Awards season never stops. Based on festival buzz, early screenings, and industry whispers, here are the early frontrunners for the 2027 Oscars (97th Academy Awards).
Best Picture Contenders
- Christopher Nolan's untitled film: Anything Nolan makes post-Oppenheimer is an instant contender
- Avatar 3: Cameron will push for technical categories and maybe more
- Chalamet/Villeneuve sci-fi: Already generating Oscar buzz based on early reactions
- Greta Gerwig's Chronicles of Narnia: Netflix's most ambitious project yet
Best Actor Frontrunners
Timothée Chalamet (sci-fi film), Pedro Pascal (Fantastic Four — unlikely but he's due), and Paul Mescal (an upcoming historical drama filming now).
Best Actress
Saoirse Ronan is the perennial "overdue" pick with a new prestige film. Margot Robbie has a dramatic role that insiders say is transformative.
It's early — the fall film festival season will reshape this list significantly. But the 2026-2027 film slate looks exceptionally strong.
