HOLLYWOOD — This Oscar Sunday, all eyes will be on the biggest prize of the night — Best Picture.
Ten films are vying for the Academy’s top honor.
This year, two movies seem to be pulling away from the pack.
Film critics Erik Davis and Chris Connelly are predicting who will take home the crown.
“First, you have a history that was made with sinners with 16 nominations, the most nominated film in Oscars history. So just going into the ceremony, you have history that’s already been made. But I also think this year is very exciting because a lot of deeply personal stories. You know, it really feels like this is, like, old school legends versus new school legends, and it’s a very exciting year for those reasons,” Davis said.
But the race is largely a battle between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.”
“I still think ‘One Battle After Another’ is the frontrunner. There’s a new casting category this year at the Oscars, a Best Casting. And at the Critics’ Choice Awards, ‘Sinners’ won that category. And then ‘One Battle After Another’ won best picture. So, I can almost envision a world where the same thing happens,” Davis said.
“There are two movies that really do seem to dominate the conversation. Sometimes when that happens, the Academy decides, well, maybe one movie should get Best Picture and the other movie should get Best Director,” Connelly said.
However, there is a second scenario.
“As these two movies occupy the major part of our conversation, ‘Hamnet,’ which from the beginning has always felt like a classic Oscar-worthy movie, could well come in there and take one of those prizes,” Connelly said.
“I think it’s ‘One Battle After Another,’ because you have to consider Paul Thomas Anderson and the career and the legacy of Paul Thomas Anderson. As you get to a point where the Oscars like someone’s due and I think this year, a lot of people feel this is Paul Thomas Anderson’s year to not only win best picture, but also best director,” Davis said.
Will Paul Thomas Anderson get his due? Could “Sinners” sink its teeth into Best Picture? Or could “Hamnet” pull off a surprise upset?
“I think every one of the major movies nominated is going to have something to brag about afterwards, like when they give out lollipops in kindergarten, everybody’s going to get a lollipop. We’re going to have to see who gets what lollipop,” Connelly said.
Come next Sunday night, we’ll finally see how this story ends.
March 15 is Oscar Sunday! Watch the 2026 Oscars live on ABC and Hulu.
Live red carpet coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT with “On The Red Carpet at the Oscars.”
Catch all the action on the red carpet live on ABC, or stream on Hulu and OnTheRedCarpet.com.
The 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. and will be followed by “The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose.”
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