Johnny’s Awards Radar: Best Director frontrunners are emerging

After Denis Villeneuve cemented himself as an early contender, two other candidates are making their case this fall

Welcome back to Johnny’s Awards Radar. This week, I want to take a look at where things stand in the Best Director race. Over the (roughly) last six months, three top contenders have emerged, each with a distinctly different pathway to the prize.

First to emerge was Denis Villeneuve. Previously nominated for “Arrival” – and unforgettably snubbed for “Dune: Part One” – the Quebecois was in the spotlight for weeks leading up to and following the early March release of “Dune: Part Two.” The technical giant features a number of show-stopping sequences, with Paul’s first worm ride being chief among them. While some would argue Villeneuve has lost a bit of momentum over the course of 2024, Warner Bros. is pushing him back into the conversation. He featured at a number of public talks in London last week (including Deadline Contenders and London Film Festival), and it’s been announced that he will be hosted at a Director’s Guild screening by none other than Christopher Nolan – winner of last year’s Oscar for Best Director.

As the hype from “Dune” subsided, eyes turned toward Cannes Film Festival, where Sean Baker’s “Anora” was anointed with the Palme d’Or. NEON snatched it up at the festival and has unsurprisingly done a stellar job of keeping it in the conversation months later, with the film rolling into theaters through October and November. Baker is a bit of a Cinderella story, with the director saying that he’s worked on the indie circuit for years with the hopes of winning Cannes’ top prize. With that under his belt, the Academy stands to be conquered next, with Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay all on the table for the filmmaker.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is Brady Corbet and the titanic undertaking that is “The Brutalist.” The film premiered at Venice Film Festival last month, becoming one of the best-reviewed films of 2024 and winning Corbet the Silver Lion – the festival’s award for Best Direction. On a seven-figure budget, with no domestic distribution in sight, Corbet delivered a decades-spanning epic that harkens back to the classic mold of Best Picture and Best Director winners. Corbet is sure to be a darling with critics groups and a no-brainer with industry voters. General audiences and cinephiles at large will get a chance to judge for themselves as A24 rolls the pic into theaters with an extra-friendly award season release date of December 20th. 

Stay tuned for more Oscars commentary throughout awards season.