Oscar Predictions: Original Screenplay — Could Jason Reitman Return to the Awards Race With ‘Saturday Night?’

2025 Oscars Predictions:
Best Original Screenplay

Oscar Predictions: Original Screenplay — Could Jason Reitman Return to the Awards Race With ‘Saturday Night?’

As a seasoned film enthusiast with over two decades of experiencing the cinematic arts, I eagerly anticipate the 97th Oscars ceremony taking place on March 2, 2025. The prestigious Academy Awards have always held a special place in my heart, as they celebrate the very best of Hollywood’s artistic achievements.


Personal Reflections (August 8, 2024): Originality is usually a key factor in this competition, often linking up with the top contender for Best Picture. As a cinephile, I can’t help but appreciate the unique stories and perspectives that make each film stand out.

Sean Baker’s dark comedy “Anora” might finally earn him recognition. Meanwhile, the heavyweight contenders in the race – the World War II epic “Blitz” and the musical “Emilia Pérez” – are expected to dominate the attention of voters.

The “x factor” in this competition is Jason Reitman’s movie, “Saturday Night,” which explores the debut episode of the iconic NBC comedy series, “Saturday Night Live.” Notably, Reitman hasn’t been nominated since his work on “Juno” for directing and “Up in the Air” for both adapted screenplay and directing. Could this be the year he re-enters the awards race?

More to come.

The 97th Academy Awards will take place on March 2nd, Sunday. However, please note that the order of ranking, movie titles, their respective distributors, and credited producers might still be subject to changes before the event.

** denotes the film is not yet dated or can open in 2025.

    Oscar Predictions: Original Screenplay — Could Jason Reitman Return to the Awards Race With ‘Saturday Night?’

    And the Predicted Nominees Are

    RankPerformer & Film
    1Blitz” (Apple Original Films) — Steve McQueen
    2Anora” (Neon) — Sean Baker
    3Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) — Jacques Audiard
    4A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures) — Jesse Eisenberg
    5Saturday Night” (Sony Pictures) — Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman

    Oscar Predictions: Original Screenplay — Could Jason Reitman Return to the Awards Race With ‘Saturday Night?’

    Next in Line

    RankPerformer & Film
    6His Three Daughters” (Netflix) — Azazel Jacobs
    7The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon) — Mohammad Rasoulof
    8All We Imagine as Light” (Janus Films/Sideshow) — Payal Kapadia
    9The End” (Neon) — Joshua Oppenheimer, Rasmus Heisterberg
    10We Grown Now” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Minhal Baig

    Oscar Predictions: Original Screenplay — Could Jason Reitman Return to the Awards Race With ‘Saturday Night?’

    Other Contenders

    RankPerformer & Film
    11Challengers” (Amazon MGM) — Justin Kuritzkes
    12In the Summers” (Music Box Films) — Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
    13Maria” (No U.S. Distribution) — Steven Knight **
    14Dìdi” (Focus Features) — Sean Wang
    15Better Man” (Paramount Pictures) — Michael Gracey, Oliver Cole, Simon Gleeson
    16Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films) — Adam Elliot
    17Thelma” (Magnolia Pictures) — Josh Margolin
    18Kneecap” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Rich Peppiatt, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
    19Evil Does Not Exist” (Sideshow) — Ryusuke Hamaguchi
    20We Live in Time” (A24) — Nick Payne

    Eligible Writers (Best Original Screenplay)

    Oscar Predictions: Original Screenplay — Could Jason Reitman Return to the Awards Race With ‘Saturday Night?’

    As a film enthusiast with over two decades of experience in the industry, I can attest that the world of cinema is dynamic and ever-evolving. This list, however, should be taken with a grain of salt as it may not be fully complete or finalized just yet. Some films on this list do not have confirmed distribution or release dates, which is quite common in our industry. Keep in mind that plans can change rapidly, so stay tuned for updates!

    • “All We Imagine as Light” (Janus Films/Sideshow) — Payal Kapadia
    • “Anora” (Neon) — Sean Baker
    • “The Apprentice” (No U.S. Distribution) — Gabriel Sherman **
    • “Babygirl” (A24) — Halina Reijn
    • “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures) — Michael Gracey, Oliver Cole, Simon Gleeson
    • “Between the Temples” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Nathan Silver, C. Mason Wells
    • “The Bikeriders” (Focus Features) — Jeff Nichols
    • “Bird” (Mubi) — Andrea Arnold
    • “Blink Twice” (Amazon MGM) — Zoë Kravitz, E.T. Feigenbaum
    • “Blitz” (Apple Original Films) — Steve McQueen
    • “Bob Marley: One Love” (Paramount Pictures) — Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers, Zach Baylin, Reinaldo Marcus Green
    • “The Brutalist” (No U.S. Distribution) — Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
    • “Challengers” (Amazon MGM) — Justin Kuritzkes
    • “Civil War” (A24) — Alex Garland
    • “Daddio” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Christy Hall
    • “The Deb” (No U.S. Distribution) — Hannah Reilly, Rebel Wilson **
    • “The Deliverance” (Netflix) — David Coggeshall, Elijah Bynum
    • “A Different Man” (A24) — Aaron Schimberg
    • “Dìdi” (Focus Features) — Sean Wang
    • “Echo Valley” (Apple Original Films) — Brad Inglesby **
    • “Eden” (No U.S. Distribution) — Noah Pink **
    • “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix) — Jacques Audiard **
    • “The End” (Neon) — Joshua Oppenheimer, Rasmus Heisterberg
    • “Evil Does Not Exist” (Sideshow) — Ryusuke Hamaguchi
    • “Fancy Dance” (Apple Original Films) — Erica Tremblay, Miciana Alise
    • “Flow” (Janus Films/Sideshow) — Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža
    • “Hard Truths” (Bleecker Street) — Mike Leigh
    • “Heretic” (A24) — Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
    • “His Three Daughters” (Netflix) — Azazel Jacobs
    • “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1” (Warner Bros.) — Jon Baird, Kevin Costner, Mark Kasdan
    • “I Saw the TV Glow” (A24) — Jane Schoenbrun
    • “IF” (Paramount Pictures) — John Krasinski
    • “In the Summers” (Music Box Films) — Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
    • “Janet Planet” (A24) — Annie Baker
    • “K-Pops” (No U.S. Distribution) — Anderson .Paak, Khaila Amazan **
    • “Kinds of Kindness” (Searchlight Pictures) — Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou
    • “Kneecap” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Rich Peppiatt, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
    • “The Last Showgirl” (No U.S. Distribution) — Kate Gersten **
    • “Longlegs” (Neon) — Osgood Perkins
    • “Love Lies Bleeding” (A24) — Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska
    • “Maria” (No U.S. Distribution) — Steven Knight **
    • “Meet the Barbarians” (No U.S. Distribution) — Julie Delpy, Matthieu Rumani, Nicolas Slomka **
    • “Megalopolis” (Lionsgate) — Francis Ford Coppola
    • “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films) — Adam Elliot
    • “Millers in Marriage” (No U.S. Distribution) — Edward Burns **
    • “Misericordia” (Janus Films) — Alain Guiraudie **
    • “Monkey Man” (Universal Pictures) — Dev Patel, Paul Angunawela, John Collee
    • “My Old Ass” (Amazon MGM) — Megan Park
    • “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” (A24) — Rungano Nyoni
    • “Parthenope” (A24) — Paolo Sorrentino
    • “Quisling – The Final Days” (No U.S. Distribution) — Anna Bache-Wiig, Ravn Lanesskog, Siv Rajendram Eliassen **
    • “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures) — Jesse Eisenberg
    • “Relay” (No U.S. Distribution) — Justin Piasecki **
    • “Riff Raff” (No U.S. Distribution) — John Pollono **
    • “Rumours” (Bleecker Street) — Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
    • “Sasquatch Sunset” (Bleecker Street) — David Zellner
    • “Saturday Night” (Sony Pictures) — Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman
    • “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon) — Mohammad Rasoulof
    • “Shirley” (Netflix) — John Ridley
    • “The Shrouds” (No U.S. Distribution) — David Cronenberg **
    • “Spellbound” (Netflix) — Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, Julia Miranda
    • “Stopmotion” (IFC/Shudder) — Robert Morgan, Robin King
    • “The Substance” (Mubi) — Coralie Fargeat
    • “Thelma” (Magnolia Pictures) — Josh Margolin
    • “Tuesday” (A24) — Daina O. Pusić
    • “We Grown Now” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Minhal Baig
    • “We Live in Time” (A24) — Nick Payne
    • “Woman of the Hour” (Netflix) — Ian MacAllister McDonald

    More Information (Oscars: Best Original Screenplay)

    Oscar Predictions: Original Screenplay — Could Jason Reitman Return to the Awards Race With ‘Saturday Night?’

    2024 category winner: “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon) — Arthur Harari & Justine Triet

    2024-2025 Oscars Calendar and Timeline (all dates are subject to change)

    • Eligibility period: Jan. 1, 2024 – Dec. 31, 2024
    • General entry, best picture, RAISE submission deadline: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024
    • Governors Awards: Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024
    • Preliminary voting begins Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at 9 a.m. PT.
    • Preliminary voting ends Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at 5 p.m. PT.
    • Oscar Shortlists Announcement: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024
    • Eligibility period ends: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024
    • Nominations voting begins Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT.
    • Nominations voting ends Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT.
    • Oscar Nominations Announcement: Friday, Jan. 17, 2025
    • Oscar Nominees Luncheon: Monday, Feb. 10, 2025
    • Final voting begins Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT
    • Final voting ends: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT
    • Scientific and Technical Awards: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025
    • 97th Oscars: Sunday, March 2, 2025

    Oscars Prediction Categories

    Best PictureDirector
    Actor in a Leading RoleActress in a Leading Role
    Actor in a Supporting RoleActress in a Supporting Role
    Original ScreenplayAdapted Screenplay
    Animated FeatureProduction Design
    CinematographyCostume Design
    Film EditingMakeup and Hairstyling
    SoundVisual Effects
    Original ScoreOriginal Song
    Documentary FeatureInternational Feature
    Animated ShortDocumentary Short
    Live Action ShortCasting (coming in 2026)

    About the Academy Awards

    The Oscars, famously known as the Academy Awards, is the most esteemed artistic accolade in the film industry, bestowed by Hollywood. Since its inception in 1927, nominees and winners have been chosen by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), a diverse group approaching 10,000 strong. This body is segmented into 17 branches: actors, associates, casting directors, cinematographers, costume designers, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, marketing and PR professionals, general members, artistic representatives, musicians, producers, production designers, animators, sound technicians, visual effects experts, and writers.

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2024-08-09 01:18