The 2027 Oscars are still months away, but the Best Director race already has a few names demanding attention. Christopher Nolan leads the early conversation with The Odyssey, while Denis Villeneuve, Cristian Mungiu, Martin McDonagh and Alejandro G. Iñárritu are building strong cases of their own.
Of course, these are early predictions, not Oscar nominations. The Academy will announce the 2027 nominees on January 21, 2027, ahead of the March 14 ceremony.
2027 Oscars Best Director Predictions
Rather than treating one early ranking as gospel, here’s where the race stands right now based on the films, directors, and early industry buzz surrounding them.
1. Christopher Nolan for The Odyssey
Nolan has the early advantage. The Odyssey already has the ingredients of a major Oscar contender: an acclaimed director, a legendary literary epic and an enormous ensemble cast featuring Tom Holland and Zendaya, alongside Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and others.
Several early prediction lists currently put Nolan at or near No. 1. Nolan also enters the season with a recent Best Director win for Oppenheimer, which makes his return to the conversation especially interesting.
2. Denis Villeneuve for Dune: Part Three
Denis Villeneuve has a serious shot at returning to the directing race with Dune: Part Three. The filmmaker already turned Frank Herbert’s world into an Oscar powerhouse with the previous Dune films. Now the third installment has the opportunity to give voters a larger sense of the trilogy as a complete cinematic achievement.
His current position varies across prediction lists. That makes Villeneuve one of the biggest wild cards in the race.
3. Cristian Mungiu for Fjord
Mungiu has one of the strongest festival stories among the early contenders. Fjord won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, immediately putting the film on the awards radar. Vanity Fair has also identified the film as one of the potential threats to The Odyssey as the Oscar season develops. A strong fall festival run could turn that early recognition into a much bigger Oscar push.
4. Martin McDonagh for Wild Horse Nine
McDonagh has already proved that his dark, character-driven storytelling can connect with Academy voters.
His new film Wild Horse Nine is appearing consistently in early Oscar predictions. If the film delivers the kind of sharp writing and distinctive direction associated with McDonagh, he could become one of Nolan’s strongest challengers.
5. Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Digger
Iñárritu is never an easy name to dismiss in an Oscar race. The filmmaker already owns two Best Director Oscars, and Digger gives him another ambitious project with plenty of awards potential. Early predictions currently place him somewhere between the top five and top 10, depending on the forecast.
6. Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo for La Bola Negra
This is one of the films that could completely reshape the race. Ambrossi and Calvo won the Best Director prize at Cannes for La Bola Negra, giving the Spanish-language film an immediate awards-season credential.
The pair also sit at No. 1 on Midnight Critics’ current Best Director prediction, while other forecasts place them inside the top six.That’s a wide range, but it tells us how much upside the film has.
7. Tony Gilroy for Behemoth!
Gilroy could become one of the season’s most interesting late risers. Behemoth! has already entered the early awards conversation, and Gilroy appears inside several current Best Director forecasts. The film’s eventual reception will determine whether that early attention turns into a genuine nomination push.
8. Georgia Oakley for Sense and Sensibility
A familiar literary title can give an Oscar contender an immediate advantage, but that alone won’t carry Oakley into the final five. Sense and Sensibility currently appears in the wider Best Picture and Best Director conversation, with Oakley sitting inside AwardsWatch’s early top 10.
She has room to climb once the film reaches audiences.
9. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for Project Hail Mary
The directing duo brings a very different energy to this race. Project Hail Mary already has a strong commercial profile, and its science-fiction scale could help it compete across several technical categories as well as Best Picture.
Some early forecasts place Lord and Miller inside the top 10, while others have them just outside the main directing field. If the film maintains its momentum through awards season, the directors could move quickly.
10. Paweł Pawlikowski for Fatherland
Pawlikowski rounds out the early field with a film that brings plenty of international prestige. Fatherland also picked up Best Director recognition at Cannes, giving Pawlikowski a useful starting point before the major fall awards push. The challenge now is turning festival acclaim into broader Academy support.
The Names That Could Crash the Top 10
The directing race doesn’t stop here. Several filmmakers could jump into the conversation once their films get more exposure.
- Ryusuke Hamaguchi: All of a Sudden
- Olivia Wilde: The Invite
- Jesse Eisenberg: The Debut
- Siân Heder: Being Heumann
- Aaron Sorkin: The Social Reckoning
- David Fincher: untitled Cliff Booth project
- Lee Chang-dong: Possible Love
These films remain difficult to rank this early because the season still has plenty of unanswered questions.
Early Best Director Ranking
| Rank | Director | Film | Outlook |
| 1 | Christopher Nolan | The Odyssey | Early favorite |
| 2 | Denis Villeneuve | Dune: Part Three | Major contender |
| 3 | Cristian Mungiu | Fjord | Festival favorite |
| 4 | Martin McDonagh | Wild Horse Nine | Strong contender |
| 5 | Alejandro G. Iñárritu | Digger | Veteran threat |
| 6 | Javier Ambrossi & Javier Calvo | La Bola Negra | Rising challenger |
| 7 | Tony Gilroy | Behemoth! | One to watch |
| 8 | Georgia Oakley | Sense and Sensibility | Dark horse |
| 9 | Phil Lord & Christopher Miller | Project Hail Mary | Wild card |
| 10 | Paweł Pawlikowski | Fatherland | Fringe contender |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the early favorite for the 2027 Oscar for Best Director?
Christopher Nolan is currently one of the strongest early favorites for Best Director with The Odyssey. However, the race remains open and could change significantly before nominations.
Is Christopher Nolan nominated for Best Director at the 2027 Oscars?
No. The 2027 Oscar nominations have not been announced yet. Nolan is an early prediction, not a confirmed nominee.
Could Tom Holland and Zendaya be part of the 2027 Oscars conversation?
Tom Holland and Zendaya star in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Their performances could attract attention during awards season, although acting nominations are separate from the Best Director race.
Who could challenge Christopher Nolan for Best Director?
Denis Villeneuve, Cristian Mungiu, Martin McDonagh, Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo are among the directors currently worth watching.
When will the 2027 Oscar nominations be announced?
The Academy is scheduled to announce the 2027 Oscar nominations on January 21, 2027. The 99th Oscars will take place on March 14, 2027.
Can the Best Director predictions still change?
Yes, most major films have yet to complete their awards-season journey. Festival premieres, reviews, critics’ awards and industry response can all reshape the Best Director race before nominations are announced.
The 2027 Best Director race already has plenty of heavyweight contenders, but Christopher Nolan has the early advantage with The Odyssey. The race is nowhere near settled. Denis Villeneuve, Cristian Mungiu, Martin McDonagh, Alejandro G. Iñárritu and several rising contenders could shake up the rankings once their films reach audiences.
For now, Nolan sits at the front of the pack. The real test begins when the major films arrive, critics weigh in and the Oscar race moves from predictions to contenders.
