As Hollywood braces for corporate shifts and AI, the 98th Academy Awards remain a steady beacon. With nearly 10,000 voting members slated to cast ballots in over 20 categories-including a new casting award-the ceremony is scheduled for March 12, after nominees were announced on Jan. 22.
Oscar Season Snapshot
The Academy’s voting body will evaluate entries across more than 20 categories, adding a new award for achievement in casting. The nominees for the 98th Academy Awards were revealed on Jan. 22, and the ceremony will take place on March 12.
Top Contenders
Avatar: Fire and Ash
A third entry in James Cameron’s science-fiction saga follows Na’vi couple Jake Sully and Neytiri as they protect their family and culture from fresh threats. The first two films each competed for best picture. Cameron’s new film could complete the trilogy’s sweep.
*Watch:* In theaters, then on Disney+ and Hulu.
Frankenstein
Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic story, starring Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Del Toro’s prior film, The Shape of Water, won four Oscars in 2018.
*Watch:* Netflix.
Hamnet
Chloé Zhao portrays William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes grieving their son, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel. Zhao, the second woman to win Best Director for Nomadland, co-wrote the screenplay.
*Watch:* In theaters, then on Peacock. (Distributed by Focus Features, part of NBCUniversal.)
It Was Just an Accident
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s political drama earned Cannes’ top prize and is France’s submission for Best International Feature.
*Watch:* In theaters, then on Hulu.
Marty Supreme
Josh Safdie’s 1950s-set picaresque features Timothée Chalamet as a driven ping-pong player, joined by Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher and Kevin O’Leary.
*Watch:* In theaters, then on HBO Max.
No Other Choice
South Korean director Park Chan-Wook’s black comedy critiques corporate culture through a laid-off worker’s desperate attempts to stay employed.
*Watch:* In theaters, then on Hulu.
One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson’s thriller, loosely based on Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, follows a group of revolutionaries, including Leonardo DiCaprio, against a former colonel played by Sean Penn.
*Watch:* HBO Max.
The Secret Agent
Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho revisits the 1970s dictatorship era, following a researcher who clashes with a regime-aligned businessman.
*Watch:* In theaters, then on Hulu.
Sentimental Value
Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier explores parent-child bonds in a drama about a celebrated director (Stellan Skarsgård) and his estranged daughter (Renate Reinsve).
*Watch:* In theaters, then on Hulu.
Sinners
Ryan Coogler’s genre-mixing film follows twin brothers in a 1932 Delta juke joint. It grossed more than $367 million worldwide.
*Watch:* HBO Max.
Train Dreams
Joel Edgerton stars in a visually striking drama that spans 80 years in a railroad worker’s life, directed by Clint Bentley.
*Watch:* Netflix.
Wicked: For Good
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise their roles in the sequel to the Broadway hit, protecting Oz’s animals from the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) while Glinda (Grande) faces divided loyalties.
*Watch:* In theaters, then on Peacock. (Distributed by Universal Pictures, part of NBCUniversal.)
Other Contenders
- Blue Moon – Richard Linklater’s portrait of lyricist Lorenz Hart
- Bugonia – Yorgos Lanthimos’s dark conspiracy satire
- Jay Kelly – Noah Baumbach’s show-business dramedy
- The Testament of Ann Lee – Mona Fastvold’s biopic of the Shakers founder
- Weapons – Zach Cregger’s suburban horror tale
Key Takeaways
- Nominees announced Jan. 22; ceremony on March 12
- 12 films highlighted, spanning genres from sci-fi to drama
- Distribution varies: theaters, streaming (Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock)
The 98th Academy Awards promise a diverse slate of contenders, each bringing unique stories to Hollywood’s most celebrated stage.
