We awards pundits are becoming increasingly excited by the possibility of the nominees for Best Director potentially being the most diverse line-up ever. There’s a very strong possibility we’ll have not one, but two female nominees. Several Black filmmakers are heavily in the mix. And we could even have an Asian-American director for the very first time.
Then again, this is the Academy, and, for all their inroads with diversity in recent years, they still could nominate five white guys and ignore the stellar work of women and people of colour this year. Expect a riot if they take this path.
While Mank has seen a mildly divisive response from critics, no one can deny David Fincher’s stunning directorial achievements, which moves him into frontrunner status this month. This feels reminiscent of 2016 where La La Land failed to capture Best Picture, but the technical skills of Damien Chazelle’s directing couldn’t be denied. Many feel Fincher is overdue and this could finally be his year.
With Minari growing in buzz, young filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung moves into the top five this month. His touching ode to one family’s quest for the American Dream is quickly becoming a darkhorse contender across the board, and Chung could easily score his first nomination here.
BEST DIRECTOR PREDICTIONS:
1. David Fincher – Mank (Netflix)
2. Chloé Zhao – Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures)
3. Regina King – One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
4. Lee Isaac Chung – Minari (A24)
5. George C. Wolfe – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
MAJOR CONTENDERS:
Sofia Coppola – On the Rocks (A24)
Lee Daniels – The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Paramount Pictures)
Pete Docter – Soul (Disney)
Paul Greengrass – News of the World (Universal Pictures)
Eliza Hittman – Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Focus Features)
Armando Iannucci – The Personal History of David Copperfield (Searchlight Pictures)
Shaka King – Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros.)
Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
Florian Zeller – The Father (Sony Pictures Classics)