This week sees the release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film One Battle After Another - one of the front-runnners for Best Picture at next year’s Academy Awards.
It fires the starting gun for awards season, with many potential winners being released in the coming weeks and months.
The awards will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, but first up will be the hotly-contested shortlists, to be announced on Tuesday, December 16.
Here are the 11 films most likely to bag a spot on the Best Picture shortlist - according to the bookies - last year won by The Brutalist.
1. One Battle After Another - 4/5
Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson has been nominated for 11 Oscars without winning a single one, but he's the 4/5 favourite to finally bag Best Picture for 'One Battle After Another'. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio alongside Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro and Regina Hall. The film tells the story of a group of ex-revolutionaries who reunite to rescue one of their daughters from a common enemy. | Contributed
2. Hamnet - 9/4
Chloé Zhao is one of only three women to have won the Best Director Oscar - for 'Nomadland' - and looks like enjoying further awards success for 'Hamnet'. It's the 9/4 second favourite for Best Picture, with Zhao tipped for Best Director and stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal likely to get acting nods. They play William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes, and looks at the impact the tragic death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet had on their lives. | Contributed
3. Sinners - 13/2
Ryan Coogler's genre-surfing crime-horror Sinners features a standout performance by Michael B. Jordan as two criminal twin brothers. Also featuring Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton and Jack O'Connell, it sees the stylish siblings return to their hometown to discover it has been infected by a supernatural evil. It's priced at 13/2 for Best Picture. | Contributed
4. Sentimental Value - 8/1
Joachim Trier's new comedy drama 'Sentimental Value' left Cannes with the Grand Prix Prize and has already been selected as the Norwegian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Starring Stellan Skarsgard, Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning, it tells the story of the relationship between two sisters and their father - a one-famous film director looking to make a comeback. It's the 8/1 fourth favourite for Best Picture. | Contributed