Academy Award predictions and preferences - 2022

This year will be defined by COVID, streaming services and the first live host in years. Netflix’s The Power of the Dog was the top recipient of nominations with 12. DUne was not too far behind with 10 Oscar nominations.

The Reel Dialogue team will look at some of the hot topics and then predict who might go home with the Oscars at the end of the night. We will provide our predictions, preferences and snubs.

Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age story Belfast received seven nominations. Along with these four films, they will be joined by CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, King Richard, Licorice Pizza and Nightmare Alley for consideration as the Best Picture of the year.

History is being made this year with Jane Campion becoming the first woman to earn two best director nods with her nomination for The Power of the Dog. She was also nominated in the best-adapted screenplay category. The New Zealand director will be making history alongside Kenneth Branagh, who will earn seven Oscar nominations in seven different categories for Belfast. He was nominated for directing, producing and writing the original screenplay for the film. At the same time, Troy Kotsur will be only the second deaf actor to be nominated for playing a deaf character for his role in CODA.

​​Be sure to check out the Reel Dialogue of each film, see what you think

Best Picture

• Belfast
• CODA
• Don't Look Up
• Drive My Car
• Dune
• King Richard
• Licorice Pizza
• Nightmare Alley
• The Power of the Dog
• West Side Story

SNUB: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Bewilderment: How did Don't Look Up & Licorice Pizza get nominated?

Reel Dialogue Preferred: Belfast

Oscar Prediction: The Power of the Dog

Best Director

• Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
• Rysusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car
• Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
• Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
• Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

SNUB: Denis Villeneuve, Dune

Reel Dialogue Preferred: Kenneth Branagh

Oscar Prediction: Jane Campion

Best Actress in a Leading Role

• Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
• Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
• Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
• Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
• Kristen Stewart, Spencer

SNUBS: Lady Gaga, House of Gucci; Catriona Balfe, Belfast

Reel Dialogue Preferred: Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos

Oscar Prediction: Kristen Stewart, Spencer

Best Actor in a Leading Role

• Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
• Will Smith, King Richard
• Andrew Garfield, tick, tick, BOOM!
• Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

SNUB: Bradley Cooper, Nightmare Alley

Reel Dialogue Preferred: Andrew Garfield, tick, tick, BOOM!

Oscar Prediction: Will Smith, King Richard

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

• Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
• Troy Kotsur, CODA
• Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
• Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
• J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos

SNUB: Jared Leto, House of Gucci

Reel Dialogue Preferred: Ciarán Hinds, Belfast

Oscar Prediction: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

• Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
• Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
• Judi Dench, Belfast
• Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
• Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

SNUB: Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley

Preferred: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

Prediction: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

The 94th annual Academy Awards will be on March 27 at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.

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