This year’s awards season hasn’t fully kicked off yet, but a bunch of great movies that could be nominated for Oscars in 2025 have already been released. The 97th Academy Awards aren’t set to take place until March 2, 2025, but there’s already a lot of buzz around the frontrunners for nominations. But most of the buzzy movies have yet to arrive in theaters following their much-hyped festival debuts. Sean Baker’s Anora will be released on October 18, Luca Guadagnino’s Queer will be released on November 27, and Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist will be released on December 20.
The biggest potential Oscar contenders have yet to be released, but several possible nominees have already come out. Some of the year’s biggest box office hits, like Dune: Part Two and Inside Out 2, could be populist choices for Oscar nods. Acclaimed lead performances in smaller drama films like Sing Sing and The Outrun are sure to receive acting nominations. From an eye-popping Best Visual Effects contender to a heartwarming Best Animated Feature contender, some movies with really strong chances at the 2025 Academy Awards have already landed.
10 Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two Could Repeat Its Predecessor’s Oscars Success
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One of the strongest contenders for the 2025 Oscars actually came out a few days before the 2024 Oscars took place. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two was one of the biggest critical and commercial hits of the year. It concluded Villeneuve’s cinematic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi opus, bringing the immersive worldbuilding and rich social commentary to the silver screen in spectacular style.
The first volume of Villeneuve’s
Dune
saga was a massive hit at the Oscars — scoring six awards from 10 nominations
The first volume of Villeneuve’s Dune saga was a massive hit at the Oscars — scoring six awards from 10 nominations — and the sequel received even better reviews, so it stands to reason it’ll repeat its predecessor’s Oscars success in 2025.
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9/10 7.9/10 Dune: Part Two PG-13
Dune: Part Two is the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film that covers the novel’s events by Frank Herbert. The movie continues the quest of Paul Atreides on a journey of revenge against those who slew his family. With insight into the future, Atreides may be forced to choose between his one true love and the universe’s fate.
Director Denis Villeneuve Release Date March 1, 2024 Writers Denis Villeneuve , Jon Spaihts , Frank Herbert Cast Timothée Chalamet , Zendaya , Florence Pugh , Austin Butler , Rebecca Ferguson Runtime 166 Minutes
Greig Fraser could win another Best Cinematography award, Hans Zimmer could win another Best Original Score award, and Joe Walker could win another Best Film Editing award. Maybe this time, Villeneuve can land a coveted Best Director nod.
9 Sing Sing
Colman Domingo Is A Likely Best Actor Nominee
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Greg Kwedar’s prison docudrama Sing Sing revolves around the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, which allows incarcerated men to find a new passion by putting on stage shows. Professional actors Colman Domingo and Paul Raci lead a cast made up mostly of real-life alumni of the program. Although it premiered at TIFF in 2023, Sing Sing didn’t get a wide release until it was picked up by A24 in 2024, making it eligible for the 2025 Oscars.
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9/10 10/10 Sing Sing R
Based on actual events, Sing Sing is a drama movie that tells the story of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility and a group of prisoners within that decide to stage their own musical production within the prison’s walls.
Director Greg Kwedar Release Date July 12, 2024 Writers Clint Bentley , Greg Kwedar Cast Colman Domingo , Clarence Maclin , Sean San Jose , Paul Raci , David Dap Giraudy , Patrick Preme Griffin , Mosi Eagle , James Big E Williams , Sean Dino Johnson , Cornell Nate Alston , Camillo Carmine LoVacco , Dario Peña , Pedro Cotto , Miguel Valentin Runtime 107 Minutes Expand
The most likely Oscar nomination for Sing Sing is a Best Actor nod for Domingo. Domingo was nominated for Best Actor last year for his turn as civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in the Netflix biopic Rustin, but he lost to Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer. Now that Domingo is an established Oscar favorite — and he gave a terrific performance in Sing Sing — he could be in line for another nomination.
8 The Wild Robot
The Wild Robot Is The Frontrunner For Best Animated Feature
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Since arriving in theaters on September 27, DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot has quickly become the frontrunner for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Based on Peter Brown’s beloved children’s book of the same name, The Wild Robot stars Lupita Nyong’o as a shipwrecked robot who washes up on a remote island, adapts to her surroundings, and becomes the adoptive mother of an orphaned goose. With dazzling animation and heartfelt storytelling, The Wild Robot has Oscar winner written all over it.
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8/10 9.2/10 The Wild Robot PG
The Wild Robot is an animated drama film based on a series of books by Peter Brown. The adaptation is written and directed by Chris Sanders and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Catherine O’Hara. The Wild Robot centers on a robot named Rozzum 7134, who becomes stranded on a deserted island and the guardian of a young orphan.
Director Chris Sanders Release Date September 27, 2024 Writers Chris Sanders , Peter Brown Cast Lupita Nyong’o , Pedro Pascal , Catherine O’Hara , Bill Nighy , Kit Connor , Stephanie Hsu , Mark Hamill , Matt Berry , Ving Rhames Runtime 101 Minutes
With a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%, The Wild Robot is a shoo-in for a Best Animated Feature nomination. This would be DreamWorks Animation’s first Oscar nomination since 2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. If it wins, it’ll be the studio’s first Oscar victory since 2005’s Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit won Best Animated Feature.
7 Inside Out 2
Pixar’s Box Office Smash Is A Contender For Best Animated Feature
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Before The Wild Robot came along, the frontrunner for Best Animated Feature was Inside Out 2, the highest-grossing film of the year. The sequel picks up with a 13-year-old Riley entering puberty and contending with a bunch of new emotions — primarily Anxiety, who promptly takes over her mind and turns her into a nervous wreck.
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The movie was praised for recapturing the touching emotionality of the original. Given that almost all of Pixar’s movies have been nominated for Best Animated Feature since the category was introduced, it seems very likely that Inside Out 2 will follow suit.
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7/10 9.5/10 Inside Out 2 PG
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. – literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.
Director Kelsey Mann Release Date June 14, 2024 Cast Amy Poehler , Maya Hawke , Kensington Tallman , Liza Lapira , Tony Hale , Lewis Black , Phyllis Smith , Ayo Edebiri , Lilimar , Grace Lu , Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green , Adèle Exarchopoulos , Diane Lane , Kyle MacLachlan , Paul Walter Hauser , Yvette Nicole Brown , Ron Funches , James Austin Johnson , Yong Yea , Steve Purcell , Dave Goelz , Kirk R. Thatcher , Frank Oz , Paula Pell , June Squibb , Pete Docter , Paula Poundstone , John Ratzenberger , Sarayu Blue , Flea , Bobby Moynihan , Kendall Coyne Schofield Runtime 96 Minutes Expand
It was a huge box office hit and received mostly positive reviews from critics, and since animated films are expensive to produce, there usually isn’t much competition in this category. Whether it’ll take home the gold is another story — especially after The Wild Robot has arrived as an untouchable masterpiece — but it’s practically guaranteed a nomination.
6 Challengers
Challengers Could Receive Nominations For Its Screenplay & Score
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Luca Guadagnino’s Queer has yet to be released in theaters, but the Call Me by Your Name director already has a different movie in the 2025 Oscars race. The Zendaya-starring tennis drama Challengers is in the running for a handful of Oscar categories. The movie revolves around an injured tennis star-turned-coach, played by Zendaya, and her 13-year love triangle with her low-circuit tennis player ex-boyfriend, played by Josh O’Connor, and her tennis champion husband, played by Mike Faist.
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8/10 9/10 Challengers R
Challengers is a romantic sports comedy film by director Luca Guadagnino. The film stars Zendaya as a retired Tennis legend who, while trying to coach her husband and lead him to victory in an upcoming Tennis match, discovers his coming opponent is her ex-lover.
Director Luca Guadagnino Release Date April 26, 2024 Writers Justin Kuritzkes Cast Zendaya , Josh O’Connor , Mike Faist , Darnell Appling , Bryan Doo , Shane T Harris Runtime 131 Minutes
While Zendaya, O’Connor, and Faist all have a slim chance of scoring acting nominations, Challengers is most likely to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay or Best Original Score. Justin Kuritzkes’ script has been praised for its steamy romance, rich characterization, and complex nonlinear narrative structure. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross previously won Oscars for their music in Soul and The Social Network, and scored a nomination for Mank, so they’re already grandfathered in.
5 The Outrun
Saoirse Ronan Is Already A Frontrunner For Best Actress
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Saoirse Ronan is already being touted as a frontrunner for the 2025 Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Outrun. Based on the 2016 memoir of the same name by Amy Liptrot, The Outrun follows a recovering alcoholic as she returns to the Orkney Islands in Scotland, where she grew up, to come to terms with her troubled past. Ronan is being praised for her gripping portrayal of a battle against addiction.
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6/10 The Outrun
The Outrun is a 2024 drama film based on the personal memoir of Amy Liptrot, directed by Nora Fingscheidt. A young woman named Rona returns to her home in Scotland to heal and face the demons of her past after a stint in rehab.
Director Nora Fingscheidt Release Date October 4, 2024 Writers Nora Fingscheidt , Amy Liptrot , Daisy Lewis Cast Saoirse Ronan , Paapa Essiedu , Stephen Dillane , Saskia Reeves Runtime 118 Minutes
Ronan currently has three Best Actress nominations under her belt — for her work in Brooklyn, Lady Bird, and Little Women — tying with the likes of Faye Dunaway and Jodie Foster. If she scores a fourth for The Outrun, she’ll join the ranks of Diane Keaton, Nicole Kidman, and Barbara Stanwyck. Ronan was also previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Atonement.
4 Kinds Of Kindness
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Latest Is A Possible Dark Horse For Various Categories
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Although it’s much too bizarre to be a frontrunner, Yorgos Lanthimos’ surrealist black comedy Kinds of Kindness could be a dark horse in a handful of Oscar categories. Kinds of Kindness is a three-part anthology revolving around a mysterious man named R.M.F., with every major player in the ensemble cast playing a different role in each segment.
Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone are captivating in all three of their roles
The Oscar success of Lanthimos’ last two movies, The Favourite and Poor Things (including Best Actress wins for both), has earned him some goodwill with the Academy. There are a few categories where Kinds of Kindness could earn a nomination, if not a win.
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7/10 10/10 Kinds of Kindness (2024) R
Kinds of Kindness is a 2024 comedy-drama film by writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos. Split across segments, Kinds of Kindness tells the stories of a man trying to reclaim his destiny, a police officer whose wife returns after being lost at sea only to seem like a different person, and a woman tasked with finding a future spiritual leader.
Director Yorgos Lanthimos Release Date June 21, 2024 Writers Yorgos Lanthimos , Efthimis Filippou Cast Emma Stone , Jesse Plemons , Willem Dafoe , Margaret Qualley , Hong Chau , Joe Alwyn , Mamoudou Athie , Hunter Schafer Runtime 164 Minutes
Robbie Ryan’s cinematography is intoxicating, Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone are captivating in all three of their roles, and Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou’s script is more than unconventional enough to grab the Academy’s attention. Kinds of Kindness isn’t necessarily a shoo-in, but it could be a surprise inclusion.
3 The Substance
The Substance Could Score A Best Makeup Nomination — Or Even A Best Actress Nod For Demi Moore
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Coralie Fargeat’s mind-bending body horror opus The Substance has been hailed as one of the wildest films of the year. Demi Moore stars as a has-been celebrity who uses a black-market de-aging drug with horrifying side effects. Fargeat already won Best Screenplay at Cannes, so there’s a precedent for a Best Original Screenplay nod at the Oscars.
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10/10 7/10 The Substance R
The Substance is a science fiction horror film that follows a group of individuals as they uncover the dark secrets surrounding a mysterious substance with otherworldly properties. As they delve deeper into the truth, they must confront the sinister forces driving its production and the catastrophic consequences that follow.
Director Coralie Fargeat Release Date September 20, 2024 Cast Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Gore Abrams , Hugo Diego Garcia , Olivier Raynal , Tiffany Hofstetter , Tom Morton , Jiselle Burkhalter , Axel Baille , Oscar Lesage , Matthew Géczy , Philip Schurer Runtime 140 Minutes Writers Coralie Fargeat
The Best Actress race is highly competitive this year, and the Oscars rarely reward horror movies, but the Academy loves a comeback story, so Moore could be in with a chance. The Substance’s best hope for an Oscar nomination could be Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Not only does The Substance have some of the best makeup seen on the big screen this year; the makeup ties into its themes and storytelling. This movie is all about cosmetic enhancements, and the makeup encapsulates that.
2 His Three Daughters
Three Best Supporting Actress Contenders In One Movie
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Finally released on Netflix on September 20, just over a year after its TIFF premiere, Azazel Jacobs’ His Three Daughters is a strong contender for three nominations in a single Oscar category. His Three Daughters stars Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen as three estranged sisters who are forced to live under the same roof as their dad succumbs to his terminal illness. This character-driven premise puts the film’s focus squarely on their performances.
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8/10 10/10 His Three Daughters R
His Three Daughters is a 2023 drama film directed by Azazel Jacobs. The story centers on three sisters, portrayed by Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne, who reunite in their childhood home to care for their terminally ill father. As they navigate the emotional complexities of their father’s final days, the sisters confront unresolved issues and deep-seated family tensions. The film explores themes of sisterhood, forgiveness, and the intricate dynamics of familial relationships.
Director Azazel Jacobs Release Date September 20, 2024 Cast Natasha Lyonne , Elizabeth Olsen , Carrie Coon , Jovan Adepo , Jasmine Bracey , Jose Febus , Rudy Galvan , Randy Ramos Jr. Runtime 101 Minutes Writers Azazel Jacobs
None of the three leads have enough precedence for a Best Actress nod, but all three of them are in the running for Best Supporting Actress. Although all three of them have been nominated for Emmys, none of them have ever been nominated for an Oscar before. But their performances have been so widely praised (and deservingly so) that an Oscar nod could be on the cards for any of them.
1 Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
The Latest Planet Of The Apes Film Is A Shoo-In For A Best Visual Effects Nod
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While it’s got no chance of receiving more prestigious nominations like Best Picture or Best Director, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has a good chance of scoring a Best Visual Effects nod. Set 300 years after Caesar’s death, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes revolves around a small resistance group rising up against a sinister ape dictator. Much like its predecessors, it brings the ape characters to life with breathtaking performance-capture effects.
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8/10 8.7/10 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes PG-13
Set several years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the next installment in the Apes saga. Ape clans have taken up residence in the oasis that Caesar sought to colonize, but humans have reverted to their animalistic nature in their absence. Now battling between enslavement and freedom, outliers in the Ape clans will take sides in a newly burgeoning society.
Director Wes Ball Release Date May 10, 2024 Cast Kevin Durand , Freya Allan , Peter Macon , Owen Teague , Eka Darville , Sara Wiseman , Neil Sandilands Runtime 145 Minutes Writers Patrick Aison , Josh Friedman , Rick Jaffa , Amanda Silver
So far, the only Oscar that the Planet of the Apes franchise has won is an Academy Honorary Award for the classic original film. All three movies in the recent Planet of the Apes prequel trilogy were nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars, but none of them took home the trophy. With even more advanced motion-capture effects, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes could be this franchise’s chance to finally get one in the bag.
Oscars
The Oscars, also known as The Academy Awards, is an annual awards show celebrating workers in the film industry for their artistic and technical abilities. The Oscars are often considered the most prestigious awards show in the industry and date back to 1929. The 96th Academy Awards will be held on March 10, 2024, and be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC.