Being the biggest names of your generation is no easy feat, which is why it’s rather surprising that Robert Pattinson and Zendaya have not crossed the threshold from Hollywood superstardom into Oscar recognition. But this year is proving to be a banner year for both stars of Kristoffer Borgli’s “The Drama,” who could receive their first Oscar nominations due to the cumulative effect of starring in many high-profile projects and delivering strong work across them.
After “The Drama” this weekend, the two stars will next be seen together again later this year in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey,” where Zendaya plays Athena, and Pattinson plays Antinous. Then, this December, the two will share the screen again for a third time in 2026 in “Dune: Part Three,” with Zendaya reprising her role as Chani and Pattinson joining the franchise as Scytale. Separately, Zendaya will be vying for her third Emmy award for the third season of “Euphoria” as well as returning as MJ in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” Robert Pattinson has an equally stacked year, with roles in Fernando Meirelles’s “Here Comes the Flood” alongside Denzel Washington and Daisy Edgar-Jones and the potential release of A24’s Lance Oppenheim-directed “Primetime,” where Pattinson plays a journalist. It’s with these massively stacked years, as well as their statuses as some of the most beloved and famous actors of their generation, that we could see them finally break through from teen stars to A-list celebrities to Academy Award nominees.
Think, most recently, of Sebastian Stan receiving his first Oscar nomination for “The Apprentice.” While he was playing Donald Trump in a baity biopic, he was surely bolstered by his Golden Globe-winning turn in “A Different Man” that same year, which helped push him toward the nomination. Or, look at 2022, when a banner year for Colin Farrell led him to receive his first nomination. He was also everywhere that year, with memorable performances in “After Yang,” “The Batman,” “Thirteen Lives,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” (which earned him his first Oscar nomination), all released in quick succession. Just look at Jessica Chastain’s breakout year in 2011, where she starred in “The Debt,” “Take Shelter,” “Coriolanus,” “The Tree of Life,” “Texas Killing Fields,” the documentary “Wilde Salomé,” and her Oscar-nominated performance in “The Help.” Sometimes, it just helps to be on voters’ minds.
With “Dune: Part Three” and “The Odyssey” both emerging as potential major Best Picture nominees in most people’s early Oscar predictions, it would make sense for Zendaya or Pattinson to come right along with them. Think of Jesse Plemons coming alongside the rest of the cast for “The Power of the Dog.” He had a smaller role in a top-tier Best Picture contender. Still, the movie’s strength and the narrative of Plemons having such a stacked career (starring in multiple previous Best Picture nominees, with “Judas and the Black Messiah” releasing that February and “Jungle Cruise” and “Antlers” coming out that year) helped make him a priority for voters.
While neither “Dune” film has gotten acting nominations previously, this being the final installment in the trilogy and allegedly the least action-centered could help both of their cases. If the Academy voters are waiting to award the franchise, it would make sense for Zendaya to get her due, while Pattinson will also take on the role of primary antagonist Scytale, giving a potentially strong performance opposite Timothée Chalamet’s Padishah Emperor Paul Atreides.
With Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” it’s unlikely that either of them will have large enough roles to be nominated. Still, the film’s sheer visibility will surely help their other releases later in the year. Likewise, both will likely receive nods at the Actor Awards as part of the film’s ensemble, whether it’s for that or “Dune: Part Three.”
For Zendaya’s personal chances, her best bet hinges on “Dune: Part Three” picking up support from voters. There’s also a chance she receives a Golden Globe nomination for her work in “The Drama,” which is giving her some of the best reviews of her film career so far. With the likely smash hit success of “Euphoria” season three (potentially leading her to a third Emmy) and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” on the horizon, she could be considered undeniable if she’s able to breakout in “Dune: Part Three” as Chani.
Meanwhile, Robert Pattinson has a lot of up-in-the-air films on his slate this year. While the previously mentioned blockbusters are shoe-ins for major attention from audiences and the Academy, the other two releases he has this year are mostly unknown. “Here Comes the Flood” is from Fernando Meirelles, the acclaimed director behind “City of God,” “The Constant Gardener,” and “The Two Popes.” Still, on paper, it sounds like a generic Netflix heist film, and the writer (Simon Kinberg) has mostly worked in the superhero genre. Still, it could be something big across the streaming platform, especially with the legendary Denzel Washington co-leading alongside Pattinson.
“Primetime” has no release on A24’s lineup right now, but it wrapped filming a while ago. Director Lance Oppenheim is best known for his documentary work, and it’s the first credit for writer Ajon Singh. While we don’t know much about it beyond it allegedly being based on “To Catch a Predator’s” Chris Hanson, the cast (including Phoebe Bridgers’s first acting role) and Robert Pattinson, who is set to produce and star as a crime-investigating television journalist looking into Hanson, it’s not one to rule out just yet. It’s, at the very least, another addition to Pattinson’s filmography this year that will make him stand out and make it difficult for voters to forget him.
While “The Drama” may not be our first-half-of-the-year Oscar contender for either star, it sets a good trend: both actors are so prolific and beloved that they may just walk away with their first nominations this year. Which projects will they be for, though? That’s still up in the air, but there’s no denying that, whether they’re sharing the screen together or lighting it ablaze on their own, these two celebrities’ careers are on fire, and the Academy may have no choice but to embrace the heat.
Have you seen “The Drama” yet? If so, what did you think? Are you excited for Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s other projects this year? Do you think they will receive their first Oscar nominations this year or will they have to wait? If they do, which film do you think they will receive it for? Please let us know in the comments section below and on our X account.
