"Frankenstein" Surges, Oscar Race Narrows to Four-Way Competition

Del Toro’s New Film Excels in Technical Categories
Catching Up Fast to "One Battle After Another"

Movie still cut from "Frankenstein"

Director Guillermo del Toro’s new film "Frankenstein" has rapidly emerged as a strong contender for next year’s Oscars.

According to the latest predictions released by Variety on November 22 (local time), "One Battle After Another" directed by Paul Thomas Anderson leads the pack with expected nominations in fourteen categories. Meanwhile, "Sinners: The Guilty" by director Ryan Coogler, "Hamnet" by director Chloe Zhao, and "Frankenstein" are closing the gap, shaping the race into a four-way competition.

"One Battle After Another" is predicted to secure nominations in all major categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing, and Best Original Score. "Sinners: The Guilty" is expected to be included in thirteen categories, while "Hamnet" is projected for eleven.

"Frankenstein" is mentioned as joining the competition in twelve categories, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. In particular, the film is expected to perform strongly in the four major technical categories: Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Original Score.

Movie still cut from "Frankenstein"

Variety analyzed, "While 'One Battle After Another' maintains an overall lead, the rising momentum of 'Frankenstein' is emerging as a decisive variable that could shake up the prediction trends."

By category, "Frankenstein" is among the frontrunners for Best Production Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling, with its gothic sets and monster character makeup receiving high praise. For Best Cinematography, "Sinners: The Guilty" is considered a strong favorite, but "One Battle After Another" and "Frankenstein" are swiftly catching up.

For Best Original Score, Ludwig G?ransson of "Sinners: The Guilty" is seen as a likely winner, while for Best Visual Effects, James Cameron’s "Avatar: The Fire and Ash" is the strong favorite. In the Best Actor category, Ethan Hawke of "Blue Moon" has garnered significant support, with Leonardo DiCaprio from "One Battle After Another" and Michael B. Jordan from "Sinners: The Guilty" in close pursuit. For Best Actress, Jessie Buckley from "Hamnet" is considered a leading contender.