Awards experts give an outside shot to Kenneth Branagh's, a film inspired by his childhood in Northern Ireland at the onset of the sectarian conflict known as the Troubles, or Steven Spielberg'sstar Smith is the best-actor favourite for playing the determined father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. Competitors include Cumberbatch and Andrew Garfield for musicalBest actress is the most unpredictable.
While the acting field is not as diverse as last year's, “it is certainly better than what we saw a few years back with #OscarsSoWhite,” said UCLA dean of social sciences Darnell Hunt, co-author of an annual Hollywood diversity report. “The academy has taken important steps forward.” In supporting actor categories, Afro-Latina actress DeBose is expected to prevail her portrayal of Anita inJane Campion also could become the third woman in Oscars history to win best director forAfter a scaled-down ceremony at a train station last year, the Oscars have returned to the Dolby Theatre, which will be filled to about three-quarters capacity with 2,500 guests, allowing for some distancing.
To streamline the show, winners of eight categories such as editing and sound will be announced before the live broadcast. Their speeches will be edited into the telecast. Spielberg and others criticised the move as an insult to film craftspeople.