Excitement is revving up for the announcement of this year's Oscar nominations, and the competition is fierce across the board. The race will be tight for categories such as Best Picture and Best Actress, and there's also a slew of contenders who are filling in the predictions for the Best Director Oscar. As always, there are both positive and negative aspects to the situation. The fact that there are so many potential nominees is evidence that there were a lot of great films across the board this year, but it also means that some movies will be out of the running even if they would've been competitive in other years. For example, there were some wonderfully-directed comedies in 2015, but virtually all of the anticipated nominees for Best Director are dramas (well, unless you agree with the Golden Globes that The Martian is a comedy). Also, while many of the Best Director contenders are for films starring women, very few prediction lists include directors that are women. Let's hear a collective sigh for the glass ceiling.
All complaints aside, though, there are some seriously talented directors in the running for the Oscar. Here are some of the filmmakers who stand a good chance at receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
McCarthy is a favorite for a nomination for the film about the Boston Globe team that helped unearth the Catholic church abuse scandal.
Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Leonardo DiCaprio still has yet to win an Oscar, but maybe the director of his latest film could nab one?
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Miller has already received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director for his feminist action thriller starring Charlize Theron.
Steven Spielberg, Bridge Of Spies
This would be Spielberg's eighth nomination for Best Director. NBD or anything.
Ridley Scott, The Martian
Scott has never won an Oscar, but he has been nominated three times. Maybe the Matt Damon flick could make for number four?
Todd Haynes, Carol
The New York Film Critics Circle already gave Haynes the title of Best Director for Carol, and he's also been nominated for a Golden Globe.
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight
Hate him or love him, Tarantino is getting some major buzz for his latest movie — and he could ride it all the way to the Oscars.
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
This would be a first-time nomination for the director of this film starring Brie Larson, which is an adaptation of the novel by Emma Donoghue.
Adam McKay, The Big Short
The director of Anchorman has thrown his hat in the running for Best Director with the new witty finance flick starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, and Christian Bale.
With only five slots for Best Director, which films will make the cut for an Oscar nomination? No one can say for sure until the official announcements in January, but it's sure to be a crazy race. Keep your fingers crossed for your favorites, and checking back with Bustle for the latest in nomination news.
Images: Open Road Films, 20th Century Fox (2), Warner Bros, Disney Studios Motion Pictures, The Weinstein Company (2), A24 Films, Paramount Pictures
