The 96th Academy Awards ceremony, honoring the best films released in 2025, will be held on March 2, 2025. The nominations will be announced on January 24, 2025.
As usual, the Best Picture race is expected to be highly competitive, with several critically acclaimed films already generating buzz. Here is a look at some of the likely frontrunners for the top prize:
The main content section will include detailed descriptions of each of the likely frontrunners for the Best Picture award, along with their respective strengths and weaknesses.
Academy Awards 2025 Best Picture
The race for the Best Picture Oscar is always one of the most competitive and unpredictable, and this year is no different. Here are eight important points to keep in mind about the 2025 Best Picture race:
- The frontrunners are already emerging.
- Several critically acclaimed films are in the running.
- The Academy’s new voting system could shake things up.
- Diversity is likely to be a major factor.
- The international films are strong this year.
- The box office numbers could play a role.
- The Academy’s decision to expand the Best Picture category to 10 nominees could make the race even more unpredictable.
- Anything can happen on Oscar night.
The 96th Academy Awards will be held on March 2, 2025, so there’s still plenty of time for the race to change. But these are the eight important points to keep in mind as we head into the final stretch.
The frontrunners are already emerging.
Several films have already emerged as frontrunners in the race for the Best Picture Oscar. These include:
- The Fabelmans: Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film about his childhood has been a critical darling since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It is considered to be one of the frontrunners for the top prize.
- The Banshees of Inisherin: Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy about two friends on a remote Irish island has also been a critical success. It is considered to be another strong contender for the Best Picture award.
- Everything Everywhere All at Once: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s multiverse-hopping comedy-drama has been a surprise hit with critics and audiences alike. It is considered to be a dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
- Tár: Todd Field’s drama about a renowned conductor who is accused of sexual misconduct has been praised for its performances and direction. It is considered to be another strong contender for the Best Picture award.
These are just a few of the films that are considered to be frontrunners for the Best Picture Oscar. The race is still wide open, but these films are definitely the ones to watch.
In addition to the films listed above, there are several other films that could potentially enter the Best Picture race. These include:
- Babylon: Damien Chazelle’s epic about the early days of Hollywood has been generating buzz since its announcement. It is considered to be a potential frontrunner for the Best Picture award.
- The Whale: Darren Aronofsky’s drama about a morbidly obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter has been praised for Brendan Fraser’s performance. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
- Women Talking: Sarah Polley’s drama about a group of women who must decide whether to leave their religious colony after being sexually abused by the men in their community has been praised for its performances and direction. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
Several critically acclaimed films are in the running.
In addition to the frontrunners listed above, there are several other critically acclaimed films that are in the running for the Best Picture Oscar. These include:
- Aftersun: Charlotte Wells’ directorial debut about a young woman’s memories of a vacation with her father has been praised for its performances and direction. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
- Armageddon Time: James Gray’s semi-autobiographical film about growing up in Queens in the 1980s has been praised for its performances and direction. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
- Close: Lukas Dhont’s drama about two 13-year-old boys whose friendship is tested when they are accused of being gay has been praised for its performances and direction. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
- EO: Jerzy Skolimowski’s drama about a donkey who travels across Europe has been praised for its stunning cinematography and direction. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
- Corsage: Marie Kreutzer’s drama about Empress Elisabeth of Austria has been praised for Vicky Krieps’ performance and its feminist themes. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
These are just a few of the many critically acclaimed films that are in the running for the Best Picture Oscar. The race is still wide open, and any of these films could potentially win the top prize.
It is important to note that the Academy’s new voting system could shake things up. Under the new system, all members of the Academy will be able to vote for the Best Picture winner, regardless of their branch. This could give an advantage to films that are popular with general audiences, as opposed to films that are only popular with critics.
The Academy’s new voting system could shake things up.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently changed its voting system for the Best Picture award. Under the new system, all members of the Academy will be able to vote for the winner, regardless of their branch. This is a significant change from the previous system, which only allowed members of the Directors Branch to vote for the Best Picture winner.
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The new system could give an advantage to films that are popular with general audiences.
Under the old system, films that were popular with critics but not with general audiences often had difficulty winning the Best Picture award. This is because the Directors Branch is a relatively small group of people, and they tend to favor films that are more challenging and artistic.
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The new system could also make it more difficult for independent films to win the Best Picture award.
Independent films often have smaller budgets and less star power than studio films. This can make it difficult for them to compete for votes from general audiences. Under the old system, independent films had a better chance of winning the Best Picture award because they only had to compete for votes from the Directors Branch.
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The new system could lead to more consensus picks for Best Picture.
Under the old system, it was often difficult for voters to agree on a single Best Picture winner. This is because the Directors Branch is a diverse group of people with different tastes. The new system could make it easier for voters to reach a consensus on a winner, as they will all be voting for the same film.
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The new system could make the Best Picture race more unpredictable.
It is difficult to say how the new voting system will affect the Best Picture race. However, it is possible that it could make the race more unpredictable. This is because the new system gives more power to general audiences, who are often more likely to vote for films that are popular and entertaining.
It remains to be seen how the Academy’s new voting system will affect the Best Picture race. However, it is clear that the new system has the potential to shake things up.
Diversity is likely to be a major factor.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been under fire for its lack of diversity in recent years. In response to this criticism, the Academy has made a number of changes to its membership and voting procedures. These changes are likely to have a major impact on the Best Picture race in 2025.
One of the most significant changes is the Academy’s new inclusion standards. In order to be eligible for Best Picture, films must now meet certain criteria related to representation and inclusion. For example, films must have a significant number of characters from underrepresented groups, and they must be directed by or co-written by a woman, a person of color, or a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
These new standards are likely to have a major impact on the Best Picture race. In the past, many films that were considered to be frontrunners for the award were not eligible because they did not meet the Academy’s inclusion standards. This year, however, it is likely that many of the frontrunners will be films that meet the new standards.
In addition to the new inclusion standards, the Academy has also made changes to its voting procedures. In the past, only members of the Academy’s Actors Branch were able to vote for the Best Picture winner. This year, however, all members of the Academy will be able to vote for the winner. This change is likely to give more power to members of underrepresented groups, who have been Historically underrepresented in the Academy.
It is still too early to say how the Academy’s new diversity initiatives will affect the Best Picture race. However, it is clear that these initiatives are likely to have a major impact on the outcome of the award.
The international films are strong this year.
In recent years, the Academy Awards have become increasingly international. This year is no different, with a number of strong international films in the running for Best Picture.
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Close (Belgium)
Lukas Dhont’s drama about two 13-year-old boys whose friendship is tested when they are accused of being gay has been praised for its performances and direction. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
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EO (Poland)
Jerzy Skolimowski’s drama about a donkey who travels across Europe has been praised for its stunning cinematography and direction. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
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Corsage (Austria)
Marie Kreutzer’s drama about Empress Elisabeth of Austria has been praised for Vicky Krieps’ performance and its feminist themes. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
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Saint Omer (France)
Alice Diop’s drama about a young novelist who attends the trial of a Senegalese woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter has been praised for its performances and direction. It is considered to be a potential dark horse candidate for the Best Picture award.
These are just a few of the many strong international films that are in the running for Best Picture. The race is still wide open, and any of these films could potentially win the top prize.
The box office numbers could play a role.
In recent years, the Academy Awards have become increasingly focused on rewarding films that are popular with general audiences. This is evident in the fact that several big-budget blockbusters have won Best Picture in recent years, including “Green Book” (2018), “Parasite” (2019), and “CODA” (2021).
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Films that are popular with general audiences are more likely to get nominated for Best Picture.
This is because the Academy’s voting body is made up of actors, directors, producers, and other members of the film industry. These voters are more likely to nominate films that they have seen and enjoyed.
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Films that are popular with general audiences are more likely to win Best Picture.
This is because the Best Picture winner is chosen by a preferential ballot. This means that voters rank their favorite films in order of preference. Films that are popular with general audiences are more likely to be ranked higher on voters’ ballots.
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The box office numbers can be a good indicator of how popular a film is with general audiences.
Films that perform well at the box office are likely to be seen by more people, and they are therefore more likely to be nominated for and win Best Picture.
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However, the box office numbers are not the only factor that determines whether a film will be nominated for or win Best Picture.
Voters also consider other factors, such as the film’s critical reception, its originality, and its social impact.
It is still too early to say how the box office numbers will affect the Best Picture race in 2025. However, it is clear that the box office numbers could play a role in determining which films are nominated for and win the award.
The Academy’s decision to expand the Best Picture category to 10 nominees could make the race even more unpredictable.
In 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it would be expanding the Best Picture category from 5 to 10 nominees. This change was made in an effort to make the race more competitive and to give more films a chance to be recognized.
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The expanded Best Picture category could lead to more consensus picks.
With more films nominated for Best Picture, it is possible that voters will be more likely to agree on a single winner. This is because voters will have a wider range of films to choose from, and they will be less likely to feel like they have to vote for a film that they are not completely satisfied with.
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The expanded Best Picture category could also lead to more surprises.
With more films nominated for Best Picture, it is possible that a film that is not considered to be a frontrunner could win the award. This is because voters will have a wider range of films to choose from, and they may be more likely to vote for a film that they are passionate about, even if it is not considered to be the most likely winner.
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The expanded Best Picture category could make the race more exciting.
With more films nominated for Best Picture, the race is likely to be more competitive and exciting. This is because there will be more films that have a chance of winning, and voters will be more likely to be engaged in the race.
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The expanded Best Picture category could also make the race more unpredictable.
With more films nominated for Best Picture, it is more difficult to predict which film will win. This is because there are more films that have a chance of winning, and voters are more likely to be divided in their preferences.
It is still too early to say how the Academy’s decision to expand the Best Picture category to 10 nominees will affect the race. However, it is clear that the expanded category could make the race more competitive, exciting, and unpredictable.
Anything can happen on Oscar night.
The Academy Awards are known for their surprises. Even in years when there is a clear frontrunner, there is always the possibility that an underdog could win. This is because the Best Picture winner is chosen by a preferential ballot. This means that voters rank their favorite films in order of preference. If no film receives a majority of first-place votes, then the film with the most second-place votes wins.
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A film that is not considered to be a frontrunner could win.
This is because voters may be more likely to vote for a film that they are passionate about, even if it is not considered to be the most likely winner.
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A film that is considered to be a frontrunner could lose.
This is because voters may be divided in their preferences, and no film may receive a majority of first-place votes.
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There could be a tie.
This is because the Best Picture winner is chosen by a preferential ballot. If two or more films receive the same number of first-place votes, then there will be a tie.
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The Academy could make a mistake.
This is because the Best Picture winner is chosen by a group of human beings. Human beings are capable of making mistakes.
Anything can happen on Oscar night. This is what makes the Academy Awards so exciting. Even though there are frontrunners, there is always the possibility that an underdog could win. This is what makes the race so unpredictable and exciting.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Academy Awards 2025 Best Picture race:
Question 1: When will the nominations be announced?
Answer 1: The nominations for the 96th Academy Awards will be announced on January 24, 2025.
Question 2: When will the ceremony be held?
Answer 2: The 96th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 2, 2025.
Question 3: Who are the frontrunners for Best Picture?
Answer 3: The frontrunners for Best Picture are currently considered to be “The Fabelmans,” “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and “Tár.”
Question 4: What are some of the other films that could be nominated for Best Picture?
Answer 4: Some of the other films that could be nominated for Best Picture include “Babylon,” “The Whale,” “Women Talking,” “EO,” and “Corsage.”
Question 5: How could the Academy’s new voting system affect the race?
Answer 5: The Academy’s new voting system could give an advantage to films that are popular with general audiences. This is because all members of the Academy will now be able to vote for the Best Picture winner, regardless of their branch.
Question 6: How could the box office numbers affect the race?
Answer 6: The box office numbers could play a role in determining which films are nominated for and win Best Picture. This is because films that are popular with general audiences are more likely to be nominated for and win Best Picture.
Question 7: Anything can happen on Oscar night.
Answer 7: Yes, anything can happen on Oscar night. This is because the Best Picture winner is chosen by a preferential ballot. This means that voters rank their favorite films in order of preference. If no film receives a majority of first-place votes, then the film with the most second-place votes wins.
These are just a few of the frequently asked questions about the Academy Awards 2025 Best Picture race. As the race progresses, more information will become available. Be sure to check back for updates.
In addition to the FAQ, here are a few tips for following the Academy Awards 2025 Best Picture race:
Tips
Here are a few tips for following the Academy Awards 2025 Best Picture race:
Tip 1: Pay attention to the critics.
Critics’ reviews can give you a good idea of which films are worth watching. Pay attention to the reviews of top critics, and read a variety of reviews to get a well-rounded perspective.
Tip 2: Watch the nominated films.
The best way to judge which film is the best is to watch them for yourself. If you can, try to watch all of the nominated films before the ceremony. This will give you a good understanding of the race and help you make an informed decision about who you think should win.
Tip 3: Follow the awards season.
The awards season is a great way to keep up with the Best Picture race. Pay attention to which films are winning awards at the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, and the Critics’ Choice Awards. These awards can give you a good indication of which films are the frontrunners for the Oscars.
Tip 4: Make your own predictions.
Once you’ve watched the nominated films and followed the awards season, it’s time to make your own predictions. Who do you think will win Best Picture? Who do you think should win? Share your predictions with your friends and family, and see who gets it right.
Following the Academy Awards 2025 Best Picture race can be a lot of fun. By following these tips, you can stay up-to-date on the race and make informed predictions about who will win.
The Academy Awards are a celebration of the best in film. The Best Picture race is always one of the most exciting and unpredictable races of the year. By following these tips, you can enjoy the race and make your own predictions about who will win.
Conclusion
The Academy Awards 2025 Best Picture race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and unpredictable in recent memory. Several critically acclaimed films are in the running, and the Academy’s new voting system could shake things up. Diversity is likely to be a major factor, and the international films are strong this year. The box office numbers could also play a role, and the Academy’s decision to expand the Best Picture category to 10 nominees could make the race even more unpredictable.
Ultimately, anything can happen on Oscar night. The Best Picture winner is chosen by a preferential ballot, so it is possible for an underdog to win. This is what makes the race so exciting. Even though there are frontrunners, there is always the possibility that a dark horse could come out of nowhere and win.
The Academy Awards are a celebration of the best in film. The Best Picture race is always one of the most exciting and unpredictable races of the year. So be sure to tune in on March 2, 2025, to see who takes home the top prize.