But there was also the usual dull presenter banter, some truly rude moments of worthy winners played off (the ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ songwriting team even had the lights switched off on them, for which O’Brien apologized) and awkward insertions of politics, no matter how important the cause.
Overseeing the Oscars for the second time, comedian, writer and former late night host O’Brien proved he has what it takes to do this job.
His opening skit, dressed as Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys from ‘Weapons,’ chased through different other Oscar nominated movies by a bunch of kids, was a winner.
And if his opening monologue veered between pointed political jabs and some softballs that drew muted responses, it was still superior to other recent efforts. He was even able to smoothly deal with technical issues that plagued the ceremony, such as sound problems and cutting back to him unexpectedly.
Cementing its 2025 success, Warner Bros. enjoyed plenty of awards love this year, as Paul Thomas Anderson finally got his Oscar (six, in fact) for ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners’ also took home plenty of trophies.
Talking of ‘Sinners’, Michael B. Jordan, whose Actor in a Leading Role ascension over waning prior favorite Timothée Chalamet (his ‘Marty Supreme’ went home empty handed) ended with Jordan on stage thanking those who had blazed a trail before him.
Elsewhere, ‘The Secret Agent’ sadly landed zero awards, but Netflix had a very good night, as ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ won two awards and ‘Frankenstein’ three, with the streaming service behind a variety of other triumphs.
Having actors –– particularly those with a film to promote or remember –– hand out awards has often led to some leaden banter, and this year was no exception. Even the star power of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans couldn’t bring a lame bit to life, while one featuring Sigourney Weaver, Pedro Pascal and Grogu (pimping the upcoming ‘Star Wars’ movie) only really worked because of Weaver’s commitment (“Get away from him, you bitch!” she growled at nominee Kate Hudson, who had been cosying up to the critter in the audience).
Anna Wintour might not be everyone’s first choice for a co-presenter, but there she was, alongside ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’s Anne Hathaway in a moment that felt like Disney selling the sequel more than looking to celebrate the Costume Design or Hair and Makeup categories.
There was more mixed luck with reunions –– the ‘Bridesmaids’ cast brought their moment to life with true comic power while Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman just looked award handing out Best Picture and recalling ‘Moulin Rouge!’.
Three big things happened last night in terms of history. There was the first tie in 14 years (only the seventh in Oscar history) as ‘The Singers’ and ‘Two People Exchanging Saliva’ shared the Live-Action Short Film honors.
‘Sinners’ cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman (and woman of color) to win her category, while the first ever Casting award was handed to ‘One Battle’s Cassandra Kulukundis. Long-favoured Actress winner Jessie Buckley, meanwhile, became the first Irish woman to take home her category for her work in ‘Hamnet’.
The annual remembrance for those in the industry was well handled and featured three major spotlights. First, Billy Crystal gave a moving speech about friend and collaborator Rob Reiner (who was murdered in his home last year alongside his wife, Michele), and was then joined by other cast members of Reiner movies.
Rachel McAdams took the stage to pay tribute to the likes of Diane Keaton and Catherine O’Hara, and then the big finish –– Barbra Streisand arrived to memorialize her ‘The Way we Were’ co-star and cinema icon Robert Redford, before singing for the first time in public (she had all but stopped due to stage fright issues and frustration) in years for a memorable finale to the segment.
‘One Battle After Another’ was the biggest winner of the night, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest taking Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actor (for no-show Sean Penn), Editing and, handed out for the first time this year, Casting.
‘Sinners’ was also successful, as Michael B. Jordan nabbed the top male acting award out from ‘Marty Supreme’s Timothée Chalamet (who had been the favorite for a while, but whose momentum had slowed of late), while its director Ryan Coogler scored Adapted Screenplay, composer Ludwig Göransson landed Best Original Score and Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made more history as the first woman to win her category at the Oscars.
Elsewhere, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ continued its successful run with two awards (Animated Feature and Original Song for “Golden”), while ‘Weapons’Amy Madigan got a rapturous reception as she took Supporting Actress for her creepy, wild turn as Aunt Gladys.
Moviefone presents the 30 greatest Best Picture Oscar winners of all time.
The 98th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 15th and by its conclusion a new film will be added to the exclusive list of Best Picture winners.
And let’s not forget the all-time classic movies that were completely snubbed such as ‘Pulp Fiction‘ or ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ and did not receive the Academy recognition they deserved.
In honor or the upcoming Oscar ceremony, we’ve decided to countdown the 30 greatest Best Picture winners of all-time.
(L to R) Robert Redford and Paul Newman in ‘The Sting’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
A novice con man (Robert Redford) teams up with an acknowledged master (Paul Newman) to avenge the murder of a mutual friend by pulling off the ultimate big con and swindling a fortune from a big-time mobster (Robert Shaw).
In the years before World War II, a tomboyish postulant (Julie Andrews) at an Austrian abbey is hired as a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain (Christopher Plummer) with seven children and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
When car dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) learns that his estranged father has died, he returns home to Cincinnati, where he discovers that he has a savant older brother named Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) and that his father’s $3 million fortune is being left to the mental institution in which Raymond lives. Motivated by his father’s money, Charlie checks Raymond out of the facility in order to return with him to Los Angeles. The brothers’ cross-country trip ends up changing both their lives.
All unemployed, Ki-taek’s (Song Kang-ho) family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
Joe Buck (Jon Voight) is a wide-eyed hustler from Texas hoping to score big with wealthy New York City women; he finds a companion in Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), an ailing swindler with a bum leg and a quixotic fantasy of escaping to Florida.
(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson in ‘The Departed’. Photo: Warner Bros.
To take down South Boston’s Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop (Leonardo DiCaprio) curries favor with the mob kingpin (Jack Nicholson), a career criminal (Matt Damon) rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there’s a mole among them.
A prizefighter-turned-longshoreman (Marlon Brando) with a conscience goes up against labor leaders to expose corruption, extortion, and murder among the union ranks.
During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can’t seem to finish her taxes.
As a young and naive recruit in Vietnam, Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.
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20. ‘Anora’ (2024)
(L to R) Mikey Madison as Ani and Mark Eydelshteyn as Ivan in ‘Anora’. Photo: Courtesy of NEON.
Mikey Madison captivates as Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn whose life takes an unexpected turn when she meets and impulsively marries Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the impetuous son of a Russian billionaire. However, when Vanya’s parents catch wind of the union, they send their henchmen to annul the marriage, setting off a wild chase through the streets of New York.
William Munny (Clint Eastwood) is a retired, once-ruthless killer turned gentle widower and hog farmer. To help support his two motherless children, he accepts one last bounty-hunter mission to find the men who brutalized a prostitute. Joined by his former partner (Morgan Freeman) and a cocky greenhorn, he takes on a corrupt sheriff (Gene Hackman).
A fading actor (Michael Keaton) best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected. Also starring Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, and Emma Stone.
African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.
In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate (Humphrey Bogart) meets a former lover (Ingrid Bergman), with unforeseen complications.
Russell Crowe in ‘Gladiator’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of Rome’s most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.
101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater (Gloria Stuart) tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A young Rose (Kate Winslet) boards the ship with her mother and fiancé. Meanwhile, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Fabrizio De Rossi (Danny Nucci) win third-class tickets aboard the ship. Rose tells the whole story from Titanic’s departure through to its death—on its first and last voyage—on April 15, 1912.
A petty criminal (Jack Nicholson) fakes insanity to serve his sentence in a mental ward rather than prison. He soon finds himself as a leader to the other patients—and an enemy to the cruel, domineering nurse (Louise Fletcher) who runs the ward.
As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA ‘exfiltration’ specialist (Ben Affleck) concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador. Also starring Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman.
The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.
Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn Elessar in director Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) is revealed as the heir to the ancient kings as he, Gandalf and the other members of the broken fellowship struggle to save Gondor from Sauron’s forces. Meanwhile, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) take the ring closer to the heart of Mordor, the dark lord’s realm.
When world heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) wants to give an unknown fighter a shot at the title as a publicity stunt, his handlers choose palooka Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) , an uneducated collector for a Philadelphia loan shark. Rocky teams up with trainer Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) to make the most of this once in a lifetime break.
Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is a top student at the FBI’s training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
(L to R) Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo in ‘Spotlight.’ Photo: Open Road Films.
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core. The movie stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel McAdams.
Tough narcotics detective ‘Popeye’ Doyle (Gene Hackman) is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer (Fernando Rey) who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.
In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.
During World War I, English officer Thomas Edward ‘T.E.’ Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) sets out to unite and lead the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes to fight the Turks.
(L to R) James Caan, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and John Cazale in ‘The Godfather’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino) steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
While ‘One Battle After Another’ has been the presumed winner the entire awards season, having taken home Best Picture at every major award show including Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and BAFTA, ‘Sinners’ won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Actor Awards, building some momentum for the Ryan Coogler helmed film.
It’s also been assumed that Paul Thomas Anderson would finally receive Best Director from the Oscars, especially after winning Outstanding Directorial Achievement from the DGA, but don’t count out a surprise win from Coogler just yet.
Speaking of ‘Sinners’, although Timothée Chalamet won Best Actor for ‘Marty Supreme’ from Critic’s Choice and the Golden Globes, he failed to win at BAFTA, and lost to Michael B Jordan at the Actors Awards, which signals trouble for Chalamet’s Oscar run.
On the other hand, ‘Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley has had virtually no competition in her race to the Best Actress Oscar and after winning every other major award, I don’t think anything can stop her from taking home gold on Oscar night.
Best Supporting Actress seems like a two-way race between Golden Globe winner Teyana Taylor for ‘One Battle’ and Actor Awards winner Amy Madigan for ‘Weapons‘, however, ‘Sinners’ Wunmi Mosaku is still in the mix.
Finally, the Best Supporting Actor category is fairly wide open, with BAFTA and Actor Awards winner Sean Penn currently the frontrunner fighting off Golden Globe winner Stellan Skarsgård for ‘Sentimental Value’. But the Oscars love a surprise, so if ‘Sinners’ has a big night, Delroy Lindo could end up having a surprise win.
Below are our predictions for who will win Oscars on Sunday at the 98th Academy Awards. We are only breaking down our predictions for the six major categories, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.
Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
Well, now we finally have a real race!
Since the start of this awards season it has seemed preordained that director Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ would finally earn the filmmaker a long overdue win for Best Picture. The film has won almost every precursor needed to be the frontrunner, including wins at Critics Choice, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and the all important Producers Guild of America Awards.
However, don’t count ‘Sinners’ out just yet! After grabbing an Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture win at the Actor Awards, as well as Michael B. Jordan’s win for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, the vampire epic now has real momentum.
It also did better at the box office than ‘One Battle’, which sometimes but not always is a factor. But keep in mind that Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Actor Awards is basically a recognition of ensemble acting and not necessarily a film award. And while ‘One Battle’ was also in that category, I don’t buy into the narrative that ‘Sinners’ “beat” ‘One Battle’ for Best Picture at SAG.
It now seems like we have a two-way race but ‘Hamnet’ is still in the mix after winning a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and remember it was produced by Oscar favorite Steven Spielberg.
Keep in mind that the Academy uses a preferential ballot for Best Picture, meaning the winner isn’t simply the film with the most No. 1 votes. Instead, voters rank the nominees, and if no film receives more than 50% of the first-place votes, the movie with the fewest No. 1 votes is eliminated and its ballots are redistributed to the next highest-ranked film on those ballots. That process continues until one film crosses the 50% threshold. In other words, it’s not just about passion at the top — it’s about broad support.
The real question isn’t only who voters rank No. 1, but which film consistently appears in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots and can accumulate support as other contenders fall away. My guess is that many voters may not rank ‘Sinners’ first, but could place it second or third, giving it a plausible path in later rounds. Still, the safer bet remains ‘One Battle’, which feels more likely to build the majority coalition needed to win.
(L to R) Leonardo Di Caprio and Director/Writer/Producer Paul Thomas Anderson on the set of ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
Just like the Best Picture race, since the start of this current awards season it has seemed like this was “Paul Thomas Anderson’s Year”, and that the ‘Boogie Nights’ director would finally win his long-awaited Best Director Oscar. With directorial wins at every other award show including Critics Choice, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and the all important Directors Guild Awards, it does look like Anderson will finally win Best Director at the Oscars.
But what about Ryan Coogler? While he has yet to win a director’s award this season, he is definitely Anderson’s biggest competition, especially now that the film is surging late. Typically, Best Picture and Best Director go hand in hand, but not always, and much like when Damien Chazelle won best director for ‘La La Land‘ but ‘Moonlight‘ went on to win Best Picture, we could see a similar spilt this year. But if we do, I think it is more likely that Anderson still wins Best Director, and the surprise win comes for ‘Sinners’ in Best Picture.
Let’s be honest, the Academy usually don’t get it right! They could be thinking that Coogler will return with another film in the near future, and want to finally reward Anderson now for ‘One Battle’ as well as his overall career, assuming that Coogler’s time will come sooner than later. While I would love to see an upset and have Coogler win, I would also like to see the Academy finally reward Anderson for his body of work, which I think will be the final result on Oscar night.
This is the race to really keep an eye on! The Oscars love a surprise, and if there is going to be a big surprise on Oscar night, it will be in this category.
Timothée Chalamet began the awards season with wins from Critics Choice and Golden Globes, making it look like he was a lock for a Best Actor win at the Oscars. But, when he lost the BAFTA to Robert Aramayo for ‘I Swear‘, who is not even in the Oscar race, it left the young actor’s Oscar chances vulnerable.
That brings us to Michael B. Jordan, who in my opinion gave the best performance of the year, and recently beat Chalamet at the all important Actor Awards. Historically, one Actor Award win is not enough to ensure an Oscar win, as demonstrated by Chalamet last year when he won Best Actor from SAG for ‘A Complete Unknown‘ but then lost the Oscar race to Adrien Brody for ‘The Brutalist‘. But Jordan has the surging momentum of ‘Sinners’ behind him and a lot of goodwill from Academy voters, while Chalamet seems to be cooling off and has fueled criticism for his unusual Oscar campaign style and recent comments on “ballet and opera.”
There is also a theory that Chalamet is really being rewarded for his performance last year in ‘A Complete Unknown’, when he should have won, and not his performance this year in ‘Marty Supreme’. The Academy tends to do that and often tries to make up for their past mistakes. For example, after not nominating Paul Giamatti for ‘Sideways‘, which he should have been nominated for, the following year he was nominated for ‘Cinderella Man‘. So, if Chalamet does win, it will be for playing Bob Dylan and not for playing Marty Mauser!
Also working against Chalamet is the fact that the Academy typically does not give young actors the Best Actor trophy. They love giving the Best Actress award to young actresses, examples including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, and recently Mikey Madison. But, if Chalamet were to win, he would be just a few months shy of breaking Adrien Brody’s record as the youngest Best Actor recipient ever for his first win in ‘The Pianist‘. Jordan is just reaching his prime as an actor, and with a long body of work to his credit, voters could see him as a strong alternative, especially with his recent win and the ‘Sinners’ surging.
While Chalamet is statistically the frontrunner, I feel like there will be a big surprise on Oscar night and I’m betting on Jordan for the win.
There really is not much to say here. If there is any locked category this year, it is this one.
‘Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley is one win away from a “perfect award season’. After winning Best Actress at Critics Choice, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and the Actor Awards, she is almost guaranteed a win on Oscar night.
Does she have any competition? A little, but not much. Rose Byrne won a Golden Globe for ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You‘, but that’s because the Globes split the Best Actress race into two different categories, Drama and Musical or Comedy. So, Byrne did not compete in the same category as Buckley. When she has, she has lost to the ‘Hamnet’ star, and I see no reason that will not continue to take place.
Kate Hudson has been campaigning hard, but this is the only nomination ‘Song Sung Blue‘ received, and I don’t think that is enough to compete with Buckley and ‘Hamnet’, which received 8 overall nominations. ‘Sentimental Value’ does not seem to have the same momentum it did earlier in the season, leaving actress Renate Reinsve without a real path to the gold. And with two Oscars already on her shelf, Emma Stone’s nomination was more or less given just to round out the five nominees, not unlike some of Meryl Streep‘s past nominations.
The safe money is clearly on Jessie Buckley to win Best Actress, and at this point it would take a miracle for anyone else to beat her and win.
Delroy Lindo at the New York Premiere of ‘Sinners’. Photo: Warner Bros.
This is another very interesting category and one to keep an eye on for big surprises on Oscar night!
With no real frontrunner, Best Supporting Actor is wide-open and really anybody’s for the taking.
The season began with Benicio del Toro positioned as the frontrunner for ‘One Battle’, but the actor has yet to win for that performance, putting his chances of winning the Oscar in doubt.
His co-star, Sean Penn, could be considered a slight frontrunner after winning BAFTA and the Actor Award, but with two Oscars already to his name, I’m not sure the Academy is ready to hand him his third just yet. I also think that having both actors from ‘One Battle’ in the same category will split the vote, leaving them both empty handed on Oscar night.
Jacob Elordi received a surprise win for ‘Frankenstein‘ at the Critics Choice Awards, but the young actor was unable to capitalize on it and has yet to win a second award.
Veteran actor Stellan Skarsgård won the Golden Globe, but also was not able to capitalize with a second win, and with ‘Sentimental Value’s momentum cooling off, I’m not sure it will be enough to earn him the trophy.
Enter Delroy Lindo. Keep in mind that this is his first nomination this entire awards season, meaning that he has not had the opportunity to compete with his fellow nominees yet. It’s not unheard of for an actor to suddenly enter the Oscar race and win. Marcia Gay Harden successfully pulled that off when she won Best Supporting Actress for ‘Pollock‘ over Kate Hudson, the presumed frontrunner for ‘Almost Famous‘.
With ‘Sinners’ surging, Michael B. Jordan’s possible win, no real front runner in this category, and Lindo’s overall likability in the industry, I do think that he will pull off the win on Oscar night.
While its not as wide-open as Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress is really between two, maybe three actresses at this point.
Let’s just get this out of the way. Much like the two ‘One Battle’ actors in the Supporting Male category, I think ‘Sentimental Value’s Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas will cancel each other out. Neither has won any major award this season, and with the film’s lack of momentum, I doubt either actress has a real shot to win.
While Wunmi Mosaku did win BAFTA, I’m not sure that will be enough to win an Oscar. ‘Sinners’ popularity could give her a boost, and if Lindo and Jordan fail to win, this could be where ‘Sinners’ gets an acting award. But since I do think Jordan and Lindo will be triumphant, I’m thinking this award will be given to someone else.
Teyana Taylor won a Golden Globe, and her film is the frontrunner for Best Picture. It would be odd for ‘One Battle’ to win Best Picture with no wins in the actor categories, so if it were to win an acting Oscar, it will be here. But Taylor has some real competition from veteran actress Amy Madigan.
The ‘Weapons’ actress began the season winning Critics Choice, but bounced around a bit before recently winning the all important Actor Award. That doesn’t make her the frontrunner, but puts her on par with Taylor. Working against Madigan is that she is ‘Weapons’ only nomination, but it’s not unheard of for an actor to win for a movie that received no other nominations. It happened when Kathy Bates won Best Actress for ‘Misery‘.
So while it’s a tight race, I think that Madigan’s long career and versatile body of work will in the end give her an edge over Taylor.
Mark Ruffalo attends the European Gala Screening for Amazons: ‘Crime 101’ at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on January 28, 2026 in London, England. Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Mark Ruffalo is one of the most respected and talented actors working today.
In honor of the actor and his iconic performances, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best movie’s of Mark Ruffalo’s impressive career, including his latest.
Mark Ruffalo in ‘Dark Waters.’ Photo: Focus Features.
A tenacious attorney (Ruffalo) uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths to one of the world’s largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything — his future, his family, and his own life — to expose the truth.
A time-traveling pilot (Ryan Reynolds) teams up with his younger self (Walker Scobell) and his late father (Ruffalo) to come to terms with his past while saving the future.
A manic-depressive mess of a father (Ruffalo) tries to win back his wife (Zoe Saldana) by attempting to take full responsibility of their two young, spirited daughters, who don’t make the overwhelming task any easier.
Two untalented singers (Sam Rockwell and Steve Zahn) are mistaken for a pair of major league safe crackers in Providence, Rhode Island. The two are pressed into service by the local hoodlums (Michael Lerner and Paul Giamatti) and quickly find themselves in conflict with their professional colleagues (Ruffalo and Josh Pais). Romantic interest is added by the daughter (Christina Kirk) of the underworld leader (Harvey Fierstein) who won’t date the men she knows are gangsters.
(L to R) Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in ‘Begin Again’. Photo: The Weinstein Company.
Gretta (Keira Knightly), a budding songwriter, finds herself alone after her boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) ditches her. Her life gains purpose when Dan (Ruffalo), a record label executive, notices her talent.
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team (Channing Tatum and Ruffalo) joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont (Steve Carell) as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul – a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.
Two women, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), brought a son (Josh Hutcherson) and daughter (Mia Wasikowska) into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids go behind their mothers’ backs to meet with the donor (Ruffalo). Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.
(L to R) Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, ‘Crime 101’ weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett).
From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor (Ben Kingsley).
When an unexpected enemy emerges and threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury (Samuel L .Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins!
Cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) picks up a man (Tom Cruise) who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin.
Joel Barish (Jim Carrey), heartbroken that his girlfriend (Kate Winslet) underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realises that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his mistake.
A cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) teams up with an ace reporter (Robert Downey Jr.) and a law enforcement officer (Ruffalo) to track down an elusive serial killer.
(L to R) Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo in ‘Spotlight.’ Photo: Open Road Films.
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
(L to R) Leonardo Di Caprio and Director/Writer/Producer Paul Thomas Anderson on the set of ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
It will start on January 22nd when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announce the Oscar nominees, with the 98th Oscars Ceremony scheduled for March 15th.
At this point, we do have a confirmed frontrunner in the Best Picture race with ‘One Battle After Another‘, but don’t count out ‘Hamnet‘ or ‘Sinners‘ just yet.
In the Best Actor race, Timothée Chalamet seems to be the frontrunner, but will have some competition from Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan and especially Wagner Moura, who recently won a Golden Globe. However, the academy might as well hand the Best Actress Oscar to Jessie Buckley right now, as she is about as solid a lock to win as you can have.
The Academy Awards will air live March 15th on ABC and Hulu.
Moviefone is making its Oscar nomination predictions for the major categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, ahead of the nominee announcements on January 22nd.
(L to R) Leonardo Di Caprio and Director/Writer/Producer Paul Thomas Anderson on the set of ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
The 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
Preview:
The Oscars are switching to a new carrier in 2029.
ABC has carried the event since 1976.
Conan O’Brien hosts next year’s ceremony in March.
The Academy Awards are just a couple of months away now, but the celebration of the year’s movies has some big changes on the horizon.
While the Oscars ceremony has been carried by traditional network ABC since 1976, the 2029 event –– the 101st –– will be shown instead on YouTube in a gambit by the increasingly influential online service, which has scored the rights until at least 2033.
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This coming year’s event –– the 98th –– will be held in March, with the likes of ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners’ expected to take home some trophies. The nominations will be announced on January 22.
Here’s part of the official statement on the change:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube signed a multi-year deal that will give YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars®, beginning in 2029 with the 101st Oscars ceremony and running through 2033.
The Oscars, including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball access, and more, will be available live and for free to over 2 billion viewers around the world on YouTube, and to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States. YouTube will help make the Oscars accessible to the Academy’s growing global audience through features such as closed captioning and audio tracks available in multiple languages.
And here’s Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube on the move:
“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry. Partnering with the Academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”
When are the Oscars happening in 2026?
This coming years Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 15 next year, hosted once more by Conan O’Brien.
Actress Sally Kirkland and her guest arrive at the 76th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 29, 2004. HO/AMPAS.
Beloved actress, painter, and spiritual teacher Sally Kirkland has died at the age of 84, her publicist confirmed.
A singular force in American cinema, Kirkland was best known for her fearless, Oscar-nominated performance in ‘Anna’ (1987) — a raw, luminous portrayal that cemented her status as one of Hollywood’s most uncompromising artists.
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Across film, television, and the stage, she brought intensity and vulnerability in equal measure, embodying the restless soul of a performer who lived entirely for her art.
(L to R) Actress Sally Kirkland and her guest arrive at the 76th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 29, 2004. HO/AMPAS.
Born October 31, 1941, in New York City, Sally Kirkland was the daughter of fashion editor Sally Kirkland Sr., who worked for Vogue and LIFE magazines, and Robert Kirkland, a wealthy oil executive. Immersed from birth in a world of creativity and glamour, she gravitated toward performance early on.
She trained under the legendary Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, where her circle included Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Shelley Winters. Her early career saw her appear in off-Broadway productions and experimental films — part of the 1960s counterculture that challenged Hollywood convention.
Sally Kirkland: A Life in Film
(L to R) Robert Redford and Paul Newman in ‘The Sting’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
After small but striking turns in films like ‘The Sting’ (1973) and ‘Private Benjamin‘ (1980), Kirkland found her defining role in ‘Anna.’ Playing a Czech actress struggling to survive in New York, she delivered a tour-de-force performance that earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, a Golden Globe win, and critical acclaim worldwide.
Beyond the screen, Kirkland was a fixture of Hollywood’s independent film scene — a champion of young filmmakers and daring stories that pushed emotional and artistic boundaries.
Sally Kirkland: Legacy
(L to R) Paulina Porizkova and Sally Kirkland in ‘Anna’. Photo: Vestron Pictures.
Offscreen, Kirkland lived as vividly as she acted. A devoted spiritual seeker and ordained minister, she embraced meditation, healing arts, and humanitarian causes. She spoke openly about transformation, forgiveness, and the power of self-expression, often teaching workshops and mentoring aspiring actors.
Known for her candor, warmth, and eccentric wit, she was as much a philosopher as an actress — a woman who treated every encounter as a scene in the grand play of life.
Kirkland leaves behind a legacy defined not by celebrity, but by courage — a willingness to risk everything for authenticity. Her influence can be felt in generations of actors who followed her path: bold, unfiltered, and unwilling to compromise their truth.
A pioneer of independent cinema and a soul unbound by convention, she will be remembered as one of Hollywood’s purest originals — radiant, restless, and real to the very end.
“I’m lucky in that I’ve always worked, and I’ve always wanted to work,” she told Deadline. “So whether it was a great script or a not-so-great script that I could do something with, I took it. I didn’t really have any down moments in my career. I was just very lucky.”
Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
For Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy. Between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen Stacy (Stone), high school graduation cannot come quickly enough. Peter has not forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away, but that is a promise he cannot keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.
When notorious womanizer Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) attends his brother Paul’s wedding, he is forced to re-evaluate his behavior as he comes face-to-face with the ghosts of girlfriends past (Stone), present (Noureen DeWulf), and future (Olga Maliouk), along with his deceased uncle (Michael Douglas). The experience changes his attitude and allows him to reconnect with his first and only love, Jenny (Jennifer Garner).
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
A coming-of-middle-age comedy that chronicles the unlikely friendship between failed author Richard Dunne (Jeff Daniels) and a Long Island teen (Stone) who teaches him a thing or two about growing up, all under the disapproving eye of his long-suffering wife (Lisa Kudrow) and his imaginary Superhero friend (Ryan Reynolds).
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.
From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
Shelley (Anna Faris) is living a carefree life until a rival gets her tossed out of the Playboy Mansion. With nowhere to go, fate delivers her to the sorority girls from Zeta Alpha Zeta. Unless they can sign a new pledge class, the seven socially clueless women will lose their house to the scheming girls of Phi Iota Mu. In order to accomplish their goal, they need Shelley to teach them the ways of makeup and men; at the same time, Shelley needs some of what the Zetas have – a sense of individuality. The combination leads all the girls to learn how to stop pretending and start being themselves.
‘Kinds of Kindness’ is a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a specific someone with a special ability, who is destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader.
In 1970s London, amidst the punk rock revolution, a young grifter named Estella (Stone), a clever and creative girl, is determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute. But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.
Two conspiracy obsessed young men (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) kidnap the high-powered CEO (Stone) of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is an outcast high schooler abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family’s struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Stone) is a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared. These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around “the help”; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.
England, early 18th century. The close relationship between Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) and Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) is threatened by the arrival of Sarah’s cousin, Abigail Hill (Stone), resulting in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen’s favourite.
Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily (Julianne Moore). Cal’s seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.
Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast in “Easy A.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Olive (Stone), an average high school student, sees her below-the-radar existence turn around overnight once she decides to use the school’s gossip grapevine to advance her social standing. Now her classmates are turning against her and the school board is becoming concerned, including her favorite teacher and the distracted guidance counselor. With the support of her hilariously idiosyncratic parents (Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson) and a little help from a long-time crush (Penn Badgley), Olive attempts to take on her notorious new identity and crush the rumor mill once and for all.
Two co-dependent high school seniors (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn’t have fears. If he did, he’d kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they’re about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other.
A fading actor (Michael Keaton) best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.
(L to R) Ryan Gosling as Sebastian “Seb” Wilder and Emma Stone as Amelia “Mia” Dolan in ‘La La Land.’ Photo: Lionsgate.
Mia (Stone), an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
