Can 1917 fulfill its front-runner status and go all the way? Will Parasite make Best Picture history as the first foreign-language film to win? What about the filmmaking titans, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, whose films had been hotly tipped at various points throughout the season? Maybe it’ll be something else entirely. Anything is possible with Oscar’s preferential vote system, as another awards season draws to a close tonight. And another hostless ceremony could do with throwing up one or two surprises to keep us awake.
Perhaps one of those surprises will come in the acting races, which have felt like a lock for a while now. Joaquin Phoenix, Renee Zellweger, Brad Pitt and Laura Dern have been the season’s most garlanded stars; an upset here—and there are plenty of deserving alternates—would sure set tongues wagging.
One thing is sure, though. The sparks are bound to fly in Deadline’s annual Oscars live blog as we serve up analysis, insight and insults. As always, we hope you’ll join in with your comments. We’ll bring the best into the blog to chew over. As the 92nd Oscars take place live on ABC from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood—on an uncharacteristically rainy day in Southern California—stay in the warm and follow along.