At this point, it’s a given that “Wildwood” will cruise to a Best Animated Feature win at the Oscars. Yes, it’s an abnormally competitive year, with two Pixar films, Brad Bird’s long-gestated noir “Ray Gunn,” an original DreamWorks film, “Forgotten Island,” and numerous independent, adult-skewing animated films like “Tangles,” “Iron Boy” and “In Waves.” Another major stop-motion title is “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom,” a franchise that scored nominations for each previous installment. Still, it’s impossible to deny the many achievements of “Wildwood.” The scale, the technological advancements, the emotional storytelling- nothing can stop LAIKA from finally winning its first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Yet voters would make an enormous mistake by stopping there and ignoring the other categories where “Wildwood” deserves Academy recognition.

Knight’s previous stop-motion feature, “Kubo and the Two Strings,” earned a Best Visual Effects nomination, making it the second animated film to do so after “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Yes, “Wildwood” is handcrafted, but LAIKA doesn’t shy away from the extensive visual effects needed to bring the handcrafted animation to life. Like a typical stop-motion film, it uses endless rigging and wires to hold the models in place, helping the characters run, jump, or fly atop a talking eagle, and each of these must be painted out. But “Wildwood” goes much further, pushing the medium’s boundaries in ways no one has seen before. According to LAIKA, around 1,800 shots are CG-affected throughout the movie. The 12-minute battle sequence alone combines practical puppets with computer animation to create an enormous sequence that rivals live-action battles such as the Battle of Helm’s Deep in “The Two Towers” and the Battle of the Bastards in “Game of Thrones.” Many sets used blue-screen backgrounds to extend the background or add the sky.

LAIKA already received a Scientific and Technical Achievement Award from the Academy in 2015 for its rapid prototyping and use of 3D printing, and the technology has only progressed further since then. The puppets have muscles that move under the skin and breathing apparatuses that ever-so-slightly inflate and deflate the chest to suggest human breathing. Few films this year will utilize more groundbreaking technology than “Wildwood.” If the film makes the Oscar shortlist for Best Visual Effects, as it almost certainly will, its bake-off presentation will go a long way toward showcasing the breathtaking visual effects that let Prue speed through the streets of Portland, thousands of characters clash swords, a murder of crows flying through the air, and an ivy tower climax that is stunning in its technical challenges.

Shockingly, no animated film has ever been nominated for Best Production Design. Even computer-animated films feature extensive production design, albeit in a virtual space. Still, stop-motion films require extensive art direction, set decoration, and props to bring their stories to life. “Wildwood” may be another dark fantasy that shares some DNA with their other films, but it’s actually a stylistic leap for LAIKA. Their previous films were often more stylized and otherworldly, while “Wildwood” is much more grounded in its realism, from its character designs to props and sets. The cars, bikes, and weapons all feel tangible and authentic because that’s exactly what they are. These are physical sets, physical elements that had to be built and crafted for every single shot in the film. While the sets may not rival the scale of something like “The Odyssey,” they’re no less impressive, with entire villages and forests built to support this epic story.

Best Original Score and Original Song are two of the most reliable Oscar categories for an animated film to contend in, but it’s still an uphill battle to be taken seriously. None of LAIKA’s films have been nominated in either category. But “Wildwood” could change that. Previous Oscar winner Dario Marianelli’s (“Atonement”) sweeping score brings together haunting string solos, gentle acoustic moments, emotional piano notes, and pounding drums sending the characters into battle. It’s an eclectic soundtrack that captures the blending of these wildly varied worlds. Marianelli hasn’t been nominated in over a decade since “Anna Karenina”, and “Wildwood” features some of his best work yet. Further, Colin Meloy deserves an Oscar nomination for The Decemberists’ original song “The Better Part of Bravery.” No one understands the tone of “Wildwood” better than Meloy, who wrote the original novel the film is based on. His end-credits song captures the uplifting, fearless tone of Prue with a spirit of exploration, all with Meloy’s trademark vulnerable vocals.

Best Sound has also recognized animation more than other Academy branches. Two films, “Soul” and “The Wild Robot,” have received nominations in the last few years, even since the two original sound categories combined back into one in 2020. And yet, no stop-motion film has ever received a nomination here. But the sound branch loves big battles, gunshots, and explosions, all of which are featured in this epic film. Animal sounds, humans fighting, trees creaking, ivy spreading, and even the unbearable shrieks of Knight’s own son are carefully crafted and integrated to make the world feel effortlessly real; animated films don’t get anything for free, as every single sound you hear in the movie has to be created from scratch since there’s no ability to record any of it on set like there is in live-action. This Oscar nomination could truly happen if the branch is open to it.

What about Best Costume Design? Deborah Cook, costume designer for all of LAIKA’s films thus far, became the first person to receive a nomination from the Costume Designers Guild for “Kubo and the Two Strings,” for Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy. It’s not a terrible stretch for Cook to receive a second nomination this year for the wide variety of outfits needed for animals and humans alike. And who can forget the bagpipe-playing Darth Vader in a kilt biking through the streets of Portland? Cook and her team have to make every item of clothing from scratch and develop materials that can bend and hold their shape to accommodate the stop-motion process. This level of innovation is something most costume designers never face. Admittedly, it’s tough to imagine the Academy’s Costume branch (which Cook herself is a member of) going for it, but the consideration should be taken more seriously. The same goes for the cinematography, notably credited to legendary DP Caleb Deschanel, who emphasized warm, sunlit tones throughout the film to create a unique look that helps it stand out from any other stop-motion film that has come before it, let alone any animated film from this year.

And above all else, “Wildwood” must be taken seriously as a contender for a Best Picture nomination. While “You Can See Everything” is dominating that conversation at the moment, aiming to become the first documentary ever nominated in the category, “Wildwood” should also be breaking through barriers and overcoming the medium’s bias to receive a Best Picture nomination. Eighteen years ago, “WALL-E” missed a Best Picture nomination, alongside “The Dark Knight,” snubs so egregious that the Academy decided to expand its Best Picture nominations the very next year, up to ten. “Up” received a nomination in 2009 as a result, and “Toy Story 3” in 2010, but no other animated films have crossed the threshold since. No animated film outside Disney’s distribution has ever received such a nomination. Best Picture features ten nominees today largely because of animation, but voters haven’t overcome animation bias in sixteen years.

“Wildwood,” with its darker themes, huge scope, and massive technological leaps, could change that perception. It’s one of the year’s most remarkable, industry-shaping films and deserves recognition among the best films of 2026.

What Oscar nominations do you think “Wildwood” will receive? Do you think it can get into Best Picture? Could any other film challenge “Wildwood” for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars? Please let us know in the comments section below and on Next Best Picture’s X account, and check out Next Best Picture’s latest Oscar predictions here.

The post Why “Wildwood” Deserves Oscar Consideration Beyond Just Best Animated Feature appeared first on Next Best Picture.

The Audience Choice Prize Longlist and selection of Unforgettables Honorees can be key harbingers of future awards. Last year, the eventual Oscar and BAFTA winner, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” was on the Audience Choice Longlist, and Pavel Talankin was an Unforgettable Honoree.

This year’s Unforgettable Honorees, the on-camera collaborators who are the first announced winners for 2027, come from six films: Dr. Thaer Ahmad, Dr. Mark Perlmutter, and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa from “American Doctor,” E. Jean Carroll from “Ask E. Jean,” Soraya Akhlaghi from “A Fox Under a Pink Moon,” Billie Jean King from “Give Me the Ball,” Israa from “One in a Million,” and Amy Goodman from “Steal This Story, Please!”

Four of those films—“American Doctor,,” “Ask E. Jean,” “Give Me the Ball,” and “Steal This Story, Please!”—are also on the Audience Choice Prize Longlist, along with thirteen of the year’s most talked-about and acclaimed feature documentaries: “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist,” “The Bend in the River,” “Cookie Queens,” “The Cycle of Love,” “Everest: The Other Side,” “Everybody to Kenmure Street,” “The History of Concrete,” “NAZA,” “The Oldest Person in the World,” “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” “Time and Water,” “Wild Inside,” and “You Can See Everything.”

The eventual Oscar winner for Best Documentary Feature has been on the Audience Choice Longlist for each of the past eight years. Public voting to determine the ten films that will be nominated in the category will open on Monday, October 26th.

HBO Max led this year’s Broadcast announcement with ten nominations across five categories, including two apiece for “Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story,” “Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial or That’s the Weight of the World,” and “The Yogurt Shop Murders.”

Also receiving two nominations in the Broadcast categories were “Katrina: Come Hell and High Water” and “Songs from the Hole” from Netflix, “High Horse: The Black Cowboy” from Peacock, “Mr. Scorsese” from Apple TV, and “Tucci in Italy” (Season Two) from National Geographic.

Three previous Cinema Eye winners were among the filmmakers on this year’s ten-film Shorts List, Cinema Eye’s annual list of semifinalists for its Nonfiction Short Film Honor: Bill Morrison (“Sawyer Avenue, Sunday Afternoon”), Laura Poitras (“They’re Here”), and Nathan Truesdell (“A Derailment”). From those ten semifinalists, six films will be announced in December as the official nominees. For the fourth year in a row, Cinema Eye will screen all of the Shorts List films in both Los Angeles and New York, with a series of screenings in New York at DCTV on Wednesday, December 2nd, and at Vidiots in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 5th.

In each of the past two years, four of the nominees—and the eventual winner—for the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film were part of the Cinema Eye Shorts List.

Steve James’ documentary masterpiece, “Hoop Dreams,” will receive the Legacy Award, which is presented to a classic nonfiction film that continues to inspire today’s working filmmakers. James will accept the award on behalf of his team members Peter Gilbert (Producer and DP), Frederick Marx (Producer and Editor), Adam Singer (Sound Recordist), Gordon Quinn (Executive Producer and founder of Kartemquin Films), Bill Haugse (Editor), Marcie McCall (Kartemquin), and Ben Sidran (Composer).

Cinema Eye will celebrate its 20th annual Awards Ceremony on Monday, January 11th, 2027.

Today’s announcements were made on the organization’s “All These Wonderful Things” podcast, which was posted just prior to the 9th Annual Cinema Eye Honors Fall Lunch in Downtown Los Angeles. The event was co-hosted by Amazon MGM Studios, Apple Original Films, Hulu, National Geographic Documentary Films, and Netflix.

Key Dates for the 2027 Cinema Eye Honors

Monday, October 26th: Voting Opens for Audience Choice First Round Voting
Monday, November 2nd: Voting Closes for Audience Choice First Round Voting
Thursday, November 12th: Cinema Eye Honors Feature Film Nominations Announced
Wednesday, December 2nd: Shorts List Screenings, DCTV, New York
Saturday, December 5th: Shorts List Screenings, Vidiots, Los Angeles
Monday, December 14th: Shorts Nominees Announced and Final Audience Choice Voting Opens
Friday, January 8th, 2027: Cinema Eye Weekend begins in New York City
Mond, January 11thy 11th, 2027: 20th Annual Cinema Eye Honors Awards Ceremony

What do you think of the honorees and these announcements? Please let us know your thoughts on our X account. Click here for the most recent tally of awards season winners for the current year.

The post The Cinema Eye Honors Reveals First Awards Announcements For 2027 appeared first on Next Best Picture.

The post Breaking Down The Competitive 2026 Oscar Race For Best Animated Feature appeared first on Next Best Picture.

Earlier in the year, Hüller seemed like a sure bet in Best Supporting Actress for her turn as Eva Stratt in “Project Hail Mary,” the feel-good sci-fi blockbuster from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. That film has remained a firm part of the Oscar conversation since it became a box-office sensation in March. As the film progresses, Hüller reveals deeper layers beneath Eva’s cold exterior, especially during the emotional karaoke scene where she sings “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles. That certainly feels like Hüller’s Oscar clip, and it instantly became the film’s anthem. (There’s also that viral story Hüller told the press about how Ryan Gosling had to convince her to sing.) But as the season has gone on, pundits have lost faith that Hüller will land a nomination in a crowded category for this role, and the same goes for Gosling in Best Actor.

Out of Hüller’s four performances, it’s safe to say her least likely chance at a nomination is for her work in “Digger,” directed by Oscar-winner Alejandro González Iñárritu. Her screen time in the film is incredibly brief as Emma, the sister of Tom Cruise’s Digger Rockwell, and critics have pointed out that Iñárritu underuses her talents. Even if “Digger” were to somehow land a Best Picture nomination at the end of the day (which, given the industry coming to the film’s defense, isn’t completely out of the question), it seems unlikely that Hüller would make the cut, especially given how much airtime the film lends to its male characters played by Cruise, Riz Ahmed, and John Goodman.

The lead actress category, which feels more open than usual outside of Julianne Moore’s likely win for “The Debut,” may be where Hüller stands the best chance. Paweł Pawlikowski, who nabbed a Best Director nomination in 2019 for “Cold War,” closes out his unofficial trilogy of black-and-white historical dramas with “Fatherland,” which won Best Director at Cannes. In the film, Hüller stars as Erika, the daughter of famous German author Thomas Mann. “Fatherland” gives her a wide range of emotions to play as she not only reckons with returning to her war-ridden country, but grieves the loss of her brother, Klaus (August Diehl), who dies by suicide. The film has a real shot at landing nominations for Best International Feature and Best Cinematography, which could boost Hüller’s profile. But she is often in the background and not centered in the frame, in line with Pawlikowski’s observational approach to filmmaking. However, another strong International Feature contender gives Hüller plenty of close-ups, and it may just be her best shot at Oscar gold.

In “Rose,” Hüller plays a woman who disguises herself as a man in 17th-century Germany, claims a plot of land that isn’t hers, and begins to arouse suspicion among the local villagers. It’s easily the most transformative performance Hüller has given to date, and the entire film is centered around her psychological journey. She has slowly climbed the Best Actress odds over the past several months and recently landed in the Top 5 on Award Expert for “Rose.” While Markus Schleinzer’s film hasn’t quite caught steam in other categories, it has strong reviews (88 on Metacritic), and Hüller’s work will likely appeal to the Academy’s international voters. It also helps that a potential Best Actress nomination would pair well with a Best Makeup & Hairstyling nomination. It’s often hard to believe you’re watching Hüller in this role, and Academy voters love a good transformation (even if she isn’t necessarily playing a real-life figure here).

Overall, “Rose” feels like Hüller’s best bet, and people will keep discovering this performance in the months leading up to the film’s December release. But there’s also a case to be made that her work in “Project Hail Mary” is being widely underestimated, especially now that Amazon MGM is ramping up its awards campaign. And if Gosling does find himself in the best Actor category, seeing Hüller come along would pair well.

No matter where Hüller lands on Oscar nomination morning, 2026 has been an embarrassment of riches for her, and it’s not hard to imagine the “Anatomy of a Fall” star back in the Oscar conversation soon.

Which of Sandra Hüller’s 2026 performances do you think is most likely to get nominated? Which is your personal favorite? Please let us know in the comments section below and on Next Best Picture’s X account, and check out Next Best Picture’s latest Oscar predictions here.

The post Which 2026 Sandra Hüller Performance Will Bring Her Another Oscar Nomination? appeared first on Next Best Picture.

“In his final months, Ian Charleson affirmed his talent, his determination, and what it means to be an actor,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. “With Elsinore, Andrew Scott, Stephen Beresford, Simon Stone, and the entire production team have made a deeply moving film about a life devoted to performance and the community that supported him. We are delighted to celebrate Elsinore with the Gotham Legacy Tribute in recognition of the remarkable artist who inspired it.”

Elsinore tells the story of Ian Charleson, a Scottish actor who is widely known as the star of Best Picture winner “Chariots of Fire.” The film’s memorable score followed Charleson everywhere, leaving him longing less for Hollywood and more for his theatre roots. When the role of a lifetime appears for Charleson, so does a devastating AIDS diagnosis. “Elsinore” follows an actor at the height of his powers as he strives to command the stage, facing his own mortality with unflinching honesty, wit, and grace. His final performance becomes his greatest triumph, and a source of healing and inspiration for those around him.

Scott stars as Charleson, and the film also stars Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, and Joe Locke. Colman plays Dr. Margaret Johnson, who treated Charleson and fellow gay men during the HIV epidemic, launching the first-ever dedicated HIV clinic. The film is directed by Simon Stone and written by Queer Palm and BAFTA-winning screenwriter Stephen Beresford. Having come together to make the film, Scott, Beresford, and Stone have coined themselves “The Charleson Chaps.” “Elsinore” is produced by STUDIOCANAL, LD Entertainment, Lucky Red, and Magnolia Mae Films.

“Elsinore” premiered in September at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival and had its Canadian premiere in the Special Presentations section of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was given the International People’s Choice Award. The film has continued to play fall festivals, earning rave reviews and collecting numerous Audience prizes, including at the Mill Valley Film Festival and the Hamptons International Film Festival. Focus Features will release the film in North America, beginning its theatrical run on November 20th before expanding wider over the Thanksgiving holiday and throughout December.

It was previously announced that “Michael” will receive the Gotham Musical Tribute, “La Bola Negra” will receive the Gotham Vanguard Tribute, Danny Boyle will receive the Gotham Director Tribute for “Ink,” and LAIKA will receive the Gotham Anniversary Tribute at the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards Ceremony.

Winners of the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards will be honored at the awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, November 30th, 2026. Nominees will be announced on October 27th, 2026.

What do you think of this news for the annual Gotham Awards? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.

The post The Gotham Awards To Present “Elsinore” With The Legacy Tribute In Honor Of Ian Charleson appeared first on Next Best Picture.

“Tom Cruise is a global icon,” said Kathleen Kennedy, Chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. “As an actor and producer, he brings an extraordinary commitment to everything he does. What I especially admire is his deep belief in movies and their ability to bring people together. That passion has made him an extraordinary ambassador for American film around the world. It is AFI’s honor to present him with the 52nd AFI Life Achievement Award.”

The American Film Institute is a nonprofit organization that champions the moving image as an art form. All proceeds from the 52nd AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute Gala support AFI’s education and arts initiatives.

Tom Cruise is a global cultural icon who has made an immeasurable impact on cinema by creating some of the most memorable characters of all time. With extraordinary success as an actor, producer, and philanthropist over a career spanning more than five decades, Cruise is a four-time Oscar nominee whose films have earned nearly $13 billion at the worldwide box office.

Driven by a lifetime goal of entertaining audiences worldwide, Cruise has spent the last 40 years producing and starring in movies that stand the test of time.  As a result, he has played a leading role in numerous legendary films including TOP GUN, JERRY MAGUIRE, RISKY BUSINESS, MINORITY REPORT, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, A FEW GOOD MEN, THE FIRM, RAIN MAN, COLLATERAL, THE LAST SAMURAI, EDGE OF TOMORROW, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, THE COLOR OF MONEY and the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE series, among many others, including TOP GUN: MAVERICK, the highest-grossing film in his career. Cruise is currently starring in DIGGER, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, and is set to return as “Cole Trickle” in DAYS OF THUNDER 2.

Cruise received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY and JERRY MAGUIRE and was a nominee for Best Supporting Actor for MAGNOLIA. Cruise was also an Academy Award® nominee in 2022 as producer of TOP GUN: MAVERICK, which was nominated for Best Picture.

Cruise has previously been honored by the Cannes Film Festival, the Producers Guild of America, France’s Knight of the Legion of Honor, Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award, the John Huston Award from the Artists Rights Foundation, the Simon Wiesenthal Humanitarian Award, the Entertainment Icon Award from the Friars Club and the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation’s Pioneer Award.

In 2025, Cruise received the Honorary Oscar at the Academy’s Governors Awards.

The 52nd AFI Life Achievement Award Honoree joins an esteemed group of individuals who have been chosen for this distinguished honor since its inception.

1973 – John Ford
1974 – James Cagney
1975 – Orson Welles
1976 – William Wyler
1977 – Bette Davis
1978 – Henry Fonda
1979 – Alfred Hitchcock
1980 – James Stewart
1981 – Fred Astaire
1982 – Frank Capra
1983 – John Huston
1984 – Lillian Gish
1985 – Gene Kelly
1986 – Billy Wilder
1987 – Barbara Stanwyck
1988 – Jack Lemmon
1989 – Gregory Peck
1990 – David Lean
1991 – Kirk Douglas
1992 – Sidney Poitier
1993 – Elizabeth Taylor
1994 – Jack Nicholson
1995 – Steven Spielberg
1996 – Clint Eastwood
1997 – Martin Scorsese
1998 – Robert Wise
1999 – Dustin Hoffman
2000 – Harrison Ford
2001 – Barbra Streisand
2002 – Tom Hanks
2003 – Robert De Niro
2004 – Meryl Streep
2005 – George Lucas
2006 – Sean Connery
2007 – Al Pacino
2008 – Warren Beatty
2009 – Michael Douglas
2010 – Mike Nichols
2011 – Morgan Freeman
2012 – Shirley MacLaine
2013 – Mel Brooks
2014 – Jane Fonda
2015 – Steve Martin
2016 – John Williams
2017 – Diane Keaton
2018 – George Clooney
2019 – Denzel Washington
2022 – Julie Andrews
2024 – Nicole Kidman
2025 – Francis Ford Coppola
2026 – Eddie Murphy

The AFI Board of Trustees established the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1973 as the highest honor for a career in film. It is presented to a single honoree each year based on the following criteria as mandated through a resolution passed by the AFI Board of Trustees: “The recipient should be one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time.”

Most recently, AFI presented the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award to Eddie Murphy on Saturday, April 18th, at a Gala Tribute at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. This special event later premiered globally on Netflix on May 31st, 2026.  Performers and presenters included Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Arsenio Hall, Kevin Hart, Martin Lawrence, Spike Lee, Eva Longoria, Tracy Morgan, Mike Myers, Judge Reinhold, Chris Rock, Kenan Thompson, Robert Townsend, and Stevie Wonder.

Are you excited about this news for Tom Cruise? Have you seen “Digger” yet? If so, what did you think of it? Please let us know in the comments section below or on our Twitter account.

The post Tom Cruise To Be Honored With The 52nd AFI Lifetime Achievement Award appeared first on Next Best Picture.

SPOILER WARNING: Needless to say, this article will spoil some surprising elements of “You Can See Everything.” Please proceed only after you’ve seen the film.

Where does the real person end, and the fiction begin? One of the many questions at the core of “You Can See Everything,” amplified by Amanda Seyfried’s shocking but inevitable inclusion. After her portrayal of Holmes in Hulu’s “The Dropout,” Fielder & Oppenheim recruited Seyfried to dig deeper into Holmes’ mindset while also reenacting new scenes from Fielder’s memories with Holmes. It’s a dual role, of sorts. Seyfried largely appears as herself, discussing her experience inhabiting Holmes for the TV series, while Fielder bounces ideas off her. But in the reenactments, she’s very much playing a role, one for which she previously won an Emmy for. Christopher Abbott also joins the fun, playing a version of Holmes’ husband, Billy Evans. Seyfried, though, has received rave reviews for her appearance in the film, with some pundits arguing that she’ll be in contention for a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 99th Academy Awards.

A24 has officially confirmed it will campaign “You Can See Everything” for multiple Oscar nominations beyond Best Documentary Feature. A24’s FYC campaign includes Best Picture, Director for Oppenheim and Fielder, crafts like Film Editing and Cinematography, and, notably, Best Supporting Actress. Before asking whether the Academy will respond positively enough to warrant such recognition, we must first ask whether Seyfried is even eligible. Can documentaries qualify in the acting categories? According to the Rules & Eligibility for the 99th Oscars, only roles “credited in the film’s legal billing and demonstrably performed by humans with their consent will be considered eligible.” While some may argue this rules out Holmes herself for not demonstrably being human (joking), it seems to confirm that Seyfried can indeed qualify. The film specifically credits her with playing Elizabeth Holmes in the reenactments, not just appearing as herself. No other explicit qualifications seem to rule out a nomination, even though she also appears as herself in the documentary.

The biggest roadblock, however, is Rule 6 for the Acting categories:

“The Actors Branch Executive Committee shall have the right and responsibility to resolve all questions of eligibility, rules, and the designation of award recipients.”

While no rule clearly bars Seyfried from qualifying for Best Supporting Actress, the Actors Branch Executive Committee could rule her ineligible before balloting. It’s easy to understand why that decision may happen. For most of her runtime in the film, Seyfried isn’t playing Elizabeth Holmes. In fact, many of Seyfried’s scenes that have drawn the most praise, such as a shocking dinner table scene with Billy and Nathan, or the fireside script conversation between her and Nathan toward the end of the film, feature the actress as herself, not a clear character, and not one for which she’s “credited in the film’s legal billing.” One could easily imagine the committee declaring such a nomination unfair, or ineligible.

But what of Maria Bakalova, many have asked? She was Oscar-nominated for her role in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” in 2021, which features documentary-like sequences interacting with real people, not actors. An article recently published on Next Best Picture outlined the parallels and differences between the two. The key difference, as that film’s Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination shows, is that the Academy clearly understood this was a scripted film with lightly improvised scenes featuring non-actors, not a documentary. The two are quite different. Furthermore, Bakalova never appears in the film as herself, ever. She only plays her character, Tutar Sagdiyev. While there’s certainly a fair conversation to have about blurring the line between truth and fiction in “You Can See Everything,” no reasonable person would argue the entire movie is scripted or fictionalized, or that Seyfried was “acting” the whole time.

So, eligible? Most likely yes, pending a final decision from the Actors Branch Executive Committee. But plausible as a nominee? Well, it’s a strong maybe. There’s room for her in a category that’s still shifting a lot. Penelope Cruz is vying to become the first actor to earn two Oscar nominations in a single category, thanks to the Academy’s new rules. Anne Hathaway is riding the wave of “The Odyssey,” while Samantha Morton’s scene-stealing turn could also land her a nomination. How will the Academy respond to “All of a Sudden?” Will Tao Okamoto secure a nomination? Or Sandra Hüller for “Project Hail Mary?” A handful of wild cards remain, but Seyfried could rise to the forefront if she generates enough buzz and accolades. Her recent snub for her Golden Globe-nominated performance in “The Testament of Ann Lee” may also play in her favor, boosting someone who’s been doing such phenomenal work lately and has starred in the box office success, “The Housewife.”

And speaking of the Golden Globes, if you’re curious about Amanda’s precurosr path for this film, the Golden Globes rule that she will not be eligible for a nomination because she’s starring in a documentary. The same applies to the Actor Awards. However, she could still land nominations at Critics Choice, BAFTA, and I’m confident some major critics organization somewhere, such as NYFCC, LAFCA, or NSFC, will give her a boost. Actors within the Academy (still the largest voting branch) may respond well to Seyfried quite literally doing table work with Nathan to better understand the character she’s playing.

No matter how much of a masterpiece you may feel “You Can See Everything” is, there’s no denying this is an enormous long shot for an acting nomination, but an exciting one nonetheless. Fielder also technically acts in the film, playing himself in recreations throughout the movie. Shouldn’t he be considered in the same vein? That sentence feels wild to even say out loud, but despite the extraordinary uphill battle Seyfried faces, she could potentially convince enough voters to make history.

A24 has a genuine chance to get a documentary film nominated for Best Picture for the first time in 99 years of Academy history. If a long-shot campaign for Best Supporting Actress boosts the film’s Best Picture chances, it will be well worth it (Let’s not talk about the Documentary Branch for now; we’ll save that for another article).

Do you think Seyfried has a shot at a Best Supporting Actress nomination? Can “You Can See Everything” get into Best Picture? Please let us know in the comments section below and on Next Best Picture’s X account, and check out Next Best Picture’s latest Oscar predictions here.

The post Could “You Can See Everything” Earn A Historic Acting Oscar Nomination? appeared first on Next Best Picture.

20 years ago, Sacha Baron Cohen took the half-documentary, half-mockumentary comedy hybrid to a new level, as his longtime comic creation Borat made real-life ordinary and famous people either very uncomfortable on camera or far too comfortable. 14 years later, Cohen did it again with a surprise sequel, an unexpected new co-star, and the most headline-making confrontations yet with some very infamous targets. Both movies culminated years of Cohen’s improbably real, unbelievably outrageous, envelope-pushing stunts on television and film, pushing the boundaries of the kind of comedy usually recognized by the Academy.

Nowadays, the new headliner on the documentary/mockumentary circuit is Nathan Fielder, whose longtime comic creation “Nathan Fielder” has similarly made real-life ordinary people either very uncomfortable with his highly detailed schemes and rehearsals, or far too comfortable. Now in the culmination of years of Fielder’s improbably real, unbelievably outrageous, envelope-pushing stunts on television, “You Can See Everything” – a surprise movie almost no one knew existed until its Telluride premiere, with an unexpected co-star and at least a half-dozen headline-making twists and turns – takes them to the big screen as Fielder embeds himself in the orbit of real-life disgraced billionaire turned convicted felon Elizabeth Holmes, even years after she is sent to prison.

If critics and audiences who powered it to a near-record-setting documentary opening have a say, “You Can See Everything” will be the next hybrid film to push the boundaries of what the Academy usually recognizes. But if the examples of “Borat” and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” can provide any guidance, how much further can this hope to go during awards season?”

Of course, since “Borat” was never labeled a documentary despite its documentary elements, it never had the reminder that a documentary – hybrid or otherwise – has never been nominated for Best Picture. However, since the Academy still had a Best Picture field of five in 2006, “Borat” was always behind the eight-ball against films like “The Departed,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Queen,” “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “Babel,” and any other more traditional films on the bubble. Yet if there had been ten slots in 2006 as there are now, there’s a case to be made that “Borat” could have snuck into the back of the field, especially with a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination to prove voters were watching.

Likewise, although “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” missed Best Picture in the expanded 2020 lineup, it was only in a field of eight. Perhaps a set field of ten could have snuck that “Borat” film in as well, although “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “One Night in Miami” were most likely the number nine and ten films that year. But since both “One Night in Miami” and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” were in the same boat with a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination and a supporting acting nomination, maybe they were closer for the number ten spot than we know.

If those two quasi-documentary comedies could get so close to the Academy in years with smaller fields, does that really give extra hope that “You Can See Everything” will take the next step into a Best Picture field of ten? After all, it too had an unusually high opening weekend for a documentary or mockumentary – if not on the level of “Borat’s” $26+ million opening and $128+ million domestic gross – as well as the kind of acclaim no “Borat” film, and maybe no film but a few in this entire decade has received. In that respect, with critics and online pundits ready to push “You Can See Everything” in a way they never did for any “Borat” film, it already has a leg up in potential passion.

The “Borat” movies had impact beyond laughs and stunts, as the original captured and amplified the prejudices of the Bush/War on Terror era, and the sequel did the same for the original Trump/COVID era, especially in its third act. “You Can See Everything” may not have such political undertones, though its questioning of objective reality is very much a “post-truth” Trump-era theme. However, will that be a big enough hook for voters to put it over overt “message” movies like “Artificial,” “All of a Sudden,” “Possible Love,” or “Fjord,” or more emotionally driven narrative films like “I Play Rocky” and “Elsinore” – especially while films like “NAZA” and “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” are challenging it in the Best Documentary Feature category as it is? Either way, since “You Can See Everything” isn’t eligible for as many categories as those movies, its path is much narrower. Although both “Borat” and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” had an extremely limited number of categories they could have broken into themselves, they weren’t held back by documentary eligibility restrictions in the way “You Can See Everything” will be.

When Cohen played Borat, he fell short of an Oscar nomination both times, yet he won a Golden Globe both times. Because Fielder is playing a possibly exaggerated version of himself in a documentary, rather than a more clearly defined fictional character like Borat, he won’t be able to launch himself at the Globes or anywhere else in the same way. Likewise, although “Borat” was nominated for Best Musical or Comedy at the Globes in 2006 and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” won that category in 2020, “You Can See Everything” won’t be eligible there and can’t win anything except documentary prizes in any other pre-Oscars award shows, and will have to hope that prestigious critics awards like the NYFCC, LAFCA, NBR and NSFC are willing to give it historic recognition. Most crucially, “Borat” and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” made their marks at the Oscars with screenplay nominations. But “You Can See Everything” cannot do that, no matter how much Fielder planned or rehearsed certain moments in advance. Without that possibility, “You Can See Everything” will need at least one significant nomination in a non-documentary category that no “Borat” film could get, although there are only so few it can even try for.

Right now, the most hopeful critics and pundits are ready to push “You Can See Everything” in categories both “Borat” films never had major pushes for, like Best Editing and even Best Director for Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. Since “Woodstock” and “Hoop Dreams” got Best Editing nominations decades ago, there is at least some precedent for “You Can See Everything” to get one there as well, though a documentary director or two getting nominated is another matter. However, a “Borat” film does offer a major precedent for another groundbreaking nomination that could put “You Can See Everything” over the top.

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” did better than the original “Borat” at the Oscars with an acting nomination, not for Cohen, but for then-newcomer Maria Bakalova in Best Supporting Actress. Because of that, fans can argue that “You Can See Everything” could have its own unprecedented acting nomination – not for the ineligible Fielder, but for the special guest he brings in to help him. In fact, considering what may be a lack of options in Best Supporting Actress beyond two stars from “The Odyssey,” two Penélope Cruz performances (“The Invite” and “La Bola Negra“) and “All of a Sudden’s” Tao Okamoto, it isn’t outlandish that “You Can See Everything’s” guest could be its version of Bakalova if someone in the presumed top five falls out. And if enough voters really want “You Can See Everything” to make Best Picture, they would probably have to push her in too – and some would argue they already owe this particular guest star in a few ways. If “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” couldn’t crack Best Picture with a Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay nomination package, could “You Can See Everything” do it with Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing, and Best Documentary Feature nominations? If that’s still not enough, Best Director is probably the only other way to improve its resume – and at the least, the Next Best Picture team already has Fielder and Oppenheim at number 7 in their latest projections, on the heels of Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Denis Villeneuve.

For that reason and others, the best way to make a case for “You Can See Everything” is to compare it to the “Borat” franchise, rather than to the “normal” documentaries shut out of the Best Documentary Feature category. The “Borat” films got to go further because they were never labeled documentaries, and yet, in so many ways, “You Can See Everything” is the next step in that hybrid brand Cohen made history with 20 years ago, whether the Academy sees it that way or not.

The irony is especially palpable right now, with “You Can See Everything” making its historic mark just in time to drown out Cohen’s own comeback. While everyone is rushing to see the “Fielder method” of documentary/mockumentary comedy in theaters, Cohen is bringing his own approach back to theaters for one week with the return of Ali G in “Ali G: Who Iz I?” on October 23 before it goes onto Amazon Prime a week later. Yet with Fielder as the star of the moment right now, after “You Can See Everything” pushed multiple genres in ways even Cohen never tried, bringing Cohen back at this point may make him look outdated instead of groundbreaking.

That may be unfair, and not just on the off chance “Ali G: Who Iz I?” gets good reviews and an audience. Without Cohen paving the way with his own shows and films, there would probably be no Fielder, no “Nathan for You,” no “The Rehearsal,” and now no “You Can See Everything,” despite how wildly different their styles of comedy and interactions with the real world are. And without “Borat” and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” there would be no path at the Oscars for “You Can See Everything” to point to and try to improve on, in order to show it isn’t just another comedic documentary.

Do you think “You Can See Everything” will receive a Best Picture nomination? What other nominations are you predicting it’ll receive? Please let us know in the comments section below and on Next Best Picture’s X account, and check out Next Best Picture’s latest Oscar predictions here.

The post The Oscar Case for “You Can See Everything” And Why It’s Tied To “Borat” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

“For our second Gotham Musical Tribute, we are delighted to honor these incredibly talented actors and filmmakers for bringing Michael Jackson’s life, legend, and music to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. “Their extraordinary work captures the humanity behind one of the world’s most celebrated artists.”

“Michael” is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells Michael Jackson’s story beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of The Jackson Five to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit of becoming the world’s biggest entertainer. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins. Lionsgate presents, in association with Universal Pictures, a GK Films production, an Optimum production.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, “Michael” stars Jaafar Jackson in the title role, with Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Juliano Krue Valdi, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo. The film is produced by Academy Award-winning producer Graham King, John Branca, and the late John McClain. “Michael” premiered at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin on April 10, 2026, and was released by Universal Pictures in the UK on April 22nd and by Lionsgate in the US on April 24. With $1.029 billion in worldwide box office, the film is the highest-grossing biographical film of all time, the first biographical film to reach $1 billion, the highest-grossing Lionsgate film, and the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2026. A sequel is in development.

The Gotham Musical Tribute was inaugurated last year with “Song Sung Blue.” LAIKA was previously announced to receive the Gotham Anniversary Tribute, Danny Boyle the Gotham Director Tribute for “Ink,” and “La Bola Negra” the Gotham Vanguard Tribute at the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards Ceremony.

Winners of the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards will be honored at the awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, November 30th, 2026. Nominees will be announced on October 27th, 2026.

What do you think of this news for the annual Gotham Awards? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.

The post The Gotham Awards To Present The Cast And Creative Team Of “Michael” With The Gotham Musical Tribute appeared first on Next Best Picture.

Which A24 contender do you think has the best chance to win this year? Are there any other contenders who have a shot? Please let us know in the comments section below and on Next Best Picture’s X account, and check out Next Best Picture’s latest Oscar predictions here.

The post Can A24 Get Four Films Nominated For Best Picture This Year? appeared first on Next Best Picture.