Leading up to the 96th Academy Awards this Sunday, Boston Movie News shares predictions and storylines to watch out for.
The Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre on March 10.
The Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre on March 10. (Photo from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences)

By Dana Barbuto/Boston Movie News

“Barbie” took the box office by storm, but “Oppenheimer” is winning all the awards. The only uncertainty lies in the number of gold statuettes “Oppenheimer” will claim Sunday night at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony. (Side note: We predict seven wins).

Commendably, this year’s best-picture nominees span a diverse range, from three made-in-Massachusetts crowdpleasers (“Maestro, “The Holdovers,” “American Fiction”), dramatic epics from A-list directors (“Oppenheimer,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,”) a first-time feature (“Past Lives”) to a pair of international dramas (“Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest”), and the feminist fables “Barbie” and “Poor Things.” 

However, with an impressive 13 nominations and representation in all major categories, “Oppenheimer” is the film to beat. When it comes to the highest number of Oscar victories for a single film, Nolan’s biopic about the father of the atomic bomb stands on the brink of either breaking or matching the record of 11, currently held by 1959’s “Ben Hur,” 1997’s “Titanic,” and 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

In other storylines, Lily Gladstone’s potential historic win as the first Indigenous actor to secure an Oscar adds another layer of anticipation. Ditto for the tight race between leading men Cillian Murphy and Paul Giamatti, who are neck-and-neck heading into the home stretch. Meanwhile, if Scorsese secures a victory, he will become the oldest recipient of the Best Director award at the age of 81. But as past Oscar telecasts have taught us, there’s always room for at least one surprise. Who might it be? 

The 96th Oscars, set for 7 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at the Dolby Theatre, will be broadcast live on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel will host for a fourth time. 

Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy in "Oppenheimer."
Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy in “Oppenheimer.”

BEST PICTURE

American Fiction: Winner of the People’s Choice Award—an Oscar bellwether—at Toronto, Cord Jefferson’s debut, rich in humor and satire but also deeply emotional, has a fighting chance.  

Anatomy of a Fall: The French hit, earning five nods, is a genuine threat.

Barbie: Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster set box office records, sparked cultural conversations, and garnered eight Oscar nominations. However, it faces tough competition in this stacked category.

The Holdovers: Alexander Payne’s heartwarming crowdpleaser has sentiment on its side. Don’t count it out. 

Killers of the Flower Moon: The possibility of the Academy favoring favorite son Martin Scorsese looms large. 

Maestro: A potential “Crash”-beats-“Brokeback” upset if it clinches the win.

PREDICTED WINNER: Oppenheimer: Leading with 13 nominations across all the major categories, it’s “Oppenheimer” all the way. 

Past Lives: This gentle love story was one of the year’s treasures, but it’s considered an underdog. 

Poor Things: Risky, hysterical, and totally bonkers, could be a surprise spoiler. 

Zone of Interest: Voters will award Jonathan Glazer’s holocaust drama the Best International Feature prize instead. 

BEST DIRECTOR

Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet: She is likely to take home a statuette for writing instead of directing.

Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese: Despite being an industry titan, Scorsese falls short this year.

PREDICTED WINNER: Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan: Nothing stands between the man and his Oscar. 

Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos: Seeing the provocative Greek director at the podium would be fantastic, but unfortunately, it won’t happen this year.

The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer: Omission from Directors Guild nominations signals a tough road.

Emma Stone in a scene from “Poor Things.” (Searchlight Pictures)

Best Actress

Annette Bening, Nyad: This nomination is the one that vexes me most.

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon: She’s in a dead heat with Stone, and with SAG win, she’s got momentum and the chance to make history. 

Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall: Despite her presence in two Best Picture nominees this year, the real excitement lies in the fierce competition posed by the two leading contenders—Stone and Gladstone. 

Carey Mulligan, Maestro: Undoubtedly the heart and soul of the picture, yet it’s clear this is a thrilling two-woman race.

PREDICTED WINNER: Emma Stone, Poor Things: With a BAFTA win and popularity among peers, Stone becomes a repeat (“La La Land”) winner for taking the character Bella Baxter on a truly transformative journey from toddler to woman.

Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Cillian Murphy at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on Monday, February 12, 2024. The 96th Oscars will air on Sunday, March 10, 2024 live on ABC. (Mike Baker/©A.M.P.A.S.)

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, Maestro: Between writing, directing, acting, and producing Cooper has yet to secure a victory in his 12 attempts to claim the gold, and it seems likely that he will once again depart the Dolby Theatre empty-handed. 

Colman Domingo, Rustin: Delivering a riveting performance in a film that secured only this one nomination, he finds himself up against formidable competition.

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers: If he prevails, will there be a celebratory outing for cheeseburgers?

PREDICTED WINNER: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer: Riding a wave of success, the Irish actor is expected to win on his first nomination for a magnetic performance as the brilliant but tortured mind behind the atomic bomb. 

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction: A strong contender with a genuine chance to walk away with the statuette for his remarkable performance brimming with heart and humor as a flailing novelist who trolls the publishing industry.  

Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss in a scene from "Oppenheimer."
Robert Downey Jr. portrays Lewis Strauss in a scene from “Oppenheimer.” (Universal Pictures)

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction: An outstanding performance, leaving me eager to witness the future role that undoubtedly earns him the coveted statuette.

Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon: You can never sleep on one of the best actors of all time, but why is no one really talking about this performance?


PREDICTED WINNER: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer: I haven’t grown tired of his entertaining acceptance speeches, and I hope he’s saved the best for last. 

Ryan Gosling, Barbie: He will take the stage to perform “I’m Just Ken.” That’ll have to be Kenough. 

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things: Portraying a memorable scoundrel, the Hulk actor stole scenes and might just secure the coveted Oscar as well.

Dominic Sessa stars as Angus Tully and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb in director Alexander Payne’s "The Holdovers."
Dominic Sessa stars as Angus Tully and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb in director Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers.” (Seacia Pavao/Focus Features)

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer: If there were an award for hype woman, it would be Blunt. She’s been propping up all her “Oppenhomies” throughout the awards season. 

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple: An immense talent who keeps getting better with every role. 

America Ferrera, Barbie: A first-time nominee, she’s deserving, but this is not her year.  

Jodie Foster, Nyad: She gave the best performance in the film, but the category has been locked up for weeks.

PREDICTED WINNER: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers: Occasionally, a performance stands head and shoulders above the rest, and this is undeniably one of those instances. Randolph has run the table this awards season, and Sunday night will be no different. 

And the predictions continue for the rest of the categories: 
Cord Jefferson on the Boston set of "American Fiction."
Cord Jefferson on the Boston set of “American Fiction.”

Adapted Screenplay

PREDICTED WINNER: American Fiction, Cord Jefferson

Barbie, Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach

Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan

Poor Things, Tony McNamara

The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer

Sandra Hüller stars in "Anatomy of a Fall." (Neon)
Sandra Hüller stars in “Anatomy of a Fall.” (Neon)

Original Screenplay

PREDICTED WINNER: Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet and Arthur Harari

The Holdovers, David Hemingson

Maestro, Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer

May December, Samy Burch

Past Lives, Celine Song

Sandra Hüller in "The Zone of Interest." (Photo from A24)
Sandra Hüller in “The Zone of Interest.” (Photo from A24)

International Feature

Io Capitano (Italy)

Perfect Days (Japan)

Society of the Snow (Spain)

The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany)

PREDICTED WINNER: The Zone of Interest (UK)

Animated Feature

PREDICTED WINNER: The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki

Elemental, Peter Sohn and Denise Ream

Nimona, Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan, and Julie Zackary

Robot Dreams, Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal

#2 - People take shelter in a youth theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 6, 2022. From 20 Days in Mariupol Photo credit AP Photo_Mstyslav Chernov)
People take shelter in a youth theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, in a scene from the documentary “20 Days in Mariupol.” (Mstyslav Chernov)

Documentary 

Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger

PREDICTED WINNER: 20 Days in Mariupol

Benedict Cumberbatch as Henry Sugar in "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar." (Netflix)
Benedict Cumberbatch as Henry Sugar in “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.” (Netflix)

Live Action Short 

The After, Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham

Invincible, Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron

Knight of Fortune, Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk

Red, White and Blue, Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane

PREDICTED WINNER: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson and Steven Rales

A scene from the documentary, "The Last Repair Shop."
A scene from the documentary, “The Last Repair Shop.”

Documentary Short 

The ABCs of Book Banning, Sheila Nevins, and Trish Adlesic

The Barber of Little Rock, John Hoffman, and Christine Turner

Island in Between, S. Leo Chiang, and Jean Tsien

PREDICTED WINNER: The Last Repair Shop, Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó, Sean Wang and Sam Davis

Animated Short

Letter to a Pig, Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter

Ninety-Five Senses, Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess

Our Uniform, Yegane Moghaddam

Pachyderme, Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius

PREDICTED WINNER: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko, Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

Hoyt van Hoytema and Jennifer Lame at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on Monday, February 12, 2024. The 96th Oscars will air on Sunday, March 10, 2024 live on ABC. Filename 240212A_0274.JPG Credit/Provider Mike Baker / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Hoyt van Hoytema and Jennifer Lame at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on Monday, February 12, 2024. (Mike Baker/©A.M.P.A.S.)

Film Editing

Anatomy of a Fall, Laurent Sénéchal

The Holdovers, Kevin Tent

Killers of the Flower Moon, Thelma Schoonmaker

PREDICTED WINNER: Oppenheimer, Jennifer Lame

Poor Things, Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Cinematography

El Conde, Edward Lachman

Killers of the Flower Moon, Rodrigo Prieto

Maestro, Matthew Libatique

PREDICTED WINNER: Oppenheimer, Hoyte van Hoytema

Poor Things, Robbie Ryan

Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo in a scene from “Poor Things,” nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. (Searchlight Pictures)

Production Design

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
PREDICTED WINNER: Poor Things

Costume Design

Barbie, Jacqueline Durran

Killers of the Flower Moon, Jacqueline West

Napoleon, Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

Oppenheimer, Ellen Mirojnick

PREDICTED WINNER: Poor Things, Holly Waddington

Ludwig Göransson at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on February 12. (Mike Baker/©A.M.P.A.S.)

Original Score

American Fiction, Laura Karpman

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, John Williams

Killers of the Flower Moon, Robbie Robertson

PREDICTED WINNER: Oppenheimer, Ludwig Göransson

Poor Things, Jerskin Fendrix

Original Song

“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot
“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony
“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon
PREDICTED WINNER: “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie

Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein and Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre in "Maestro." (Jason McDonald/Netflix)
Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein and Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre in “Maestro.” (Jason McDonald/Netflix)

Makeup and Hairstyling

Golda
PREDICTED WINNER: Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow

Cillian Murphy in a scene from "Oppenheimer."
Cillian Murphy in a scene from “Oppenheimer.” (Universal Pictures)

Sound

The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
PREDICTED WINNER: Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest

Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One" (Paramount Pictures/Skydance)
Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount Pictures/Skydance)

Visual Effects

The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
PREDICTED WINNER: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon