Oscars red carpet
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Will some major upsets be in store at the 2020 Oscars?

It seems likely they'll be fewer than usual, especially since all four of the acting frontrunners look unstoppable. But what surprises could conceivably happen? Here are a few to be prepared for.

1. Toy Story 4 loses Best Animated Feature - Oscar voters love Disney, but Toy Story 4 surprisingly lost to Missing Link at the Golden Globes, then again to Klaus at the Annie Awards and the British Academy Film Awards. Toy Story 4 still won at the Producers Guild of America Awards, but don't be surprised if Klaus or Missing Link deny Disney this Oscar for the second year in a row.

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2. Honeyland wins Best Documentary Feature - American Factory, the Netflix documentary from Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, should take this. But Honeyland, the first movie ever nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature Film in the same year, could deny the Obamas their Oscar.

3. Scarlett Johansson wins Best Actress - Renée Zellweger is virtually certain to win after taking every major precursor award. But there's still been some last-minute speculation about a massive, Olivia Colman-style upset by Scarlett Johansson, with voters favoring Best Picture nominee Marriage Story over Judy, which only has two nominations. Still, the odds are very low.

4. Bong Joon-ho wins Best Director - 1917's Sam Mendes won at the Directors Guild of America Awards, a key bellwether. At the same time, there's so much passion behind Parasite that it's not impossible voters back Bong Joon-ho, even as they crown 1917 Best Picture.

5. Parasite wins Best Picture - Then again, maybe that passion will take Parasite to the top after it also won at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Even though no foreign-language film has won Best Picture, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, so could that support give it the win? 1917 will be tough to beat, but keep an eye out for Parasite to make history.

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Brendan Morrow

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.