The even more foolish (in light of the current pandemic) annual tradition of "April Foolish Predictions" continues. As ever we're trying to suss out the Oscar race a year in advance. Well, 10 months in advance if you're getting nitpicky. We've previously covered Animated Features, Visual Categories, Music and Sound. Here's the index of predictions.
SCREENPLAYS
Depending on what happens with the calendar in terms of movie theaters reopening and distributor confidence Original Screenplay will be slimmer than usual. But how slim...?
Adapted Screenplay contenders are more plentiful if only because Hollywood leans harder into preexisting awareness than they ever have in our risk-averse franchise world. The most famous book receiving its first screen adaptation soon is the best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy. That's the type of project that is a preordained contender for this particular category (famous source material, famous director, all-star cast). It only has to not disappoint to be a contender. At least in this category.
Other famous novels getting the big screen treatment for 2020 (provided the films open and prove eligible) are Jane Austen's Emma, Patricia Highsmith's Deep Water, and Frank Herbert's Dune. Movies drawn from the stage MIGHT be plentiful with The Humans, West Side Story, In the Heights, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and The Father all either completed or in post-production at this writing. Check out the new screenplays chart.
DIRECTORS
Jumping the gun a bit here since we're not quite finished with the Best Picture chart but here's wild guesswork about the Best Director category.