After years of audience demands and the lobbying of stunt performers, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences willofficially begin to award stunts, with the Stunt Design category set for the 2028 ceremony. While that momentous occasion is still several years away, that hasn’t stopped fans fromspeculating about what films might fill out the shiny new category.
The ceremony will be recognizing films released in 2027, which, even with studios plotting out some of their tentpole releases years in advance, means that there isn’t a wide selection to speculate on just yet. Still, several prominent releases are already dated for the year that are likely to feature a fair amount of stuntwork.This list will feature six upcoming releases that seem certain bets for the Stunt Design Oscarat this point. Things can always change, and the path to the Oscar is a marathon, not a sprint. Alas, these movies have a high chance, and it wouldn’t be surprising that they actually claim the golden statuette.
7’Children of Blood and Bone' (2027)
Release Date: January 15th
This upcomingadaptation of the young adult novelis being primed to set up a new fantasy film franchise. The first in a trilogy, it follows a young female protagonist in a fictional African country who gets caught up in a battle between magical and non-magical peoples. ImagineHarry Potterthrough an Afrofantasy lens and by a far less problematic author.
With filming only just begun, there isn’t much to base how action-packed the finished film will be, but the novel does feature some standout sequences thatcould make for thrilling action setpieces. What really sells the film as a potential Stunt Design Oscar contender is directorGina Prince-Bythewood, whose historical war epicThe Woman Kinghad plenty of bloodthirsty battles in it, and who also directed one of the bestNetflix original action movies withThe Old Guard. IfChildren of Blood and Bonehas anywhere near the brutality of either of those two movies, thenit’s got a better-than-decent shot at the gold.
Children of Blood and Bone
6’Sonic the Hedgehog 4' (2027)
Release Date: March 19th
This one might be more of a long shot, since most of the action in theSonic the Hedgehogseries heavily favors CGI. However, nobody thought there would be one successful movie made featuring everyone’s favorite blue speedster, let alone four, so stranger things have happened. With the new installmentset to introduce more fan-favorite characters, the worldwide success of the franchise is certainly something that the Academy would like to see spread to the viewership of their ceremony.
Populist movies and the Academy have had a long and contentious relationship, with the awards body notably shunning some of the more successful and crowd-pleasing blockbusters in the past while also cravingthe boost in ratings that those films can bring to the broadcast. The Stunt Design category is certain to let in a wide range of genre films that would likely otherwise be shut out, andthe video game adaptationcould certainly surprise viewers by making a mad dash for the category.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4
5’The Legend of Zelda' (2027)
Release Date: March 26th
Another big-budgetvideo game adaptation,The Legend of Zeldahas a much better chance at landing an Oscar nod for its stunts thanks to its fantasy setting, which offers plenty of horseback chases and sword fights to fill out its runtime. Coming from directorWes Ball, who managed to mix visual effects and practical stuntwork well inKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, it’s fair to imagine his adaptation of the beloved Nintendo franchisewill attempt some swashbuckling action.
IfThe Legend of Zeldawants to be a success, it would do well to incorporate as many practical effects and fight choreography to ground its high fantasy world. It will have some competition in the genre, with the sequel to the live-actionHow to Train Your Dragonalready dated to premiere a few months later, but the edge might still go toZeldaif it can find a way to make things a little more intense than that family-friendly franchise. Either way, it’s shaping up to bea solid summer for fantasy fans with real potential for awards competition.
4’Avengers: Secret Wars'
Release Date: May 7th
Superheroes are usually a safe bet when it comes to the so-called “below-the-line” categories at the Oscars, with nominations in the sound and visual effects categories often featuring a Marvel movie or two. Not much is currently known about the upcoming Marvel movieAvengers: Secret Wars, with its predecessor,the anticipated but still questionableAvengers: Doomsday, over a year away from release. Whether the film will be adapting any of the existingcomic book storylinesis yet to be known, but a few things are certain about the movie. It will feature an incredibly large cast of Marvel characters and will undoubtedlyfeature plentiful superhero action.
While having the tightest action hasn’t always been the MCU’s strong suit, several of their films, likeBlack PantherandShang-Chi, have had standout fight sequences, and the stunt performers have been putting in solid work behind the scenes for a decade plus. TheRusso Brothersare sure to want to deliver plenty of fan service in their newAvengersfilms, and that means plenty of different kinds of action among their colorful cast of characters. It might end up feeling likethe hundred-million-dollar version of a kid smashing together his action figures, but that should be more than enough to get the Academy’s attention.
Avengers: Secret Wars
3’Star Wars: Starfighter' (2027)
Release Date: May 28th
With the title of the film only formally announced, nothing is known aboutthe upcomingStar Wars: Starfighterother than it will starRyan Gosling, be directed byShawn Levy, and be set sometime afterThe Rise of Skywalker. Still, it’s aStar Warsmovie, and that means there is likely to be some action set in a galaxy far, far away. Whether that action will mostly be from the cockpit of a CGI spaceship or will also feature some ground battles remains to be seen. At the very least,Levy knows how to competently stage large-scale action scenes, andGosling is a solid lead in any genre.
While the nature of Gosling’s character hasn’t been revealed yet, if he has any Jedi connections that could possibly bring a lightsaber into his hands, it’s almost assured that the film will garner some attention from the stunt voters, since thefranchise has been known for its well-choreographed laser sword fights. Disney seems hopeful of a big-screen comeback forStar Wars,having spent half a decade lighting up Disney+ instead of theaters. Thus, it would seem likely that they’d want their movies to take as much advantage of the theatrical experience with big, bold setpieces.
Star Wars: Starfighter
2’John Wick: Chapter 5'
Release Date: TBD
While it doesn’t yet have a release date, therecently announcedJohn Wick 5is as sure a bet for the Stunt Design Oscar as any of the films on the current slate. After all, stunt performer turneddirectorDavid Leitch, who was an uncredited co-director on the firstJohn Wickfilm withChad Stahelskiand still serves as an executive producer on the franchise, was one of the biggest driving forces behind getting stunts recognized by the Academy.
TheKeanu Reeves-starring series isfilled with tremendous stuntwork, and each subsequent film has upped the ante on how much pain and punishment is dealt out to the titular character. Essential action franchises likeJohn Wickarethe exact kinds of movies that will benefit the most from the newly created category, since they are often otherwise overlooked for their cinematic contributions outside an occasional tech nomination that they often lose to more Oscar-friendly fare. With the fifth installment coming just at the right time, the series that has served great action will now hopefully be of service to the Academy.
1’The Batman Part II' (2027)
Release Date: October 1st
CGI spectacle is one thing, but stunts are all about the practical. More so than either Marvel orStar Wars, the Batman films have often favored a much more grounded approach to their action.Matt Reeves’The Batmandefinitely kept things street-level for its superhero, and the rain-soaked car chase at the center of that film is definitely the kind of action that will get the attention of voters. Ifthe upcoming sequel,The Batman Part II, has the same dedication to practical stunts and action, then it will havethe best chance of earning a Stunt Design nomination of the films currently slated for release.
Batman is generally held in higher esteem by the Academy than most other comic book characters, with many films featuring the character garnering a number of Oscar nominations over the years; indeed, the Dark Knight’s villains are a particularly good wayto get an actor nominated. If the Academy had been nominating stunts in the past, as they should have been, there’s little doubt thatChristopher Nolan’s films would have been shoo-ins for nominations, if not outright wins. The Batman franchise is overdue for a stunt win, and in 2027, it will finally get its shot to hang a cape and cowl on a golden statue.
