Oscar Predictions: Pete Hammond’s Final Picks In All 23 Categories
After several years in which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences vacillated between eight or nine Best Picture nominees, Oscar has returned to a set number of 10 films for its top prize. The whole idea of doubling the amount from five to 10 came about in 2010 to encourage voters to select a broader range of films that might actually include some popular titles. That lasted a couple of years before the Academy tweaked it, allowing anywhere from five to 10 movies to make the cut. Now, with dwindling ratings, AMPAS once again decided to pin their hopes on a solid 10 in the hope that a Spider-Man or a Bond film could catch the fancy of the 9,487 eligible voters and help improve ratings with an audience favorite or two for viewers to root for. No such luck. This year’s lineup, which certainly has its share of warm-hearted crowd pleasers, only produced one film that even came close to making more than $100 million at the domestic box office, Dune, which debuted day-and-date on HBO Max. Nevertheless, ratings potential aside, the lineup of 10 nominees this year are a worthy bunch. Here are the 10 nominees for BEST PICTURE.