Gold Derby reports that 15 of 23 Oscar experts from major media outlets have named the Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone romance musical the favorite for Best Picture. The same report puts the drama Manchester by the Sea, with Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, in second position, while Ang Lee‘s Iraq war project Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk sits in third.
As for the Best Director race, experts are putting their bids on La La Land‘s Damien Chazelle to nab the award. Ang Lee is a distant second for Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, while Manchester by the Sea director Kenneth Lonergan is in third.
In the acting categories, it’s Manchester by the Sea that’s expected to sail away with wins. Casey Affleck is predicted to win the Best Actor race, while Michelle Williams is in a comfortable position to snag the Best Supporting Actress trophy.
At the moment, La La Land‘s Emma Stone is the frontrunner in the Best Actress race and Moonlight‘s Mahershala Ali leads the Best Supporting Actor charge.
Check out the full rundown of predictions below.
What do you make of this early forecast? Spot on or foolishly misguided? Let us know! ~Matthew Pariselli
Best Picture
La La Land
Manchester by the Sea
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Loving
Fences
Moonlight
Lion
The Birth of a Nation
Arrival
Sully
Best Director
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Ang Lee, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Denzel Washington, Fences
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Best Actor
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Denzel Washington, Fences
Joel Edgerton, Loving
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Michael Keaton, The Founder
Best Actress
Emma Stone, La La Land
Viola Davis, Fences
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Amy Adams, Arrival
Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals
Steve Martin, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Best Supporting Actress
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Kristen Stewart, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Aja Naomi King, The Birth of a Nation
Nicole Kidman, Lion