It’s almost time to watch and wait for the 2025 Oscars. The excitement is palpable within the film industry when people recall great performances, amazing storytelling, and artistic innovations in filmmaking. Let’s take a peek at who might feature at the top of the major categories with an examination of the most likely contenders based on expert predictions, critical acclaim, and audience buzz.
Best Picture
The Best Picture race is sizzling as intimate dramas rub shoulders with grand epics and bold artistic visions. There are just some knockout contenders: Wicked-Universal’s adaptation of the hit Broadway musical is quite simply a spectacle. Its vibrancy in storytelling, and the strong performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, have won accolades galore.
- Gladiator II: Paramount’s sequel to the 2000 Oscar-winning classic delivers a knockout, with stunning visuals and action that, despite mixed reviews from critics, tells a gripping drama.
- Oppenheimer: Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece continues his awards season streak, thanks to the compelling exploration of this historical icon in this film starring Bradley Cooper and his superb cast.
- Killers of the Flower Moon: Martin Scorsese’s sprawling epic on injustice and power has resonated with audiences and critics alike, making it another serious player.
The prediction: Wicked seems poised to clinch the coveted award, given its overwhelming audience and Academy response during screenings.
Best Director
The Best Director race this year showcases the sheer diversity of cinematic vision. Leading the charge are:
- Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer): The complex narratives and technical genius of Nolan never cease to amaze.
- Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon): Master filmmaker at his best
- Jon M. Chu (Wicked): No one other than Chu would have successfully turned such a beloved musical into the biggest film ever.
- Ridley Scott (Gladiator II): At 86 years of age, Ridley Scott proves that he is still a master craftsman with the ability to intertwine historical storytelling with modern sensibility.
Prediction: Going by the direction of his Oppenheimer, it is a sure-shot candidate to be proclaimed Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus.
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Best Actor
The best actor category presents itself with varied stalwarts and newcomers alongside and here are some career-defining performances:
- Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer): Murphy gives a hauntingly layered performance in Oppenheimer.
- Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon): DiCaprio gives a character complexity in morals while being truly nuanced.
- Paul Mescal (All of Us Are Lying): One has to salute the raw emotional ability that Mescal has shown.
- Pedro Pascal (Stranger at the Gate): The work of Pascal has indeed impressed a lot, as transformative and with so much emotional intensity.
Predicted: Cillian Murphy is the frontrunner, as his take on the conflicted physicist has seen great acclaim from all.
Best Actress
The Best Actress category looks extremely promising this year with some of the best performances coming from the industry’s finest.
- Cynthia Erivo (Wicked): The movie is anchored by powerhouse singing and acting that defines its journey on an emotional level.
- Lily Gladstone: Her dramatic performance in Killers of the Flower Moon has earned her the heart of the critics.
- Margot Robbie: Especially in Barbie, Robbie has been surprising audiences with nuance and playfulness, but more importantly, has surprised critics.
- Emma Stone: Stone is in some of her best acting to date. She plays bold and fearless.
- Lily Gladstone: Everyone, now, believes her best work was this movie; people mostly forget how bad this film actually was once she appears on screen.
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor category brings some of the most outstanding and unforgettable performances :
- Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon): De Niro plays this manipulative patriarch – one of the many unforgettable moments of this film.
- Austin Butler (Dune: Part Two): Austin Butler proves himself to be a part of the acting fraternity by doing justice to Feyd-Rautha.
- Barry Keoghan (Saltburn): Keoghan’s hyper-reactive, charismatic performance was exceptional.
- Chris Pine (Poolman): The dark horse that captured charm and gravitas so rarely to his part.
Prediction: The award most likely goes to Robert De Niro for validating his status as one of the greatest actors ever.
Best Supporting Actress
The following are expected to shine brightly in the Best Supporting Actress category:
- Ariana Grande (Wicked): Grande was charismatically effervescent, full of surprise in this playing of Glinda.
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers): Work truly moved the hearts of those who saw her film.
- Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer): Pugh gives another great supporting role.
- Viola Davis (Air): She takes commanding stages and makes people go through deep emotions.
Prediction: Da’Vine Joy Randolph is the clear winner, but one could certainly see underdog potential for Ariana Grande as well.
Best Original Screenplay
This year’s Best Original Screenplay field features some of the most innovative storytelling in cinema:
- Barbie (Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach): A cutting, incisive script reimagines the beloved toy doll for a new era.
- The Holdovers (David Hemingson): A nostalgic piece that’s both heartfelt and universally relatable.
- Saltburn (Emerald Fennell): Darkly comedic, twisted, both incendiary and entertaining.
- Anora (Neon): Visually poetic storytelling that is deep.
Prediction: Barbie will take the award for its bold approach to satire and storytelling.
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Best Adapted Screenplay
Many contenders are also found in Best Adapted Screenplay
- Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan): For starters, Nolan was adapting American Prometheus-there was no better way of presenting the best work of writing.
- Killers of the Flower Moon (Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese): Tastefully researched and entrancing screenplay.
- Evil (Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman): Loyal yet fresh take on a musical masterpiece.
- All of Us Strangers (Andrew Haigh): Reflective adaptation.
Prediction: Oppenheimer emerges into daylight with its dense yet accessible screenplay.
Best Animated Feature
The Best Animated Feature category is packed full of vibrant storytelling and groundbreaking animation:
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: An exceptional juxtaposition of looks and storytelling that opens the boundaries of the genre.
- Wish (Disney): Wizardly and meaningful film, yet another Disney legacy
- The Boy and the Heron (Studio Ghibli): A gem of filmmaking from Hayao Miyazaki-A meditative work of art
- Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (Aardman): Delightful sequel to the original beloved film.
- Prediction: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a shoo-in, given its groundbreaking animation and emotional heft.
Best Original Song
Best Original Song nominees include:
- “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” (Twisters): A sweeping country ballad
- “What a Time” (Wicked): Already a showstopper and surefire fan-fave
- “Lift Me” (The Marvels): An uplifting anthem
- “Start a Fire” (Barbie): A fun, girl-power anthem.
Prediction: What a Time is set to surely win the hearts of voters and audiences at large.
Conclusion
With films as remarkable as those that have been done this year, the 2025 Oscars will surely be one of the best of all time. Whether Wicked dominates all the awards or an underdog like Eragon tops the night, the magic of cinema shall always be there. The stage is all set, and the world waits.
