With Sinners and One Battle After Another neck-and-neck for best picture and several acting races far too close to call, this year’s Oscars gala is shaping up to be the most unpredictable in years. Until “the final envelope is opened for best picture, we’re not going to know who’s going to win,” said Variety’s awards columnist Clayton Davis. Coogler could become the first ever Black person to win best director, in the 98 years of Oscars history. While suspense about best picture doesn’t happen every year, what is truly unusual this time is the amount of uncertainty surrounding the acting prizes. Sean Penn could win a third acting Oscar for his comic yet terrifying soldier in One Battle.

Source: The Star March 15, 2026 15:16 UTC