5 burning questions about the 2022 Oscar nominations
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Who will be nominated for a 2022 Oscar, and what snubs and surprises could shock pundits? Before Tuesday's announcement, here are some of the biggest burning questions.
What films will squeeze into Best Picture? The Best Picture lineup will consist of 10 films, and experts generally agree The Power of the Dog, Belfast, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, Dune, and King Richard are locks, while CODA, Tick Tick ...Boom!, and Don't Look Up should make it in, too. That leaves one spot that could go to a number of contenders, most likely Being the Ricardos but potentially House of Gucci, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Nightmare Alley, or Drive My Car.
How far can Drive My Car go? The three-hour Japanese drama won numerous critical accolades, and some think it could not only earn a surprise Best Picture nod but also a Best Director nomination for Ryusuke Hamaguchi — possibly even in place of Steven Spielberg.
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Will Kristen Stewart be nominated? Stewart was once considered the frontrunner to win Best Actress for Spencer, but after some recent precursor snubs, there's a chance she isn't even nominated.
Which actors could get surprise nods? Keep an eye on Licorice Pizza's Alana Haim to possibly earn a surprise Best Actress nomination, while The Power of the Dog's Jesse Plemons and The Lost Daughter's Jessie Buckley are among those who could sneak into the supporting actor categories.
Will Belfast and The Power of the Dog remain clear frontrunners? Best Picture appears to be a battle between these two films, but could any contenders emerge to threaten them by overperforming in the nominations? Best Picture winners are traditionally also nominated for directing, writing, editing, and at least one actor. So if Belfast or The Power of the Dog somehow misses one of those, or if another film like Licorice Pizza or West Side Story gets more nominations than expected, it could be a competitive race.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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