The 2025 Oscars will be televised live on ABC on Sunday, March 2 next year while the nominations will be announced a couple of months earlier — on January 17. There is a hell of a long way to go until then, of course, but, for us here at Gold Derby, it’s never too late to start thinking about the next Academy Awards. With that in mind, here is a list of contenders we think could be potential Best Picture competitors, as well as all the information you need to know about them.
The 2025 Oscars is set for March 2, 2025 in its traditional home, the Dolby Theater. Films released theatrically from January 1 to December 31 of 2024 are eligible for consideration for the 97th annual Academy Awards. Scroll down for our updated 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Picture. (Only movies confirmed for release in 2024 are included; keep checking back as new contenders enter the race.)
Some of the early Oscar hopefuls were launched at Sundance in January and Cannes in May. Four more film festivals — Telluride, Venice, Toronto and New York — will showcase more movies. However, the ongoing writers and actors strikes could reduce the visibility of those contenders. Likewise for those films that forego the festival circuit entirely.
Voting for the 10 shortlisted categories runs from Dec. 9 to 13, with the semi-finalists revealed on Dec. 17. Nominations voting kicks off on Jan. 8, 2025 for five days with the slate of contenders announced on Jan. 17. Final voting starts on Feb. 11 and is over eight days later.
To make our 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Picture, we consider many factors: the pedigree of the filmmakers, the critical reception to their previous films, the box office tally and the track record of the studios.
UPDATED: July 5, 2024
LEADING CONTENDERS
“Anora” (Neon)
Release Date: October 18, 2024
Director: Sean Baker
Writer: Sean Baker
Cast: Mikey Maddison, Mark Eidelstein, Yuri Borisov, Vache Tovmasyan
Plot: “Anora is a comedy about a sex worker shot in New York City and Las Vegas.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Metacritic Score: 89
“Blitz” (Apple TV+)
Release Date: November 1, 2024
Director: Steve McQueen
Writer: Steve McQueen
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Stephen Graham, Harris Dickinson, Kathy Burke
Plot: “Follow the stories of a group of Londoners during the events of the British capital bombing in World War II.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“Conclave” (Focus Features)
Release Date: Edward Berger
Director: November 1, 2024
Writer: Peter Straughan
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini
Plot: “Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, where he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of The Church.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.)
Release Date: March 1, 2024
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer: Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler
Plot: “Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Metacritic Score: 79
“Emilia Pérez” (Pathé)
Release Date: August 21, 2024
Director: Jacques Audiard
Writer: Jacques Audiard
Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomes, Édgar Ramírez
Plot: “Mexico, today. Lawyer Rita receives an unexpected offer. She has to help a feared cartel boss retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the woman he’s always dreamed of being.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Metacritic Score: 70
“Gladiator II” (Paramount+)
Release Date: November 22, 2024
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: David Scarpa
Cast: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn
Plot: “Follows Lucius, the son of Maximus’s love Lucilla, after Maximus’s death.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“Here” (Sony Pictures)
Release Date: November 15, 2024
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Eric Roth and Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly
Plot: “From the reunited director, writer, and stars of Forrest Gump (1994), Here is an original film about multiple families and a special place they inhabit. The story travels through generations, capturing the human experience in its purest form.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“Joker: Folie à Deux” (Warner Bros.)
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Director: Todd Phillips
Writer: Scott Silver and Todd Phillips
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Zazie Beetz, Catherine Keener
Plot: “After murdering Murray Franklin live on television, Arthur Fleck is incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital, where he meets Harleen Quinzel. The two fall madly in love and experience musical madness through their shared delusions, while Fleck’s followers start a movement to free him from Arkham, ultimately giving rise to the Clown Prince of Crime’s criminal empire.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Release Date: October 25, 2024
Director: RaMell Ross
Writer: RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes
Cast: Aunjanue Ellis, Ethan Herisse, Fred Hechinger, Hamish Linklater
Plot: “Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys chronicles the powerful friendship between two young African American men navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“Nightbitch” (Searchlight)
Release Date: December 6, 2024
Director: Marielle Heller
Writer: Marielle Heller
Cast: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Mary Holland, Jessica Harper
Plot: “A woman pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mom, but soon her domesticity takes a surreal turn.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“Sing Sing” (A24)
Release Date: July 12, 2024
Director: Greg Kwedar
Writer: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar
Cast: Colman Domingo, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, Sean San José, Paul Raci
Plot: “Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Metacritic Score: 84
“Wicked” (Universal)
Release Date: November 22, 2024
Director: Jon M. Chu
Writer: Winnie Holzman
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh
Plot: “After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining two-part cinematic event this holiday season.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
STRONG CONTENDERS
“Challengers” (Amazon MGM Studios/Warner Bros.)
Release Date:
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Writer: Justin Kuritzkes
Cast: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, Hailey Gates
Plot: “Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, turned her husband into a champion. But to overcome a losing streak, he needs to face his ex-best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Metacritic Score: 82
“The Fire Inside” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Release Date: December 25, 2024
Director: Rachel Morrison
Writer: Barry Jenkins
Cast: Ryan Destiny, Judy Greer, Brian Tyree Henry, Oluniké Adeliyi
Plot: “The story of Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields, a boxer from Flint, Michigan who trained to become the first woman in her country’s history to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score:
Metacritic Score:
“Hard Truths” (Bleecker Street)
Release Date: October 18, 2024
Director: Mike Leigh
Writer: Mike Leigh
Cast: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, Elliot, Edusah
Plot: “Ongoing exploration of the contemporary world with a tragicomic study of human strengths and weaknesses.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“Inside Out 2” (Disney)
Release Date: June 14, 2024
Director: Kelsey Mann
Writer: Kelsey Mann, Meg LeFauve, and Dave Holstein
Cast: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Maya Hawke, Tony Hale
Plot: “A sequel that features Riley entering puberty and experiencing brand new, more complex emotions as a result. As Riley tries to adapt to her teenage years, her old emotions try to adapt to the possibility of being replaced.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Metacritic Score: 73
“Juror #2” (Warner Bros.)
Release Date: TBC
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: Jonathan Abrams
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Kiefer Sutherland, J.K. Simmons
Plot: “Family man Justin Kemp who, while serving as a juror in a high profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma…one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict-or free-the wrong killer.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“The Piano Lesson” (Netflix)
Release Date: TBC
Director: Malcolm Washington
Writer: Virgil Williams and Malcolm Washington
Cast: John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler
Plot: “Follows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more, in deciding what to do with an heirloom, the family piano.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“A Real Pain” (Searchlight)
Release Date: October 18, 2024
Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Writer: Jesse Eisenberg
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey
Plot: “Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Metacritic Score: 84
“The Room Next Door” (Warner Bros.)
Release Date: October 18, 2024
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Writer: Pedro Almodóvar
Cast: Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola
Plot: “Martha’s strained relationship with her mother fractures completely when a misunderstanding drives them apart. Their mutual friend Ingrid sees both sides of the rift.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Films Boutique)
Release Date: September 18, 2024
Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
Writer: Mohammad Rasoulof
Cast: Soheila Golestani, Missagh Zareh, Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki
Plot: “Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Metacritic Score: 87
“We Live in Time” (A24)
Release Date: October 11, 2024
Director: John Crowley
Writer: Nick Payne
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Adam James, Marama Corlett
Plot: “An up-and-coming chef and a recent divorcée find their lives forever changed when a chance encounter brings them together, in a decade-spanning, deeply moving romance.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
POSSIBLE CONTENDERS
“A Different Man” (A24)
Release Date: January 20, 2024
Director: Aaron Schimberg
Writer: Aaron Schimberg
Cast: Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson, Renate Reinsve, C. Mason Wells
Plot: “After undergoing a facial reconstructive surgery, Edward becomes fixated on an actor in a stage production based on his former life.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Metacritic Score: 74
“All We Imagine as Light” (Condor Entertainment/September Film)
Release Date: May 23, 2024
Director: Payal Kapadia
Writer: Payal Kapadia
Cast: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon
Plot: “In Mumbai, Nurse Prabha’s routine is troubled when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Her younger roommate, Anu, tries in vain to find a spot in the city to be intimate with her boyfriend.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Metacritic Score: 93
“Babygirl” (A24)
Release Date: December 20, 2024
Director: Halina Reijn
Writer: Halina Reijn
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde
Plot: “Despite the risk and prejudices, a very successful CEO begins an illicit affair with her much younger intern.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“The Bikeriders” (Focus Features/Universal)
Release Date: June 21, 2024
Director: Jeff Nichols
Writer: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon
Plot: “After a chance encounter, headstrong Kathy is drawn to Benny, member of Midwestern motorcycle club the Vandals. As the club transforms into a dangerous underworld of violence, Benny must choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Metacritic Score: 70
“Civil War” (A24)
Release Date: April 12, 2024
Director: Alex Garland
Writer: Alex Garland
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson
Plot: “A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Metacritic Score: 75
“Didi” (Focus Features)
Release Date: July 26, 2024
Director: Sean Wang
Writer: Sean Wang
Cast: Izaac Wang, Shirley Chen, Joan Chen, Stephanie Hsu
Plot: “In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Metacritic Score: 77
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Warner Bros.)
Release Date: May 24, 2024
Director: George Miller
Writer: Nico Lathouris and George Miller
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne
Plot: “Set 15 to 20 years before the events of ‘Fury Road,’ the film follows the title character’s life for over a decade, from her kidnapping by the forces of warlord Dementus to her ascension to the rank of Imperator.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Metacritic Score: 79
“His Three Daughters” (Netflix)
Release Date: September 6, 2024
Director: Azazel Jacobs
Writer: Azazel Jacobs
Cast: Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne, Jovan Adepo
Plot: “This tense, touching, and funny portrait of family dynamics follows three estranged sisters as they converge in a New York apartment to care for their ailing father and try to mend their own broken relationship with one another.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Metacritic Score: 80
“Hit Man” (Netflix)
Release Date: May 24, 2024
Director: Richard Linklater
Writer: Richard Linklater and Glen Powell
Cast: Glen Powell,
Plot: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Molly Bernard
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Metacritic Score: 82
“Kinds of Kindness” (Searchlight)
Release Date: June 28, 2024
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Writer: Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou
Cast: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley
Plot: “A man seeks to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questions his wife’s demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning, and a woman searches for an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%
Metacritic Score: 64
“Megalopolis” (Lionsgate)
Release Date: September 27, 2024
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Writer: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza
Plot: “An architect wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53%
Metacritic Score: 59
“Nosferatu” (Focus Features/Universal)
Release Date: December 25, 2024
Director: Robert Eggers
Writer: Robert Eggers
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe
Plot: “A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman, and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her causing untold horror in its wake.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: TBC
Metacritic Score: TBC
“The Substance” (Mubi)
Release Date: September 20, 2024
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Writer: Coralie Fargeat
Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Hugo Diego Garcia
Plot: “A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.”
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Metacritic Score: 84
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