This has to be one of the least interesting Oscar races in recent memory. We all know Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” will win Best Picture on March 10, and this notion was only accentuated last night when it won the Producers Guild of America.
The PGA has a major overlap of voters with the academy, using the same preferential ballot system as well. In the last 14 years, only 3 PGA winners have failed to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Those were tight races. This one isn’t. I don’t believe there is any film with an actual chance to beat “Oppenheimer.”
This is Nolan’s first PGA win. His previously nominated films were “Dunkirk,” “The Dark Knight” and “Inception.” Nolan also won the Directors Guild, which means he might also win his first Directing Oscar. Robert Downey Jr. will most likely win Supporting Actor as he won the SAG award on Saturday night. The real question is now just how many Oscars “Oppenheimer” will get on the night of March 10 — it could be over 10.
However, the main focus on Oscar night will be on the leading acting categories. Best Actress seems to be a tight contest between SAG winner Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”). Best Actor is a two-way race between Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) and Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”).