When it comes to the top awards at the 2020 Oscars, few surprises seem likely.
After all, at least four of the major prizes at Sunday's show at this point appear all locked up. There's some wiggle room for Best Picture, which will likely go to 1917 but could be upset by Parasite or even Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood. But don't bet on these contenders losing:
1. Parasite for Best International Feature Film - Parasite might win Best Picture let alone Best International Feature Film, so this is basically a Bingo free space. Were Parasite to lose here, we'd need a whole book dissecting what went wrong.
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2. Renée Zellweger for Best Actress - Zellweger has racked up wins at every major awards show, from the Golden Globes to the Screen Actors Guild Awards to the British Academy Film Awards. Sure, frontrunner Glenn Close shockingly lost Best Actress last year. But at least Olivia Colman, who beat Close, had won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. Zellweger's competitors have earned no similar victories, and Golden Globe winner Awkwafina isn't nominated.
3. Joaquin Phoenix for Best Actor - The Best Actor race isn't any more competitive, as Joker's Phoenix has taken every major precursor award. Better luck next year, Adam Driver.
4. Brad Pitt for Best Supporting Actor - Pitt has also won every major precursor award, delivering consistently memorable speeches at each show. Will voters turn down the opportunity for another? Definitely not.
5. Laura Dern for Best Supporting Actress - Dern has, you guessed it, won every major precursor and even sits on the Academy's Board of Governors. Some bold experts on Gold Derby forecast a Scarlett Johansson upset, but don't count on that.
In fact, The Hollywood Reporter estimates the odds of Zellweger, Phoenix, Pitt, and Dern winning are all above 90 percent. With that in mind, get ready for either a fairly predictable end to the telecast, or some of the biggest Oscar shockers in recent memory.
