Here’s our way too early Oscar 2024 picks

With the 2023 Oscars boasting one of the more balanced lineups of nominated films in recent memory, it’s never too early to get ahead of the game and envision which movies could be recognized for next year’s 96th Academy Awards.

Despite being only a few months into 2023, there are already a number of upcoming performances, directorial efforts, and movies that could garner accolades to match this year’s hype.

Which films could be nominated for the 2024 Oscars?

The Color Purple - The original 1985 film was nominated for Best Picture at its respective Academy Awards, and the upcoming musical adaptation has an excellent chance of being nominated by members of the academy. The musical genre has historically held its own throughout Oscars history, with 2017’s La La Land earning a Best Picture nomination, and perhaps notoriously, being incorrectly named the winner (which eventually went to Moonlight).

Dune: Part Two - Part One scored a Best Picture nomination at the 2022 Oscars, which bodes well for the sequel’s chances of notching the same honor. Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve is still at the helm and the already stacked ensemble cast will return Emmy winner Zendaya and Academy Award nominee Timothée Chalamet. To further its chances of Oscar success, the sequel will welcome newcomers Austin Butler and Florence Pugh.

Killers of the Flower Moon - Martin Scorsese has directed nine Best Picture-nominated films and could add a tenth to his list with Killers of the Flower Moon, his highly anticipated Apple TV+ original film. Having heavy hitters such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro among the cast feels like a recipe for success ahead of the 96th Academy Awards.

Oppenheimer - If the exponential hype from the teaser trailers were any indication, Christopher Nolan is predicated to earn his third Best Picture nomination for his first biopic drama that focuses on physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is commonly referred to as the “father of the atomic bomb.” The highly anticipated film boasts a stacked cast with Cillian Murphy in the titular role, surrounded by numerous Oscar-nominated and winning actors like Robert Downey, Jr, Rami Malek, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, and Gary Oldman.

Beau Is Afraid - If this film doesn’t garner a nomination for Best Picture then Joaquin Phoenix should certainly secure a nomination for Best Actor. The 2020 Oscars Best Actor winner stars in the title role in this surrealist comedy horror movie from director Ari Aster. This would be Phoenix’s fourth Best Actor nomination at the Oscars, with his 2020 win for Joker suggesting the Academy will continue to recognize him in unconventional roles.