The 99th Academy Awards are still a long way off\u2014the ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027\u2014but as happens every year, the Oscar race has already begun. Critics, experts, fans, and the media have begun making predictions about potential nominees, and among the analyses worth keeping an eye on are those from Variety, which bases its predictions on a panel of experts and a comprehensive review of the film season, well before the official nominations are announced. <\/p>\n\n
For 2027, some of the films already making waves in the race for Best Picture include *Being Heumann* from Apple Original Films, *The Debut* from A24, *Dune: Part Three* from Warner Bros., Neon\u2019s *Fjord*, Netflix\u2019s *La Bola Negra*, Universal Pictures\u2019 *The Odyssey*, Amazon MGM Studios\u2019 *Project Hail Mary*, Bleecker Street\u2019s *Tender Loving Care*, Searchlight Pictures\u2019 *Wild Horse Nine*, and Laika\u2019s *Wildwood*. This list already speaks volumes about just how crowded the upcoming awards season will be.<\/p>\n\n
But if there\u2019s one category I personally find even more interesting, it\u2019s Best Supporting Actress or Actor. That\u2019s often where the best surprises come from: performances that may not take center stage in the story, but manage to steal the spotlight for those few minutes they\u2019re on screen. For a supporting role, screen time is often limited, and that\u2019s precisely why leaving a lasting impression is perhaps even more difficult. It\u2019s not enough to be flawless; you have to be able to build a character, make them memorable, and, above all, ensure that the audience continues to think about them even after the credits roll. <\/p>\n\n
A recent example is that of Isabella Rossellini, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for *Conclave* in 2025 despite her screen time lasting less than 8 minutes. Much like\u2014at least according to rumors\u2014what might happen for Samantha Morton, who has been mentioned as a possible nominee for Best Supporting Actress for Christopher Nolan\u2019s *The Odyssey*, in which she plays Circe: hers is a brief but intense role, which many already consider one of the film\u2019s most unforgettable moments. <\/p>\n\n
And in this category, there\u2019s a particularly interesting name this year: Pen\u00e9lope Cruz. The Spanish actress is, in fact, among the possible nominees for *The Invite*, alongside names such as Anne Hathaway for *The Odyssey*, Kate O\u2019Flynn for *Tender Loving Care*, Sophie Okonedo for *Clarissa*, and Samantha Morton, also for *The Odyssey*. Furthermore, predictions for the season have already begun to include Pen\u00e9lope Cruz in the conversation for *La Bola Negra* as well, making this a particularly exciting year for her. <\/p>\n\n