10 Way-Too-Early Best Picture Contenders For The 2027 Oscars

Now that the 98th Academy Awards have concluded, people are already anticipating the 2027 Oscars. The 99th Academy Awards will face the challenge of following a year where films like One Battle After Another and Sinners achieved both critical acclaim, box office success, and numerous awards.

Several highly anticipated movies slated for 2026 are predicted to be both massive commercial successes and serious contenders for the Best Picture Oscar. They’re expected to achieve this by becoming widely beloved by audiences and earning nominations in many different award categories.

It’s still early in the year, and many international releases and acquisitions by companies like A24, Neon, Netflix, and Searchlight are yet to be announced. This means only a few films currently have a strong chance of competing for attention in 2026. Films to watch include The Drama, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, Wild Horse Nine, and Artificial, alongside the other potential contenders we’re already seeing.

10. Project Hail Mary

Released early in 2026, Project Hail Mary stands out as a strong contender for Best Picture in 2027. This excellent sci-fi film, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is based on Andy Weir’s book and stars Ryan Gosling. Early reviews are very positive, making it a plausible awards winner for Amazon MGM.

The film has a good chance of earning nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Ryan Gosling as Best Actor. It could also follow a similar path to The Martian – another film adapted from a book by the same author – by receiving nominations for Production Design and Sound, which could then lead to a Best Picture nomination. However, it needs to maintain this positive attention throughout the next year to stay competitive.

9. 1949/Fatherland

Foreign-language films have frequently been nominated for Best Picture in recent years, and a new film by Polish director Paweł Pawlikowski might continue that trend. He’s already known for his critically acclaimed film Cold War, which received three Oscar nominations, including a nomination for him as Best Director.

The upcoming film, currently titled 1949 or Fatherland, tells the story of German novelist Thomas Mann (played by Hanns Zischler) and his daughter (played by Sandra Hüller). Shot in black and white, the movie is expected to be a contender for awards including Best Cinematography, potentially for Łukasz Żal, and Best Supporting Actress for Hüller.

The movie doesn’t have a distributor yet, but it might premiere at a film festival soon. If audiences and critics like it, it could be a contender for the Best Picture award.

8. The Social Reckoning

Look, as a movie fan, I always get a little cautious about sequels. They rarely break into the Best Picture conversation. But Aaron Sorkin? He might just pull it off with his new film, The Social Reckoning. Everyone’s expecting it to be a big contender at the 2027 Oscars, and for good reason. His The Social Network was huge – eight nominations, including Best Picture, and it took home three awards. Plus, he already proved he can deliver with The Trial of the Chicago 7, which snagged seven nominations, also including Best Picture. So yeah, I’m keeping an eye on this one!

Given the strong possibility of a nomination for its adapted screenplay, and potential acting nods for stars like Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, and Mikey Madison, The Social Reckoning is aiming for a significant presence at the Oscars. The film is even hoping to achieve something its namesake, The Social Network, didn’t – win Best Picture, if all goes well.

7. The Entertainment System Is Down

Ruben Östlund, the director of the 2022 film Triangle of Sadness, has a new movie coming out called The Entertainment System Is Down. This darkly humorous satire features a star-studded cast including Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, and Daniel Brühl. The story centers on what happens when the entertainment system fails during a flight.

Although a release date hasn’t been confirmed, this film is predicted to be a significant contender at film festivals and is expected to be distributed later this year. Director and writer Ruben Östlund’s talent, combined with the film’s strong cast, could lead to Oscar nominations, potentially including Best Picture and individual acting awards.

6. Saturn Return

Greg Kwedar, a writer and director recognized at the last two Academy Awards with nominations for his work on films like Sing Sing and Train Dreams (the latter even received a Best Picture nomination), is now releasing his newest film, Saturn Return. The movie explores the challenges of young adulthood through the story of a college couple and stars Rachel Brosnahan, Charles Melton, and William Poulter.

Produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment and available on Netflix, Saturn Return is shaping up to be a strong awards season hopeful for the streaming service. The film’s director, its writers, or any of the three lead actors could all be nominated for awards. If Netflix lacks other major contenders, Saturn Return is likely to be their best bet for a Best Picture nomination.

5. Fjord

Sebastian Stan will star in a new movie called Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu. The film, produced by Neon, centers on a family who relocates to Norway and faces disagreements about how to raise their children. Stan will be joined by Renate Reinsve, another Oscar nominee, whom he previously worked with on A Different Man.

Cristian Mungiu gained international acclaim for directing the award-winning film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days in 2007. While his work hasn’t yet been recognized with Academy Awards, his new film, Fjord, backed by Neon and featuring well-known actors, has the potential to earn several nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, as well as awards for acting and screenplay.

4. Behemoth!

Following the success of Andor, director Tony Gilroy is predicted to be an Oscar frontrunner with his latest film, Behemoth. The drama features a strong cast including Pedro Pascal, Will Arnett, Eva Victor, Olivia Wilde, and Matthew Lillard. Backed by Searchlight Pictures, this could be Gilroy’s most significant awards-worthy project since Michael Clayton received seven Oscar nominations.

The movie Behemoth! tells the story of a musician coming back to Los Angeles. If the film successfully evokes strong feelings, it could receive Academy Award nominations for the Director, Original Screenplay, and several acting performances, potentially leading to a Best Picture nomination.

3. Digger

Tom Cruise is aiming to make a big impact at the 2027 Oscars with his new film, Digger. While it’s his strongest opportunity yet to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, the movie—directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and released by Warner Bros.—is also hoping to achieve significant overall success.

Despite its dark humor, Digger could be a major Oscar contender in several categories, including Directing, Original Screenplay, and acting for both the lead and John Goodman in a supporting role, as well as various technical awards. Given Alejandro Iñárritu’s past Oscar success, his new film is aiming for the same Best Picture win that Birdman achieved.

2. Dune: Part Three

Ever since Denis Villeneuve started making Dune movies, many believed the third film, Dune: Part Three, had the best shot at winning Best Picture, similar to how The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King did. The Academy Awards have already been favorable to the series, with Dune receiving 10 nominations and winning 6 awards, and Dune: Part Two earning 5 nominations and winning 2.

The trailer for Dune 3 suggests this will be the most exciting film in the series so far. It’s expected to be a strong contender for technical awards, and director Denis Villeneuve could finally receive his first Best Director nomination for the film. With potential wins in categories like sound, production design, visual effects, and cinematography, Dune 3 is likely to secure a third consecutive Best Picture nomination for the trilogy.

1. The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan has a new film coming out, and after the huge success of Oppenheimer – with 13 Oscar nominations and 7 wins – people are expecting big things. Many believe The Odyssey is already a strong contender for numerous awards, including nominations for Nolan’s directing and screenplay, as well as acting nods for stars like Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, and wins in various technical categories.

As a huge movie fan, I’d be really surprised if Nolan’s The Odyssey doesn’t find itself in the Best Picture conversation. Whether it actually wins is another story, but it’s already looking like a frontrunner, much like everyone predicted One Battle After Another would be last year. As we start thinking about the 2027 Oscars, The Odyssey is definitely one to watch.

2026-03-21 19:51