One movie everyone has their eyes on for the 2024-2025 awards season is “Conclave,” the latest motion picture from “All Quiet on the Western Front” by director Edward Berger. This production chronicles all the suspense and duplicity surrounding the process of selecting a new Pope after the previous one dies. It’s a film that has a lot of elements in play that seem like they could be irresistible for Oscar voters. At the same time, the deeply positive response to the trailer suggests the feature could also be a hit with critics and audiences. However, there’s one area where this religious drama could become especially popular during awards time. “Conclave” carries an ensemble cast that’s, to put it mildly, stacked to the brim. Performers ranging from Ralph Fiennes to Isabella Rossellini to Stanely Tucci, among others, take on key roles in the production. There’s a murderer’s row of talent here and, for a variety of reasons, they’re all overdue for some Oscar love.
When it comes to overdue Oscar winners in the “Conclave” cast, an immediate standout is Ralph Fiennes. After scoring two Oscar nominations for pivotal roles in a pair of Best Picture winners (“Schindler’s List” and “The English Patient”), Fiennes hasn’t been nominated for further Oscars in over 20 years. It’s confounding that he didn’t score Oscar recognition for subsequent acclaimed movies like “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” After so many years away from the Dolby Auditorium, anchoring “Conclave” could be the ticket Fiennes needs to get his third Oscar nomination.
Not only that, but depending on the buzz his turn receives, “Conclave” could lead to the actor getting a “career tribute” Oscar win. After losing out on his two prior Oscar nominations and getting snubbed for other beloved movies, a Best Actor win for “Conclave” could be a “mea culpa” for Fiennes. That will all depend, of course, on how well “Conclave” goes over with Oscar voters and general moviegoers. However, the groundwork has certainly been laid for Fiennes to benefit richly at the Oscars from “Conclave” taking off on the awards circuit.
Also in the cast is John Lithgow, an esteemed performer over the last 50 years who’s delivered remarkable work in everything from “Love Is Strange” to “Blow Out” to “Cliffhanger” and everything in between. He’s only scored two Oscar nominations in his remarkable career, both in the 1980s. It’s been 40+ years since “The World According to Garp” and “Terms of Endearment,” yet a third Oscar nod has eluded Lithgow. A prominent role in “Conclave” could be a prime opportunity to rectify that glaring oversight. Like Fiennes, an Oscar nod here could pull double duty as a testament to his entire career.
Given that Lithgow has shown up in lots of mainstream features like “Daddy’s Home 2” and “The Accountant,” perhaps it isn’t too shocking he hasn’t scored a third Oscar nomination. What is staggering, though, is that icon Isabella Rossellini has never been recognized at the Academy Awards. Headlining a string of acclaimed movies like “Fearless,” “Blue Velvet,“ and “The Saddest Music in the World“ has never been enough to get the queen of offbeat cinema a richly deserved Oscar nomination. “Conclave’s“ mold is much more in line with traditional Oscar-friendly projects, so perhaps this is the one that could get Rossellini her overdue Oscar spotlight.
But now it’s time for us to talk about the Tucci of it all. Stanley Tucci is also part of “Conclave’s” cast, and the early buzz on the film (including responses from footage screened at CinemaCon) suggests that he gives the standout performance of the feature amongst the large supporting cast. If “Conclave” turns into an awards season darling, there’s a chance Tucci could get more than just another Oscar nomination. Perhaps Tucci will be this year’s J.K. Simmons, a character actor who takes home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar after a lengthy iconic career. For Tucci, that career included several performances that bafflingly avoided Oscar nominations.
Staggeringly, the sole Oscar nomination Tucci’s ever scored is for his “The Lovely Bones” performance. His work in other acclaimed motion pictures like “Spotlight” or “The Devil Wears Prada” went totally unnoticed. Needless to say, he’s also never scored an Oscar win in his lengthy career. It’s way too early to tell if Tucci could be victorious at this year’s Oscars, given that “Conclave” hasn’t even premiered yet. However, Tucci’s lack of any sort of awards recognition despite being so acclaimed does make him the kind of artist the Academy likes to eventually recognize when the proper movie comes around. “Conclave” could be that prime opportunity to finally give Tucci his roses, especially if he takes off as the most acclaimed performer in the entire feature.
“Conclave” could also catapult some lesser-known performers to major Oscar glory. Most notably, Lucian Msamati, playing the character of Cardinal Adeyemi, has already anchored many acclaimed and award-winning stage productions across Europe. It’s far from inconceivable that he could deliver a “Conclave” performance the Academy simply can’t ignore.
Still, the principal focus for any “Conclave” awards attention will be its four central performers. Fascinatingly, Fiennes and company, despite having such wildly distinctive careers between them, are all beloved performers who’ve never won Oscars. It’s a quartet of beloved bridesmaids who’ve never gotten to be brides. Anchoring this highly anticipated drama could be their ticket to changing all that. Perhaps by the end of February, “Conclave” will have finally given Fiennes, Tucci, Lithgow, or Rossellini their long overdue Oscar win.
What nominations do you think “Conclave” is likely to get at the upcoming Oscars? Please let us know in the comments below or on Next Best Picture’s X account and be sure to check out Next Best Picture’s latest Oscar predictions here.
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