The Power of The Underdog Is Needed at the 94th Academy Awards
Author:
Roy Brindley
The nominations for the 94th Academy Awards were announced last week. After early betting exchanges, the markets on the major categories have settled. Three of the four biggest awards now feature an odds-on favorite. Only the destination of the Best Actress Oscar appears to be an open race.
Ten films are shortlisted for the Best Picture category. Despite the depth of the field, bookmakers believe there is little strength. Here they make The Power of the Dog the 8/13 market principle and Belfast the 3/1 second favorite.
Director Jane Campion, leading actor Benedict Cumberbatch and their film, The Power of the Dog, could have an excellent night at the Academy Awards. ©GettyImages
Winner of the Best Drama Motion Picture at January’s Golden Globes, The Power of the Dog has the most Academy Award nominations of any movie in 2022 – a dozen in total. Belfast has seven Oscar nominations as it did at the Golden Globes. There it received just one prize.
The remaining eight Best Picture Academy Award nominees are quoted between 7/1 and 80/1. Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is currently the third favorite. The critically acclaimed but box office flop, Nightmare Alley is the complete outsider of the field.
Is The Power of the Dog Capable of Winning Three of the Main Oscars?
Jane Campion, director of The Power of the Dog is an overwhelming 1/6 favorite to take home the Best Director Oscar. The 67-year-old New Zealander is now the first woman to be nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Director.
There is potential for Campion’s psychological thriller set in a western backdrop to complete a memorable awards hat-trick. Her leading actor, Benedict Cumberbatch is just 3/1 to take the Best Actor Oscar.
However, punters and bookmakers much prefer Will Smith for this award. The 53-year-old collected the corresponding Golden Globe for his role as Richard Williams in King Richard and is top-priced 8/15 with the best betting sites to double-up at the Academy Awards.
America’s Love Affair With the British Royals Could Pay Off for Stewart
Neither The Power of the Dog nor Belfast has a representative in the Academy Award for Best Actress category. In fact, this is the first year since 2006 that no nominee in the Best Actress category hail from a movie nominated for the Best Picture award.
The protagonists are Nicole Kidman, Kristen Stewart, Olivia Coleman, Jessica Chastain and Penelope Cruz. Kidman is the market leader at 11/8. She stars in Being the Ricardos. The biographical drama film examines the relationship between I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. It has nominations in three Oscar categories.
Olivia Colman is 9/2 to take her second Best Actress Academy Award. The English actress previously won an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Anne in 2018’s The Favourite.
Over the years, America’s fascination with all things royal has seen a plethora of films with a connection to the royal family earn Academy Award nominations and win Oscars.
2022 is no exception, and Kristen Stewart at 11/4 to convert her Best Actress nomination – for her role as Diana, Princess of Wales, in Spencer – into an Oscar could be the best bet of all.
