive My Car, at all.

Dune may have to wait for its sequel to be unleashed to receive love in the major categories as per The Lord of the Rings pictures. Still, Dune is poised to take home an Academy Award or two in the technical categories such as Best Cinematography and Best Original Score, and maybe it could win in other categories as well.

This year, the Academy Awards should be a lot of fun with hosts Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall. Don’t count out serious moments either. While the winners seem easy to predict, remember Oscar loves an upset. There will certainly be a surprise or two at the ceremony so don’t miss it.

Leave your thoughts on these predictions for the 94th Academy Awards below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more movie news can visit our Movie News Page, our Movie News Twitter Page, and our Movie News Facebook Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard. This news was brought to our attention by ScreenRant but the aforementioned opinions remain that of the author of this article.