Just Who Will be a Big Hit at the 2023 Oscars?

American TV producers hope the 2023 Oscars will be a big hit. There’s no Will Smith next year though, so you can bet that we’ll have to rely on other surprises for our entertainment. Which movies and actors might be walking away with Oscars next year. 

Movies based on real life events often go down well with the Academy voters. ‘Thirteen Lives’ may well have some success at the 2023 Oscars. It’s the story of the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue and directed by the successful American director Ron Howard. He may well have more happy days when the Oscars take place. 

It stars Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen and US bookmakers were already offering short odds even before it was released. Word that the test showings were the best in MGM history and American moviegoers have given their thumbs up. New Jersey bookmakers such as Bet MGM have this movie as one of the favorites for Oscar success.

Biographical movies also enjoy Oscar success and ‘Elvis’ has been well received. That’s particularly the case with Austin Butler who plays the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. US online bookmakers believe he may well be the winner of the Best Actor award at the 2023 Oscar Awards. A Best Picture Oscar looks unlikely, so don’t go to American gambling companies and bet on it.The outstanding performance by Butler is one that deserves plenty of recognition.

Another movie based on real-life events is ‘She Said.’ This is based on the book written by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. They were the New York Times journalists that exposed the truth about Harvey Weinstein. You can bet he won’t enjoy this from his prison cell and a few others in the US movie industry might feel a bit uncomfortable but it’s an important subject.  Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan play Kantor and Twohey respectively.

Chris Rock didn’t have the easiest of times at the 2022 Oscars. Could 2023 see the US comedian/actor be part of the film that wins the Best Picture Oscar? He appears in the movie ‘Amsterdam’ and high odds on success are not available for this film set in the 1930s.

‘Amsterdam’ is one of those movies that leaves you breathless after reading the cast list. There’s everyone from Christian Bale to Taylor Swift and Robert de Niro to Mike Myers. It could be a rather star-studded stage if the US bookies’ low odds on Oscar success for this film are justified.

‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ does sound a bit like the title of an American B-Movie. It’s far better than that and it’s high in the betting market for winning the Best Picture Oscar. Leonardo de Caprio and Robert de Niro both star in this crime movie set in the 1920s. It’s directed by Martin Scorsese, so you could have had a winning bet with a US gambling site on working out those two top actors would be involved in this movie.

Nearly everything that Steven Spielberg tends to touch often turns to gold. ‘The Fabelmans’ is the latest of his movies for US bookmakers to predict Oscar success for. It’s not just a movie from one of the best directors of all-time, but also partly autobiographical. The movie is based on his childhood (age 7-18) growing up in Arizona. He co-wrote the screenplay so betting on a success for him in that category may well prove worthwhile.

‘The Way of the Water’ finally sees ‘Avatar’ get a sequel. Betting on its special effects earning a few Oscars looks sensible behavior. It’s unlikely to be knocking at the door of the Best Picture award though.

When it comes to the Oscar for Best Actress, Michelle Yeoh is one of the favorites at US bookmakers’ tips for her performance in ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’ It’s been a success at the American  box office and although that doesn’t always mean Oscars galore, Yeoh is in top form and an Oscar may well be on its way in 2023.

Another who should be deciding what to wear at the Oscars ceremony is British actress Emma Thompson. She’s played many a role in her time but in ‘Good Luck to you, Leo Grande,’ we see her playing a retired widow who decides to spend some cash on a night with a male sex worker. Self-discovery is another popular subject for voters, and you can bet they’ll lap this up.

How about the Best Animated Feature?  Contenders for the 2023 award include ‘Lightyear’ even though it had US reviewers divided on how good this ‘Toy Story’ spin-off is. Also short in the betting markets are movies such as ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ and ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ A bet with US bookmakers on a Best Picture award won’t win you anything but all those special effects etc will bring home some awards.

The 2023 Oscars promise to be another special night for the movie industry. Hopefully, the headlines will be made by the winners rather than a reaction to a terrible joke.