Oscar Predictions: Best Visual Effects

This year, Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 16th. As a result, most of the corresponding guilds won’t have announced their picks by then, so I’m making predictions in advance without being able to take those into consideration. I’ll be offering detailed predictions in most of the major categories, saving some of the biggest categories for last.

Last year’s nominees: The Avengers, The Hobbit, Life of Pi, Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman

This year’s locks: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Star Trek Into Darkness, Gravity

Very likely: Iron Man 3

Possible: Elysium, Thor: The Dark World, World War Z

Unlikely: Pacific Rim, Oblivion, The Lone Ranger

The rundown: This category contains less suspense than other races since ten finalists have already been established, five of which will be nominated. Three films have the previous films in their series as positive indicators of their chances: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Iron Man 3. is all but guaranteed as the only Best Picture contender in the race. After that, it’s anyone’s game. I’m betting on Elysium over Thor: The Dark World and World War Z. It’s also possible that Pacific Rim, Oblivion, or The Lone Ranger could secure a spot.

Forecasted winner: Presumably, Gravity.