The Hollywood Reporter's awards editor Scott Feinberg has published his first Oscar forecast for the 2026-2027 season, covering all 24 Academy Award categories ahead of a run of major film festivals. The predictions carry weight because Feinberg's track record over 25 years of forecasting is well regarded, and his method — only ranking films he has personally seen — sets his list apart from rival predictions that speculate on unreleased titles.

The article notes several contenders already unveiled at Sundance, Berlin and Cannes, alongside upcoming premieres at Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York film festivals, including high-profile titles such as Musk, Sense and Sensibility and Alejandro González Iñárritu's Digger with Tom Cruise. The Odyssey is named the clear early best picture frontrunner, boasting a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and $1.6 billion in worldwide box office takings, though Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three and other late entrants could yet challenge it.