Nicholas Hoult has had an interesting career. Starting with his breakthrough performance in “About A Boy” in 2002, he’s been a part of our lives since then, acting in various roles where he was often cast for his dashing English good looks, such as in the horror romantic comedy “Warm Bodies,” or the misguided box-office bomb “Jack The Giant Slayer.” Hollywood was clearly trying to turn him into a leading man who could command the box office, but Hoult has always rallied against that path, even going so far as dousing himself in makeup to play Henry “Hank” McCoy/Beast in the “X-Men” prequel films. He’s always gravitated towards artists who stretch him as an actor, often now playing revolting characters with unexpected layers of depth underneath the surface, allowing Hoult to stand out more as a character actor rather than as a leading man. Whether it’s with George Miller in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Yorgos Lanthimos with “The Favourite,” or Mark Mylod with “The Menu” Hoult has instead consistently been turning in stellar work for over a decade now, and he’s about to have his best year yet. And it’s all going to take place in the short span of two months.
First up is Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2,” which just dropped its trailer earlier today. It is scheduled to have its world premiere at AFI Fest on October 27th and be released on November 1st by Warner Bros. Pictures. This is likely Hoult’s best chance to finally be taken seriously by awards voters with a role that offers him a lot of complex emotions to deal with as his juror character serving on a murder trial realizes he may be at fault for the victim’s death. Eastwood has a pretty decent track record with the Academy, with the 94-year-old director receiving eleven nominations himself and four wins for Best Picture and Best Director on “Unforgiven” and “Million Dollar Baby.” Looking at his filmography since “Million Dollar Baby” he’s managed to get acting nominations for Angelina Jolie (“Changeling”), Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon (“Invictus”), Bradley Cooper (“American Sniper“), and Kathy Bates (“Richard Jewell“). Could Hoult be next?
It’s not out of the realm of possibility, especially when you consider he will have the Justin Kurzel historical crime-drama “The Order” released on December 6th, for which Hoult received strong reviews for his terrifying performance as Neo-Nazi activist Bob Matthews. However, to further capture his chances of getting his awards, he will have Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” released in theaters on Christmas Day, just 19 days after the release of “The Order.” In this new telling of the terrifying vampire, Hoult will play the character of Thomas Hutter, the husband of Lily-Rose Depp’s character, Ellen Hutter. “Nosferatu” is projected to be a box-office success for Focus Features over the Christmas holiday and another awards contender (at the very least in the technical categories, but that’s another conversation for later), which could all help fuel this narrative for Hoult to finally come aboard the Academy’s radar and be taken seriously as an awards contender.
We suspect Hoult’s best shot at receiving awards recognition will be for Eastwood’s “Juror #2,” given its pedigree and the studio backing it. However, if Best Actor is too crowded for the 34-year-old or “Juror #2” doesn’t take off as a huge awards season contender overall, perhaps we’re underestimating a Best Supporting Actor nomination for “The Order.” However, the studio releasing that film in the U.S. is Vertical Entertainment, and their success rate in getting actors nominated by the Academy is literally zero. It’s also difficult to discuss any acting possibilities for “Nosferatu” given its genre (the bias within the Academy against horror is very real) until we finally lay eyes upon it, so “Juror #2” is the safest prediction for the time being until we know more information. But one thing is certain: Hoult may very well be on the verge of receiving his first Oscar nomination this year and, if not, will likely be on awards voters’ radar enough following 2024 to secure one in the future.
So what do you think? Do you believe Nicholas Hoult will receive his first Oscar nomination this year or do you think he will gain enough momentum and goodwill to carry it over into the future with his next awards project? Who do you think will be nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor? Please let us know in the comments below or on our X account, and be sure to check out our latest Oscar predictions here.
