Oscar Winners 2026 Final Predictions & Critic Picks The 98th Annual Academy Awards are approaching, and experts are offering their insights on which films and performers are likely to win and which should be recognized for their artistic merit. Scott Feinberg and David Rooney, THR’s awards analyst and chief film critic, break down the key categories, highlighting the most probable outcomes and the films that deserve attention. In the Best Director category, One Battle After Another is considered the safest bet, having dominated precursor awards such as the Directors Guild, Producers Guild, Globes, Critics Choice, and BAFTAs. However, Sinners’ Ryan Coogler is seen as a strong contender, particularly as the first Black filmmaker to win this honor. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is also highlighted for its bold storytelling and relevance to current political themes, though its chances of replicating Parasite’s success are deemed slim. For Best Actor, Jessie Buckley’s performance in Hamnet is expected to secure her the win, as she has swept major televised awards shows. Meanwhile, Renate Reinsve’s role in Sentimental Value is praised for its emotional depth, and Wagner Moura’s subdued yet powerful portrayal in The Secret Agent is noted as a compelling alternative. Michael B. Jordan’s performance in Sinners is also lauded, though his co-star’s recognition may influence the outcome. Best Supporting Actor sees Sean Penn’s work in One Battle After Another as the frontrunner, despite his reluctance to campaign. Stellan Skarsgard’s nuanced performance in Sentimental Value and Delroy Lindo’s portrayal of a blues musician in Sinners are also highlighted as strong contenders.#one_battle_after_another #oscar_winners_2026 #thr #scott_feinberg #david_rooney
The Orville Season 4 Gets Huge Update From Seth MacFarlane That's Both Exciting And Frustrating The Orville’s lifespan has been anything but easy and smooth. After two seasons on Fox, the best Star Trek series that isn’t actually a Star Trek series moved to Hulu, and while that was a positive on the whole, according to creator and star Seth MacFarlane, it’s been over four years since that third season, which is a long time even in the modern streaming era. At the same time, the show has never been officially cancelled, giving fans reason to continue holding out hope that a new season will one day arrive. At an event for MacFarlane’s other streaming series, Ted, which launches its second season this week (via Peacock subscription), the actor and writer was asked by THR about the show’s fate. The good news is that Season 4 of The Orville is apparently done, at least as far as scripts go. Unfortunately, that doesn’t actually mean the show will definitely be going into production anytime soon. MacFarlane said: “I will be honest with you: Season four is written. It’s just a question of when we have the time to produce it.” As a fan of The Orville, the first sentence there certainly says a lot, which is really good news. Up until now, it really wasn’t clear if there was really a chance of another season of The Orville or not. While some Orville cast members indicated production was expected to start already, it never actually did. It was far from clear what was causing the holdup, and fans weren’t even fully sure if there was a creative direction to move in. Now it’s clear that Hulu wants the show, and MacFarlane has written the episodes that will make up the season. That would normally indicate a TV show is in the early stages of production. Unfortunately, Seth MacFarlane still has one problem: himself.#hulu #thr #seth_macfarlane #the_orville #ted
