A24 has its hands full this awards season, with a slew of films set to release in the back half of this year. While only a few films on this release slate are legitimate contenders for Best Picture, the distributor could also have a strong presence in various categories at the Academy Awards. One of the categories where A24’s slate could take over is Best Actor. The race for Best Actor is only heating up, and there’s a world where three of the nominated actors could appear from A24-distributed films. But could they get all of these actors in, or will they have to prioritize specific candidates? Let’s take a look at which of their actors have the best shot at getting into that coveted Best Actor lineup.
Since last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, viewers have been praising Colman Domingo’s work in “Sing Sing” and understandably so. “Sing Sing” was acquired promptly after its glowing critical reception and, for most of this year, was the sole awards contender the studio had. It’s a heartwarming drama that could win the hearts of almost anyone who watches it. The narrative around it and the real-life subjects playing versions of themselves only drove this film further into possible early front-runner status. With Colman Domingo at the lead, fresh from his nomination for “Rustin,” it seemed that this might be the year the veteran actor finally added an Academy Award to his awards collection. Now, that has somewhat changed since more acting contenders, such as Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown“) and Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist“), are throwing themselves in the ring. The film’s release also left much to be desired as it didn’t seem that many people in the general audience even got the opportunity to witness what Domingo and the rest of the “Sing Sing” team were able to do. That said, it feels safe to say Domingo is still in the race (more so for a nomination), as A24 will still campaign the film throughout the FYC season. The better the film performs as a whole, the more it helps Domingo and even pushes him back into the winning conversation.
It seemed like A24 was really going to zero in on “Sing Sing” this year after seeing how splitting their attention last year only led to “Past Lives” earning two nominations at the Academy Awards (Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay). Then, the studio went on a spending spree, acquiring the biggest film of this year’s awards season: “The Brutalist.” Brady Corbet’s universally celebrated American epic has been the talk of the town ever since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival – and has only grown in momentum. In front of that gargantuan production is an even larger-than-life performance from Adrien Brody. Brody, already an Academy Award-winning actor, has catapulted to winning discussion at the moment, almost ensuring that his work here is sure to be acknowledged by the Academy. It’s been over twenty years since Brody was last nominated, and it looks like he’ll be returning with open arms. At this rate, it would be a shock if he missed a nomination, seeing as how many are saying his work in “The Brutalist” is the best of his career. “The Brutalist” possibly being an overall top three contender for Best Picture will help Brody immensely in making sure he constantly gets checked off by every major voting body come this winter.
Then, there’s the question of what will happen to Daniel Craig, who’s garnered praise for his performance in “Queer.” A24, who recently bought the film, hoped to make a splash and get Craig his first-ever Academy Award nomination. While many people consider his work in the latest Luca Gugadanino feature his best performance to date, the film itself could be polarizing to plenty of Academy voters (especially the old guard). If Craig were in a film that would be in the Best Picture race, then we would be having a totally different conversation. “Queer” was predicted by many pundits (including myself) throughout the year, but its premiere at Venice put that to bed. It did get a warmer reception at the Toronto International Film Festival and has played on the sensibilities of the New York Film Festival attendees. What’s really hurting Craig far more than Domingo is A24 picking up “The Brutalist.” “Sing Sing,” in comparison to “Queer,” has a far more likely chance of getting support across the board. Having seen “Queer,” it wouldn’t be shocking if Craig made every single precursor and still missed a spot in that Best Actor lineup on nomination morning. Despite all of these detractors, it feels like a flimsy fifth spot waiting to be taken, and Craig could do it. There’s plenty of goodwill for the beloved actor who’s worked with many in the industry. Out of these three Best Actor contenders from A24, Craig has the toughest road ahead of him.
It’s pretty difficult for one studio to take up three of the five slots for Best Actor, and decisions will have to be made when prioritizing their candidates. A24 has run the gauntlet before, so maybe they will indeed get all three actors nominated this year. We’ll have to wait and see how much the studio dedicates to these campaigns the longer the awards run goes on – and there’s still plenty of road ahead.
Who do you think gets nominated for Best Actor? Does A24 get all three of these contenders nominated? Which of the three gets prioritized? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account and check out our latest Oscar predictions here.
