CASTING
Nominees:

“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle after Another”
“The Secret Agent”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Weapons”
“Wicked: For Good”

Per the Academy’s press release:

Ten films will advance in the Casting category for the 98th Academy Awards. Members of the Casting Directors Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. Academy members will be invited to view excerpts from the shortlisted films and pre-recorded interviews with their casting directors on Friday, January 9, 2026, in Los Angeles and London, and in New York on Saturday, January 10, 2026.

Nominations voting begins on Monday, January 12, 2026, and concludes on Friday, January 16, 2026. Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS

HAMNET • Focus Features
Nina Gold | Casting Director

Chloé Zhao | Director
Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Sam Mendes, Steven Spielberg | Producers

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER • Warner Bros. Pictures
Cassandra Kulukundis | Casting Director

Paul Thomas Anderson | Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam Somner, Sara Murphy | Producers

SENTIMENTAL VALUE • NEON
Yngvill Kolset Haga & Avy Kaufman | Casting Directors

Joachim Trier | Director
Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, Maria Ekerhovd | Producers

Sinners • Warner Bros. Pictures
Francine Maisler | Casting Director

Ryan Coogler | Director
Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler | Producers

WICKED: FOR GOOD • Universal Pictures
Tiffany Little Canfield & Bernard Telsey | Casting Directors

Jon M. Chu | Director
Marc Platt, David Stone | Producers

WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?

In the Academy Awards’ newest category, predictors are largely at a standstill, unsure how the voting body will approach it without any real precedent to guide expectations. Many are hoping it doesn’t become just another “Best Picture–adjacent” category, where every nominee is already competing for the top prize. My hope is that it can encapsulate a few films that may not quite rise to Best Picture level but still deserve recognition for assembling exceptional ensembles. One would imagine that any film earning multiple acting nominations would naturally factor in here. Likewise, films boasting large casts filled with standout performances should rise to the top—though Wake Up Dead Man didn’t even make the final cut, despite a strong case for its inclusion.

Sinners feels like the odds-on favorite to win the category outright. Not only should Michael B. Jordan and Wunmi Mosaku be strong contenders for individual acting nominations, but Delroy Lindo, Miles Caton, and Hailee Steinfeld would all be deserving as well. The ensemble as a whole is one of the film’s greatest strengths. If this film somehow failed to land a nomination here, I’d have no idea how to predict this category going forward. Another Best Picture favorite, One Battle After Another, also feels like an easy inclusion. Headlined by Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro—each of whom should factor into the acting races—and supported by standout turns from Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti, the cast assembled here is undeniably impressive.

The rest of the picks feel more like a roll of the dice. Sentimental Value is likely to receive significant acting attention, with Stellan Skarsgård, Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning all in the conversation for nominations. Hamnet is another strong Best Picture contender, giving its Jessie Buckley– and Paul Mescal–led cast a solid chance here, especially with the notable child performances from Jacobi Jupe and his brother, Noah. My final pick is Wicked: For Good. While support for the film seems to be waning, I could see the Academy attempting to recognize it retroactively, given that this category didn’t exist last year. With such an impressive ensemble, the film arguably deserved a nomination, and this could serve as a broader celebration of both installments. It may also offer a way to acknowledge the film in a high-profile category while allowing it to miss out on Best Picture, should that ultimately be the case.

Of the five films I didn’t select, Frankenstein feels like the most glaring omission, with Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth delivering exceptional performances. However, the cooling response to Oscar Isaac and Christoph Waltz makes me wonder how deeply that sentiment runs. Some pundits are predicting Marty Supreme, but Timothée Chalamet seems likely to be the film’s lone acting nominee, raising the question of whether Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, and Tyler, The Creator are enough to position it as a true ensemble contender. Sirāt caused some chatter after appearing on the shortlist, largely due to its cast of mostly unknown actors, which raises the question of whether that kind of ensemble is something this new category will reward. Wagner Moura is a favorite to land an acting nomination, but is that enough to bring The Secret Agent along with him? And while I’m highly skeptical this comes to fruition, some believe Amy Madigan could sneak in for a supporting nomination for Weapons. Still, with the Academy’s historical reluctance toward horror, I don’t see either her performance or the film itself receiving the level of recognition others are predicting.