From a Jewish architect and a Brooklyn stripper to a couple of Ozian witches and a whole bunch of wannabe popes, this Oscar season is giving us everything.
Everything but an actual front-runner.
As much as the Golden Globe winners and Screen Actors Guild nominations have made the possible favorites kinda sorta clear-ish – there does seem to be a soft spot for “Emilia Pérez” and “Conclave” so far – it still looks like a very unpredictable path toward the Academy Awards on March 2. Which makes trying to fearlessly predict who’s going to snag nominations on Thursday that much more fun! (Not to mention how the Los Angeles wildfires factor into the timing of everything this awards season.)
Let’s separate the potential contenders from the pretenders in the six major Oscar categories:
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Best picture
The best: While there’s no massive favorite, most of the category seems fairly obvious at this point. “Anora” and “A Complete Unknown” are up for the top prizes with all the guilds (actors, producers, writers and directors). Since 2012, all the Directors Guild of America nominees have also jockeyed for the Oscars’ top prize, which adds Golden Globe winners “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez” plus “Conclave” to the list. “Wicked” is also a safe bet, given its Screen Actors Guild best cast nomination, and “A Real Pain,” “The Substance” and “Dune: Part Two” have Producers Guild and Globe nominations in their favor.
The rest: So what gets that final slot? Since the Producers Guild Awards are a steady barometer for best picture – last year’s nominee lists matched exactly – “September 5” likely has the best chance. Acclaimed dramas “Nickel Boys” (which is up for a first-time director DGA award and was nominated for a Globe) and “Sing Sing” haven’t received that much awards-season love though loom as possible surprises. And don’t count out “Challengers” with its Globe nomination and cool factor.
Best actor
The best: “The Brutalist” star Adrien Brody has been getting all the flowers this Oscar year so he’s a shoo-in for a nomination (and likely a win). Also looking good to get in are SAG and BAFTA nominees Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”), Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”) and Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”).
The rest: When it comes to that last nod, there’s a bit of a Sebastian Stan conundrum at play. He won a Golden Globe for his lauded role in “A Different Man” but is up for a BAFTA as Donald Trump in “The Apprentice.” Do his performances split votes and leave him out in the cold? Without a SAG nomination, he’s vulnerable, making Daniel Craig (“Queer”) a possibility to sneak in. The most intriguing player: BAFTA nominee Hugh Grant, who’s never notched an Oscar nod in his long career and earned plenty of kudos for his horror villain turn in “Heretic.”
Hey, Oscar voters!Don’t forget these fabulous performances for nominations
Best actress
The best: Demi Moore’s career resurgence off a memorably wild role in “The Substance” is one of the best stories of this awards cycle. The Globe winner seems to be a lock alongside fellow would-be first-time Oscar nominees Mikey Madison (“Anora”) and Karla Sofía Gascón (“Emilia Pérez”), a Globe nominee who’s primed to make history as the first trans actress ever in the category. Also expect Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked”) to nab her third career Oscar nod (with one being for original song).
The rest: There’s plenty of talent ready to nab that fifth spot and/or an opening if one of the faves – say, Madison – gets snubbed. A-listers Angelina Jolie (“Maria”) and Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”) seemed likely nominees early but are now on the outside looking in. Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”) won a Globe but didn’t even make the SAG category. Past nominees Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”) and Saoirse Ronan (“The Outrun”) have BAFTA berths to help their case. Kate Winslet (“Lee”) and Tilda Swinton (“The Room Next Door”) aren’t exactly strangers to the Oscars, while their fellow Globe nominee Zendaya (“Challengers”) could also surprise. Yet the woman with the most momentum is Pamela Anderson, snagging a SAG nod and riding a wave of last-minute goodwill for “The Last Showgirl.”
Best supporting actor
The best: Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) is definitely making it in – and a clear favorite to win – having run the table thus far and impressed with a series of live-wire acceptance speeches. He’s likely joined in the category by his old “Succession” co-star Jeremy Strong (“The Apprentice”), newcomer Yura Borisov (“Anora”) and Edward Norton (“A Complete Unknown”). All have Globe, SAG and BAFTA nominations working for them.
The rest: Jonathan Bailey scored a surprise SAG nomination but does “Wicked” play as well for Oscar voters as it (apparently) does for actors? He could score an Oscar nod, though he’ll have to beat out noteworthy names like Denzel Washington (“Gladiator II”) and Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”), the most probable fifth nominee who was inexplicably left out of SAG contention. Clarence Maclin is also in the mix, thanks to his BAFTA nod, though early momentum for him has waned as “Sing Sing” has struggled for Oscar attention.
The Terra and Traveler have retro looks, a body-on-frame platform, electric power, and an available plug-in-hybrid setup that should eliminate range anxiety.
For those who remember the Scout name from the 1960s and ‘70s when it was owned by International Harvester, nostalgia should suffice for an introduction. For everyone else, meet the forthcoming Scout Terra pickup truck and Traveler SUV, a pair of electric off-roaders from this revived brand. They don’t just rely on retro styling, though, as their body-on-frame construction and solid rear axle are unique among EVs and should make them capable. The Scout siblings will also be sold as plug-in hybrids, which could help encourage adoption.
While electric pickup trucks and electric SUVs continue to proliferate, it’s currently slim pickings when it comes to serious off-roaders. The Terra and Traveler look to fill that niche, aided by their plug-in-hybrid variants that will eliminate range anxiety.
Scout’s proprietary platform combines an old-school body-on-frame configuration with new-age electric powertrains. The Ford F-150 Lightning also rides on frame rails, but unlike the Ford’s independent rear suspension, the Scouts feature a solid rear axle—a setup that’s currently not offered on any other production EV.
Both the pickup and the SUV will be available with two powertrains. The EV versions will have an 800-volt architecture and an electric motor on each axle, as well as mechanical locking front and rear differentials. Scout hasn’t announced a combined horsepower figure, but it’s estimating the all-wheel-drive setup will combine for 1000 pound-feet of torque. The PHEV models will use a gas-fed engine that only charges the battery and doesn’t power the wheels. Without the “Harvester” range-extender, Scout estimates the all-electric Terra and Traveler will be able to go up to 350 miles on a full charge. The Harvester models should be good for over 500 miles, Scout says.
The Scout models will go up against electric vehicles including the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV pickup and Hummer EV SUV, Jeep Recon, and Rivian R1S and R1T. The Terra and Traveler’s “Harvester” setups will also face off against plug-in hybrids such as the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
