2026 Oscars Best Production Design Predictions

Variety Awards Circuit part is the residence for all awards news and associated content throughout the 12 months, that includes the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages replicate the current standings in the race and don’t replicate private preferences for any particular person contender. As other formal (and casual) polls counsel, competitions are fluid and topic to alter based on buzz and occasions. Predictions are up to date every Thursday.

Oscars Best Production Design Commentary (Updated Jan. 9, 2026): Best manufacturing design has emerged as certainly one of the more secure technical races of the season, however is it actually?

The Art Directors Guild nominations laid the basis early. In the interval feature movie class, “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme” and “Sinners” all landed nods, instantly separating themselves as the core contenders. “Bugonia” added a vital data point by showing in the modern feature movie class, signaling that its grounded, trendy aesthetic still resonated strongly with the craft department.

That cohesion only strengthened with BAFTA’s longlist, which included “Bugonia,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another” and “Wicked: For Good,” alongside genre-heavy entries like “Mickey 17” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” The overlap between BAFTA and ADG is notable, particularly in a class the place worldwide style often diverges from the Academy’s final 5.

Critics Choice successfully crystallized the race. Nominees mirrored the anticipated Oscar area nearly precisely, with “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sinners” and “Wicked: For Good” all cited — and “Frankenstein” finally taking the win. That victory provides the movie a commanding place, particularly because it has persistently been acknowledged for scale and world-building across every major precursor.

Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” provides a different dimension, providing a retro-futurist canvas the place past and future collide by the smooth, stylized environments of Kasra Farahani and Jille Azis.

Nominations voting will start Monday, Jan. 12, and conclude Friday, Jan. 16. Official nominations for the 98th Academy Awards might be revealed Thursday, Jan. 22. The 98th Academy Awards will happen Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre and might be televised live on ABC in more than 200 territories worldwide.