The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is yet to release its Academy Awards nominations, but “The Power of the Dog” (+175 odds), “West Side Story” (+200 odds), and “Belfast” (+225 odds) are the early favorites to win Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars.
DraftKings posted odds for Best Picture and they listed 20-plus films that could end up on the final ballot at the 94th Academy Awards. The 2022 Oscars will be held in Beverly Hills on Sunday, March 27.
| 2022 Oscars – Best Picture Odds |
- The Power of the Dog +175
- West Side Story +200
- Belfast +225
- Licorice Pizza +1400
- King Richard +1600
- Dune +1600
- Nightmare Alley +2000
- Don’t Look Up +2500
- CODA +2500
- House of Gucci +3500
- The Tragedy of Macbeth +3500
- tick, tick… BOOM! +3500
- Spencer +4000
- Being the Ricardos +4000
- The French Dispatch +6500
- The Last Duel +6500
- Blue Bayou +6500
- In The Heights +6500
- Titane +6500
- Cmon Cmon +6500
- Last Night in Soho +8000
- The Humans +10000
- Respect +10000
- Mass +10000
For the second year in a row, the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for many films to enjoy a traditional big-screen release. Many of these films debuted on streaming services first or had some sort of hybrid release.
Last year, “Nomadland” crushed at the 2021 Oscars by winning Best Picture, Best Director for Chloe Zhao, and Best Actress for Frances McDormand.
Other 2021 Favorites: Licorice Pizza, Belfast
The Golden Globes weren’t televised this year, but “The Power of the Dog” won “Best Picture, Drama,” and “West Side Story” won in the “Best Picture Musical or Comedy” category.
“West Side Story” is a remake of the classic musical directed by Steven Spielberg. Musical theater nerds would love to see another musical win Best Picture at the Oscars, and “West Side Story” is near the top of the betting board at +200 odds.
“The Power of the Dog” is a western by renowned director Jane Campion, who’s also the betting favorite to win Best Director at the Oscars this year. “The Power of the Dog” has a stacked cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, and Jesse Plemons.
“Belfast” is a coming-of-age story in Northern Ireland in the tumultuous 1960s, which was directed by Kenneth Branagh. The older voters at the Academy love these black and white films, which is why “Belfast” is also among the Best Picture favorites +225 odds.
“Licorice Pizza,” the newest film by Paul Thomas Anderson, is an homage to the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s, and features the film debuts of Connor Hoffman and Alana Haim. Haim is a musician who plays with her sisters in the band Haim, and had an amazing performance in her acting debut. Hoffman is the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Biopics at the Oscars
What do Lucille Ball, Aretha Franklin, Princess Diana, and Venus and Serena Williams have in common? They were all the subjects of biopics released in 2021.
“King Richard” has the best odds out of all the biopics at +1600 to win Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars. “King Richard” is really about Richard Williams, the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena, who was hell-bent on turning his daughters into world-class athletes. Will Smith is also the front runner to win Best Actor as the Williams patriarch.
I know y’all been waiting for Kristen Stewart’s film version of Princess Diana. “Spencer” is a long shot at +4000 odds to win Best Picture.
You can watch “Being the Ricardos” right now on Amazon Prime. It’s the backstory of the complicated relationship between Lucile Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz. Javier Bardem plays Arnaz aka Ricky Ricardo from “I Love Lucy,” while Nicole Kidman is also a frontrunner to win Best Actress for her portrayal of Lucille Ball.
Jennifer Hudson plays a young Aretha Franklin in “Respect,” in which the Godmother of Soul seeks her voice while transitioning from a church and gospel singer into the superstar we know today. “Respect”, which also features a cameo by comedian Marc Maron as record producer Jerry Wexler, is one of the moon shots on the board at +10000 odds.