Ridley Scott and “The Martian”: Early Oscar Predictions for April

After taking the month of March off in terms of Oscar predictions, I’m back taking a new look at what the Academy could do with this upcoming year in film. Again, it’s super early and probably silly to be focusing in on them like I am currently, but it’s also fun and gives us an idea of what movies to potentially look forward to. I’m keeping it mostly short and sweet today, just basically posting an update to the predictions (with a slight detour to discuss one contender), plus the next in line list that I know is popular as well. All of this can and likely will change in the near future, possibly even in the summer when things first begin to shape up, so stay tuned on that front. For now, enjoy these Academy Award predictions and cross your fingers that we have a good year for prestige films. I know that’s always my hope, so it should be yours as well.

Quickly though, before the predictions, let me just say that my big X factor that I’m looking forward to is Ridley Scott’s adaptation of The Martian. He hasn’t had an outright success in some time, but I love the source material so much, I’m hopeful that it sparked something inside him. Honestly, he’d have to go out of his way to ruin as good a novel as that one. Matt Damon will have a baity role and Scott should be plenty engaged, so my fingers are crossed!

Here now is my second crack at early Academy Award predictions…

BEST PICTURE

1. Bridge of Spies
2. Our Brand is Crisis
3. Joy
4. The Hateful Eight
5. The Martian
6. Carol
7. The Light Between Oceans
8. Steve Jobs
9. The Revenant
10. The End of the Tour

Next in line: 11. The Sea of Trees 12. Irrational Man 13. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl 14. Black Mass 15. Demolition 16. Trainwreck 17. The Walk 18. Freeheld 19. Southpaw 20. Brooklyn 21. By the Sea 22. MacBeth 23. Bleed for This 24. Snowden 25. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies
2. David Gordon Green – Our Brand is Crisis
3. David O. Russell – Joy
4. Quentin Tarantino – The Hateful Eight
5. Derek Cianfrance – The Light Between Oceans

Next in line: 6. Todd Haynes – Carol 7. Alejandro G. Iñárritu – The Revenant 8. Ridley Scott – The Martian 9. Woody Allen – Irrational Man 10. Danny Boyle – Steve Jobs

BEST ACTOR

1. Jake Gyllenhaal – Demolition
2. Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs or The Light Between Oceans or MacBeth
3. Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
4. Jason Segel – The End of the Tour
5. Matt Damon – The Martian

Next in line: 6. Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Snowden or The Walk 7. Miles Teller – Bleed for This 8. Tom Hanks – Bridge of Spies 9. Matthew McConaughey – The Sea of Trees 10. Joaquin Phoenix – Irrational Man

BEST ACTRESS

1. Jennifer Lawrence – Joy
2. Cate Blanchett – Carol
3. Sandra Bullock – Our Brand is Crisis
4. Meryl Streep – Ricki and the Flash
5. Alicia Vikander – The Light Between Oceans

Next in line: 6. Marion Cotillard – MacBeth 7. Amy Schumer – Trainwreck 8. Angelina Jolie – By the Sea 9. Julianne Moore – Freehold 10. Juliette Binoche – Clouds of Sils Maria

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Bruce Dern – The Hateful Eight
2. Tom Hardy – The Revenant
3. Seth Rogen – Steve Jobs
4. Bradley Cooper – Joy
5. Jesse Eisenberg – The End of the Tour

Next in line: 6. Kurt Russell – The Hateful Eight 7. Ken Watanabe – The Sea of Trees 8. Kevin Kline – Ricki and the Flash 9. Billy Bob Thornton – Our Brand is Crisis 10. Samuel L. Jackson – The Hateful Eight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Sarah Paulson – Carol
2. Ellen Page – Freeheld
3. Katherine Waterston – Steve Jobs
4. Zoe Kazan – Our Brand is Crisis
5. Kristen Stewart – Clouds of Sils Maria

Next in line: 6. Jessica Chastain – The Martian 7. Naomi Watts – Demolition 8. Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight 9. Rachel Weisz – The Light Between Oceans 10. Rooney Mara – Carol

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1. Our Brand is Crisis
2. Joy
3. The Hateful Eight
4. Bridge of Spies
5. Trainwreck

Next in line: 6. The Sea of Trees 7. Demolition 8. Bleed for This 9. By the Sea 10. Irrational Man

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1. Steve Jobs
2. The Martian
3. The End of the Tour
4. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
5. The Light Between Oceans

Next in line: 6. Carol 7. Brooklyn 8. The Revenant 9. Star Wars: The Force Awakens 10. Paper Towns

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1. Inside Out
2. The Good Dinosaur
3. Monster Trucks
4. The Peanuts Movie
5. Home

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2. The Martian
3. The Revenant
4. Carol
5. The Hateful Eight

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Spectre
2. The Revenant
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
4. The Hateful Eight
5. Bridge of Spies

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1. The Hateful Eight
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
3. Carol
4. The Light Between Oceans
5. Bridge of Spies

BEST FILM EDITING

1. The Hateful Eight
2. Bridge of Spies
3. Our Brand is Crisis
4. Joy
5. The Light Between Oceans

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2. The Hateful Eight
3. Yoga Hosers

BEST SOUND MIXING

1. Spectre
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
3. Avengers: Age of Ultron
4. The Hateful Eight
5. The Martian

BEST SOUND EDITING

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2. Avengers: Age of Ultron
3. The Hateful Eight
4. The Martian
5. Spectre

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2. The Martian
3. Jurassic World
4. Avengers: Age of Ultron
5. Tomorrowland

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. Spectre
2. Bridge of Spies
3. Tomorrowland
4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
5. The Light Between Oceans

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

? (Still to come)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1. Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
2. The Hunting Ground
3. Cartel Land
4. Racing Extinction
5. Misery Loves Comedy

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEATURE

? (Still to come)

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

? (Still to come)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

? (Still to come)

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

? (Still to come)

Stay tuned for an update to these early predictions next month ladies and gents!