Things have been a little light on the news front the last few rounds. Perhaps the biggest bit of information is that legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg is entering the superhero genre, albeit as a producer. In the past, the king of blockbusters has had a complicated relationship with this genre so it is intriguing to see what appealed to him about Atlantis.
A frequent piece of commentary around this season has been the rather lacklustre box office, although round 5 has helped steady things a bit. The first half of the season has had its fair share of dramas and comedies, the latter of which can especially struggle with international audiences. There are a handful superhero flicks lined up for the second half of the season but the real intrigue comes when trying to determine if there will be any more breakthrough hits from the bunch. Another piece of newsworthy information is the debut of a new writer for the studio, Joshua Collins. Welcome, Joshua!
So who are the serious awards contenders up until this point? The Best Picture category appears to be lacking a true front-runner at this current stage. Perhaps this is recency bias but The Void seems to be the film on everyone’s lips at the moment and stands a strong chance at landing a nomination, a rarity for a science fiction-leaning film. Whaling, Wolf, and Pontiac look like other potential threats but it is hard to say that any are close to a lock.
The lead acting races have some question marks as well. Two aforementioned character studies, The Void and Whaling, put Josh Brolin and Paul Giamatti in the conversation. Despite the expansive cast of Odysseus, that is very much Michael Fassbender’s film and that will likely get him consideration as well. The other possibilities, however, come from more genre-oriented work: Bradley Cooper (horror), Glenn Howerton (dark comedy), Tatanka Means (action). On the actress front, a few serious contenders have emerged in the form of Haley Bennett and studio debutante Rachel McAdams. Ana de Armas has had forward momentum at the studio as of late so that could result in awards recognition. And finally, it will be intriguing to see if Anya Taylor-Joy is slotted in lead or supporting for her memorable performance in Wolf - she could very well earn a nomination in either.
When looking at the casts thus far this season, it feels like a handful of actors are really having a moment. After some time away, Bradley Cooper has two big projects that he is headlining this season. Both stars of My Musical Adventure In Another World As An Old Man! have multiple films this season. Madison Iseman is going from a supporting role in Whaling to a starring one in Maledicta. Julia Roberts made her studio debut in a cameo earlier in the season and just had a major role in Wonder Woman. And heck, could we be in for a double Best Villain nomination for Richard Brake of all people?!
So now let’s look ahead at what is on the horizon. Could Jacob Jones be in store for his biggest season yet? Golden Girl is certainly one of the most hyped movies in town at the moment, bringing together a star-studded cast with beloved director Rian Johnson. Emergency also has three A-Listers attached already and could be something to watch for as well. American Dirt sounds awards-friendly on paper, although the past literary adaptations from those writers have struggled critically in the past. Run For Your Life will mark the fifth collaboration of Chad Taylor and Florence Pugh and has a well-liked source material that it is adapting.
We touched on Atlantis earlier but that will be an interesting one to keep an eye out for. It obviously has box office potential with its comic book property basis but could it reach for even more? It hasn’t been unheard for superhero movies to get awards-buzz at LRF. On paper, Ghost Rider seems a bit grittier than Atlantis but it also sounds like a fun time. I guess I will take a wait-and-see approach with Blue Is the Warmest Color but the original already has critics of its own and it remains to be seen how well equipped Alex Conn is to adapt the story. But he may surprise me, which would be great. Ben Collins is one of LRF’s most consistent horror writers so I always look forward to seeing what he has up his sleeve. And finally The Mobster’s Violin, which sounds like it has all of the makings of another knockout Joaquin performance.
It seems we have an unpredictable road ahead for the rest of the season. I look forward to checking back and seeing you all at the end of it.
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