The dust has barely settled on the 98th Academy Awards, but the perennial machinery of Hollywood is already spinning toward the future. As the 2026 film slate takes shape, a fascinating blend of visionary auteurs and massive genre epics are emerging as the foundational pillars for the 2027 Oscars.
This year’s early conversation is dominated by prestige blockbusters—pictures that aim to marry commercial dominance with critical pedigree—including ambitious new projects from Denis Villeneuve and Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Whether it’s a transformative biopic or a long-awaited literary adaptation, these ten early contenders represent the first glimpse at the movies likely to define the next race for the golden statuette.
The Odyssey (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
Nolan returns to the epic scale of Oppenheimer with a massive, IMAX-filmed reimagining of Homer’s classic. Starring Matt Damon, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson, this project is rumored to be his most expensive yet. After his recent Best Picture win, the Academy is primed to celebrate his continued mastery of the Oscar-aimed spectacle.
Disclosure Day (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
Spielberg revisits the sci-fi genre for the first time in years with a star-studded UFO thriller. With a screenplay by David Koepp and a cast led by Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colin Firth, the film centers on the public unveiling of extraterrestrial life. As a massive, closely guarded secret about alien existence comes to light, the story explores a world forced to confront the reality that humanity is not alone.
Dune: Part Three (Dir. Denis Villeneuve)
Following the massive success of the first two chapters, Villeneuve looks to conclude his trilogy with an adaptation of Dune Messiah. While previous installments dominated the technical categories, the finale could finally secure Villeneuve the Best Director trophy that has eluded him thus far. The film brings back a formidable ensemble led by Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, alongside returning players Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem, with Robert Pattinson and Anya Taylor-Joy joining the franchise.
Digger (Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu)
The Oscar-winning director of The Revenant teams with Tom Cruise for a story about the world’s most powerful man trying to stop a global disaster he set in motion. With a heavy-hitting supporting cast including Sandra Hüller and Jesse Plemons, this marks Cruise’s most serious bid for an acting Oscar in decades.
Project Hail Mary (Dir. Phil Lord & Christopher Miller)
Based on the novel by Andy Weir (The Martian), this sci-fi epic stars Ryan Gosling as an astronaut attempting to save Earth from a solar catastrophe, playing a man who awakens alone aboard an interstellar spacecraft with no memory of how he got there. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film co-stars Sandra Hüller and has already drawn positive early reviews.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew (Dir. Greta Gerwig)
Gerwig moves from Barbie to C.S. Lewis in this high-fantasy origin story for Netflix. Featuring Meryl Streep, Daniel Craig, and Carey Mulligan, the film is being tracked for its potential to sweep the craft categories while maintaining Gerwig’s signature intellectual depth.
The Social Reckoning (Dir. David Fincher)
Sorkin revisits the world he first explored in The Social Network with this companion piece centered on the Facebook whistleblower scandal. The film stars Mikey Madison as Frances Haugen, Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeremy Allen White as reporter Jeff Horwitz, dramatizing the Facebook Files investigation and the platform’s impact on public trust, positioning it as a timely contender in the awards conversation.
Being Heumann (Dir. Sian Heder)
The director of the Best Picture-winning CODA returns with a biopic about disability rights activist Judith Heumann. Starring Ruth Madeley and Mark Ruffalo, this is the type of socially conscious, performance-driven drama that traditionally resonates deeply with Academy voters.
Here Comes the Flood (Dir. Fernando Meirelles)
After the critical success of The Two Popes, Meirelles returns to the heist genre with an unconventional thriller penned by Simon Kinberg. The plot follows an intricate, deadly game of double-crosses between a bank guard, a teller, and a master thief. The film boasts arguably the most prestigious big-screen trio of the year in Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Given Meirelles’ track record for steering his actors toward nominations, this is expected to be a major player in the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress races.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth (Dir. David Fincher)
In a rare creative union, David Fincher directs a script by Quentin Tarantino that serves as a 1970s-set expansion of the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood universe. Brad Pitt reprises his Oscar-winning role as Cliff Booth, now navigating the industry’s underbelly as a high-stakes “Hollywood fixer” who handles the scandals of the elite. With a massive $200 million budget and a supporting cast featuring Elizabeth Debicki, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Timothy Olyphant, the film is being positioned as a technical juggernaut and a major acting vehicle for Pitt.