The 'FYC' Gang Revisits the Best Picture Race, Which Is Still 'Wicked' Wide Open

On an all-new episode of For Your Consideration — Hollywood’s #1 awards-themed talk show — Scott Mantz, Perri Nemiroff and Jeff Sneider revisit the Best Picture race, where there’s no clear frontrunner yet.

The gang feels confident in six or seven titles, but the other few slots remain up for grabs, and Jeff’s jaw just about hit the floor when Scott and Perri suggested that Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance would find its way into the race. He thinks Best Actress, Original Screenplay, and Makeup and Hairstyling nods are within reach, but Best Picture feels like a stretch.

On the flip side, Jeff feels confident that James Mangold’s Bob Dylan movie A Complete Unknown will land a Best Picture nomination, though it has yet to screen for critics. It is, apparently, screening for discerning tastemakers, but Scott and Perri left it off since they haven’t seen it yet. I have no dog in this fight, but it’ll be hard to trust anyone over 50 about this movie — even if they’re the only people I should trust.

I just fully expect the older crowd to vibe with A Complete Unknown, whereas Dylan doesn’t mean all that much to me, and I don’t think Searchlight will know if it has something special on its hands — a movie that can truly go the distance — unless folks like me respond to the film.

Everyone seems to be in agreement that Anora, The Brutalist, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, and Emilia Pérez will be nominated — remember, this is the alphabet Oscars — but when it comes to Gladiator II, which had been coming on strong, there are whispers of dissension in the critical ranks.

The other movie that’s coming on strong — as even Jeff admits in this episode — is Universal’s Wicked, which is drawing rave reviews from the early-bird crowd… but what else is new, right? Can they be trusted? It’s hard to say…

Meanwhile, will Sing Sing stand a chance, or will A Real Pain make the cut? Whose pain will Oscar voters embrace this year? Or will they turn to Almódovar’s English-language debut The Room Next Door? And are more avant-garde films such as Queer and Nickel Boys out of contention, or could they be dark horses that find their way into the race with the right campaign?

As of now, our CURRENT PREDICTIONS include Anora, The Brutalist, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, and Emilia Pérez, but for the rest of them, well, you’ll just have to watch the episode. Or at the very least, the final few minutes…

We have ambitious plans for FYC this season, as we’d like to incorporate some interviews into the show, and possibly host some roundtables as well. So if you represent crafts contenders in the below-the-line categories, or you represent documentaries, animated movies, or international features, please reach out, as we’d love to work with you, and our advertising rates are a bargain considering our collective reach across social media.

I’ll also be sending each episode of FYC directly to actual awards voters (sans paywall).

For Your Consideration will now be taped on a weekly basis as awards season ramps up, so thank you for watching, and feel free to leave a comment on Perri’s YouTube channel, as we welcome constructive feedback from all FYC fans. I may even feature select comments in this newsletter — especially if they’re from the Hollywood community, which is also welcome to email me.

Watch the latest episode above, and until next time — when we discuss the Best Supporting Actor race — we'll FYC-ya later!

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