Oscars 2026 Predictions: Why Timothée Chalamet isn't out of the running yet
Sunday night’s Oscars will have some true nail-biter races. One, Best Actor, is the most competitive that category has been in decades. Will it go to Michael B. Jordan , Timothée Chalamet or Leonardo DiCaprio? Heck, Wagner Moura and Ethan Hawke have a solid shot.
The big fight for Best Picture is between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” . But both big-budget Warner Bros. flicks will definitely have plenty of gold to haul home. Here, Post critic Johnny Oleksinski picks who will win and who should win at the 2026 Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien on Sunday, March 15, at 7:00 p.m. ET on ABC. Until the SAG Awards, acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson’s politically charged, action-packed satire had cruised through awards season. Its collection of big wins almost always add up to an Oscar. And I expect it will again. If “Sinners” sinks its fangs into “One Battle,” it’s the story of the night.Movies like this breathtaking film inspired by William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway — those that are sad, tender, beautifully acted — really only get their much-deserved due and visibility come Oscar time. What “Bride”? Buckley is phenomenal in “Hamnet.” She’s won every conceivable major precursor award. And she is just the sort of first-time, young, female nominee the Academy loves to honor. Think Mikey Madison, Emma Stone, Brie Larson and Jennifer Lawrence. Except Irish.Look, I’m predicting Jordan only because he’s the statistically sensible choice. He won the SAG Actor Award, and none of the nominees emerged victorious at the all-important BAFTAs. But Timmy could just as easily win. It’s a toss-up. He has the showier role . Or maybe Timmy’s social media stunts distracted from the truth that he is doing career-best work in an already damn good career. This one’s down to the wire.Amy Madigan’s first and, before now, only Oscar nod came in 1986 for the perfectly titled film “Twice in a Lifetime.” This time should go differently. She is well loved among her peers. And it greatly benefits Madigan that her kooky Aunt Gladys arrives late and stays till the end, unlike Teyana Taylor’s Perfidia Beverly Hills, who says “goodbye” earlyAfter gobbling up the Actor Award and BAFTA, Penn probably wins his third Oscar for playing creepy Col. Lockjaw. Kinda boring, if you ask me. Much was mediocre about “Frankenstein,” but not Elordi, whose sensitive, expressive performance as the Creature burst through mounds of makeup and prosthetics. Lindo would be a nice win, too.“One Battle,” while not my favorite film of the year, was clearly a beast to put together. Credit that feat to Anderson, the brilliant director of “Boogie Nights,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Magnolia” and “Licorice Pizza,” who, at 55, is already one of the greats.Although submitted by France, this Iranian movie by Jafar Panahi was a hilarious, captivating and stinging rebuke of his country’s oppressive regime. Talk about a relevant movie.“Golden” is so damn catchy, and it’s the only nominee that has crossed over into broader pop culture.Writer-director Coogler had some razor-sharp, terribly creative ideas baked into his script. Most memorable of all was the time-traveling group dance in the juke joint, flanked by flame. But when it comes to pure dialogue, Robert Kaplow’s words for Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart sparkled with wit and pathos in a way few screenplays do anymore.Sometimes the Best Picture winner does not take either screenplay prize. “Nomadland” and “Oppenheimer” both lost in their years. But Anderson is known for being a gifted and clever writer, and made Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland” very much his own. Maggie O’Farrell’s popular novel is tricky to adapt for the screen. Yet Zhao and the author restructured the narrative so brilliantly and assuredly that you quickly forget it’s based on anything.Paul Thomas Anderson could end the night with several awards for “One Battle After Another” .The surprise original hit became Netflix’s most-streamed movie ever last year out of nowhere, and special theatrical sing-a-long screenings did $24 million in business.A long overdue category addition, there’s no precedent to statistically suggest who will win this first go-around. But “Sinners” did claim victory at the Artios Awards put on by the Casting Society. Even the tiniest, unnamed role in the ping-pong picture — and there are a lot! — makes a lasting impression. It was like Josh Safdie put 1950s New York in a time machine and pressed record.Unlike its competitors, music and musicians play a central role in “Sinners,” and a variety of song styles move the storytelling. Pair that with Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson of “Oppenheimer,” and we have a winner. Max Richter’s emotional score was every bit as responsible for moving audiences to tears as Zhao’s direction and Buckley’s lead performance. The past three years, the editing and directing prizes have both gone to the Best Picture winner. That’s not always the case, but considering the sprawl and pace of “One Battle,” expect the pattern to repeat.The past three years, the editing prize winner has gone on to also take Best Picture. That should repeat for “One Battle After Another” . Beyond Coogler’s infusion of music and history, part of what elevated “Sinners” over the usual vampire flick was the dusty beauty of its scenery.“Frankenstein’s” elaborate costumes and makeup, especially for Jacob Elordi , make it a force in the technical categories. Say what you will about “Avatar,” the effects are consistently jaw-dropping. Meanwhile, “Jurassic World Rebirth” looked worse than “Jurassic Park” did 33 years ago.And here’s one for “F1.” The Formula 1 racetrack soundscape — tires screaming against asphalt, lug wrenches springing into action, screaming fans, explosions — was an un-billed character in the movie.Scarlett Johansson inspired me to buy this tennis necklace, and it’s 25% off right nowThe Outset’s new spot-lightening serum is like blue light glasses for your skinNYC news anchor Ernie Anastos' cause of death revealedMayci Neeley Accuses DadTok Of Paying Editors For More Screen Time In ‘The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives’: “I Think They’re Slipping Them Some Cash”Gisele Bündchen sparkles in silver sequined dress and sleek ponytailMore Page Six StyleWireImageNetflix/Courtesy Everett CollectionThe past three years, the editing prize winner has gone on to also take Best Picture. That should repeat for"One Battle After Another" .Stream It Or Skip It: 'Scarpetta' On Prime Video, Where Nicole Kidman Is A Medical Examiner Who Is Haunted By Serial Killings She Thought She Solved Two Decades Ago
Entertainment Awards Jessie Buckley Michael B. Jordan Oscars Oscars 2026 Timothee Chalamet
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