Joey Magidson
Folks, we have a contender. Last week, Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey opened up, taking in boffo business on top of some phenomenally strong critical raves. In fact, it appears to, in many cases, have exceeded some incredibly high expectations. That enthusiasm will almost certainly extend from here in the summer all the way to Oscar season. As such, not only has it been time for an update to my Academy Award predictions, but it’s a good moment to look at just how well the film could end up doing this season…
In my review of The Odyssey (here), I spoke of it like so, alongside its awards potential:
At this point, it’s fair to say that no one is doing must see cinema like Christopher Nolan. The way he makes films for the theatrical experience, whether it’s his use of IMAX technology, or just the size and scope of his productions, is now truly singular. You don’t even have to be a fan of his movies to appreciate how he helps to fuel the health of the medium. With The Odyssey, arguably his biggest blank check project to date, he’s making another big ask of his audience. A massive, nearly three hour adaptation of Homer? On the surface, this is the sort of flick that an auteur falls flat on their face making. Then, again, Oppenheimer was a big ask, given that it was a three hour biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and that won Best Picture, as well as Best Director for Nolan. So, he already gets the benefit of the doubt. Now, having seen the final product, in glorious IMAX 70mm, I can report that this is not only a wild success, it’s also one of Nolan’s best films to date, as well as 2026’s top titles, overall.
The Odyssey is a movie with a capital M. The epic nature of it is apparent in every frame, from the compositions and sets to the massive A-list cast. The masterful way that Nolan is conducting this orchestra is a sight to behold. Action-packed, dramatic, and even a bit moving, it’s incredibly satisfying. This is why you go to a theater. Nolan is able to whisk you away to the end of the Trojan War, remixing a bedrock of Greek literature into something both classical and timeless, while always feeling welcomingly modern. It’s, simply put, a masterwork.
Awards wise, The Odyssey is looking at double digit nominations, almost without question. Over a dozen citations are fairly easily attainable, too. Look for Best Picture, Best Director (for Nolan), Best Adapted Screenplay (also for Nolan), and pretty much every technical category, save for Best Original Song, to be in play. In many, the win is very much a strong possibility, too, though it’s too early to make any bold statements there. Then, there’s the acting fields, where a strong showing would really do a lot to make the film into a potential frontrunner. Best Actor (for Damon), Best Supporting Actor (for Holland, Leguizamo, and/or Pattinson), and Best Supporting Actress (for Hathaway and/or Morton) are certainly more potential nominations to consider. However you slice it, the movie is looking like an Oscar juggernaut.
Now, that list of potential nominations could fluctuate during the season, but the movie does feel like the first thing to try seem like it has the goods to win. There’s a world where the optimism of Project Hail Mary holds on until the end, but this kind of flick just has such an undeniable feeling to it, almost like Oppenheimer, that something will have to come out and blow everyone away in order to match up. Can that happen? Of course. Will it happen? That remains to be seen, with the fall festival season going to provide us with most of those options. Until September rolls around, The Odyssey will be in the pole position, that’s for sure.
Remember folks, it’s still pretty early on in the Oscar game, all things considered. At the same time, I’ve expanded each category, compared to the last predictions article (found here), since we’re starting to get some sense of what the fall contenders could be like. Cannes initially helped a bit with some small changes a few months ago, mainly in terms of boosting up Fjord, but I’m still remaining pretty conservative overall. Remember, I’m always trying to tell a story with my nominees, as you can see with how The Odyssey is doing for me. That certainly can change, in terms of being conservative, but it won’t be for a bit, since nothing too concrete, Oscar-wise, tends to happens in the early to mid summer. Once we hit the fall, however? Then, all bets are off.
As always, you can see my newest crack at advance Oscar predictions here at Awards Radar. We shall see, but this list is sure to change once again when I give it another update, likely in a month or so, before it’s time to get for Tellurite and TIFF. Until then, the usual suspects from the initial ranking still loom fairly large, give or take the aforementioned new Cannes contenders and first half highlights, as well as Nolan’s latest. Here’s to more contenders emerging in the months to come, especially as The Odyssey seems like the one to beat, at least right now…
Stay tuned for an update to these Oscar predictions as the summer rolls on!
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