2027 Oscars Best Casting Predictions

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change in response to buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Best Casting Predictions Commentary (Updated: Nov. 8, 2026): Casting is only in its second year as an Oscar category and if voters just default to whichever best picture front-runner had the splashiest ensemble, the whole point of the award might be flawed. One of the two films that stand out in this category sense, are “Being Heumann,” Siân Heder’s Apple drama about Judy Heumann and the 1977 San Francisco sit-in that forced the government to enforce disability rights and “La Bola Negra,” Los Javis’ Netflix epic that threads three gay men across three eras of Spain.

For Heder’s film, casting directors Bernie Telsey and Adam Caldwell put more than 20 disabled actors on screen around breakout Ruth Madeley’s Judy, a lot of them with little or no acting experience, which is a bigger swing than any other star-studded ensemble.

Over in Spain, Eva Leira and Yolanda Serrano delivered Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi a cast where the pop singer Guitarricadelafuente makes his acting debut alongside newcomers Milo Quifes and Carlos González, then surrounded them with legends like Penélope Cruz and a Spanish-speaking Glenn Close. That’s discovery.

We’ll see what other films can pop in the phase one period.

The list of predictions in all categories can be found here.

The Governors Awards, which will hand out honorary Oscars to Glenn Close and Ridley Scott, will take place Sunday, Nov. 15. Preliminary voting for the Oscars shortlist in 12 categories runs Dec. 7-11, with the shortlist announcement to follow Tuesday, Dec. 15. Following the close of the eligibility period on Dec. 31, 2026, nominations voting will run Jan. 11-15, 2027. The official Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027. The 99th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 14, 2027 and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien. The ceremony airs live at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.