There are still almost six months to go before the golden statuettes are handed out, yet the race for Best Actor already promises intrigue. After Venice, Telluride and Toronto, a trio has emerged in the predictions: Andrew Scott, Matt Damon and John Malkovich. And yet it is still impossible to name a single undisputed favourite.
In the September AwardsWatch forecast, all four experts placed these actors in the top three positions, but ranked them differently. Two gave the lead to Scott, one to Damon, and another to Malkovich. A rare case: there is agreement on the composition of the trio, but who should prepare a victory speech remains an open question. AwardsWatch forecast
Andrew Scott: the role that could become the defining event of his career
In the drama “Elsinore” — Elsinore Scott plays the Scottish actor Ian Charleson, known for “Chariots of Fire.” At the centre of the story is his return to the stage as Hamlet in 1989, when he was already gravely ill with AIDS.
This is the story of a man who keeps performing even as his own life is rapidly slipping away. The film’s director is Simon Stone, the screenwriter is Stephen Beresford. Alongside Scott, the film stars Olivia Colman, Billie Piper and Johnny Flynn. The American release is scheduled for 20 November — the film still has a meeting with a wide audience ahead of it. More about the film
Matt Damon: toward the statuette — via “The Odyssey”
Scott’s main rival is Matt Damon with “The Odyssey” (The Odyssey) by Christopher Nolan
His position is especially stable: in the AwardsWatch table he holds first place with one expert and second with the other three.
This possible victory has a fine backstory. Damon already has an Oscar, but he received it together with Ben Affleck for the original screenplay of “Good Will Hunting” in 1998. So this is about the chance to add an acting award to his screenwriting one. Archive of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Of course, the formula “long overdue” by itself does not bring statuettes. But for awards season, such a story is an added layer of intrigue.
John Malkovich: a dangerous contender with dark humour
Malkovich is vying for the award for “Wild Horse Nine” — Wild Horse Nine, the new film by Martin McDonagh, the author of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “The Banshees of Inisherin.”
Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play CIA officers who find themselves on Easter Island after the events in Chile in 1973. The political story here intertwines with themes of mortality, regret and McDonagh’s signature dark humour. The director himself notes Malkovich’s ability to combine menace and sorrow in a single character. After the festival screenings, the actor became one of the most talked-about participants in the awards race. McDonagh’s interview with the Associated Press
Who else could intervene in the race?
The pursuers: a longlist worth watching
Besides the main trio, the lists of potential nominees actively include two stars whose work could make a commercial and critical breakthrough closer to winter:
* Sebastian Stan (“Fjord” / Fjord): He demonstrates an unexpected dramatic range, moving away from the superhero image.
* Tom Cruise (“Digger” / Digger): If the rumours are true, this is a radical departure from the action-hero persona toward a dark, character-driven drama. The Academy loves it when “box-office kings” show vulnerability.
📅 When will the “Oscar-2027” be awarded?
The 99th ceremony will take place on 14 March 2027 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The nominees will be announced on 21 January, and the final vote will take place from 25 February to 4 March. The next, jubilee hundredth ceremony has already been scheduled for 5 March 2028.
The host of “Oscar-2027” will again be Conan O’Brien — for the third time in a row. So at least for the humorous part of the evening there is already someone to answer for it. But the name of the best actor still remains an excellent occasion for arguments — and for making a list of films to watch in advance.
🔥 4 interesting details of this Oscar race
1. Matt Damon’s “curse.” Damon already has an “Oscar” for best original screenplay (“Good Will Hunting,” 1998), but over more than 30 years of his career he has never once been nominated as best actor. Hollywood has long considered this an injustice, and Nolan’s “Odyssey” is the perfect occasion to fix it.
2. The Nolan factor. After “Oppenheimer” triumphantly swept all the awards in 2024, any film by Christopher Nolan automatically falls into the Academy’s sights. “The Odyssey” is regarded not merely as a blockbuster, but as the main cinematic event of the year.
3. The return of a legend. John Malkovich’s last acting nomination was in 1993 (“In the Line of Fire”). His role in “Wild Horse Nine” is compared to the triumphant comebacks of Anthony Hopkins or Gary Oldman, when the Academy rewards not simply a role, but a contribution to the profession embodied in a specific performance.
4. Tom Cruise versus the Academy. Cruise is one of the highest-grossing actors in history, yet he has only one acting nomination for an “Oscar” (for “Born on the Fourth of July” in 1990). If “Wild Horse Nine” really does turn out to be a heavy psychological drama, it could become that very “dark horse” that cracks the system.
The bottom line: The race is only just beginning. Ahead lie the autumn premieres in New York and Los Angeles, the announcement of nominations from the guilds (SAG, DGA, PGA) and the “Golden Globe.” But even now it is clear: the battle for the leading male statuette of 2027 promises to be one of the most intense and unpredictable in recent years.
