Oscar Predictions: Best Makeup

Last year’s nominees: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Hellboy II: The Golden Army

This year’s seven finalists: District 9, Star Trek, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The Road, The Young Victoria, Il Divo, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

The rundown: Since its inception in 1981, this category has had two to three nominees each year. The winner is sometimes a science fiction or fantasy film and sometimes a period piece with extensive character makeup like “Frida” or “La Vie en Rose.” The three nominees here seem pretty likely, though either “The Road” or “The Young Victoria” could knock “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” out of the running.

Forecasted winner: District 9