• The end of the 2021 award season is finally in sight. Actors Leslie Jordan and Tracee Ellis Ross will announce the nominees live tomorrow morning at 5:18 a.m. PST (that's 8:18 a.m. for those of you on the East Coast). The Oscar ceremony is set to take place on Sunday, March 27.
• This year we could see Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) become the third woman in Oscar history win Best Director. Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) could score a directing nomination in place of an Oscar mainstay like Steven Spielberg (West Side Story). We could see Will Smith (King Richard) become the fifth black actor to win Best Actor. Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) could become a two-time nominee or Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) could crash the Best Actress race at the last minute. Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza) and Kenneth Branagh (Belfast) are going head to head in the Best Original Screenplay category, which could result in either them winning their first Oscar.
• So what films should be nominated and which should end up as future episodes of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast? Are there any films from the last year that should've gotten more awards love? Did everyone try CODA? I thought CODA was lovely.
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