The year 2022 has already been an incredible year for movies, with unexpected smash hits like Top Gun: Maverick crossing over $1 billion at the box office globally when DC and MCU movies couldn't. But when it comes to potential Oscar contenders, it seems the best is still yet to come, and that the rest of the year will continue to bring exciting movies to theaters.
Former Oscar winners and potential first time hopefuls alike will be vying for a chance to win the top prize this winter at Hollywood's most prestigious award show. With genre-spanning movies that include psychological thrillers, science fiction epics, and prestige adaptations, cinephiles of all kinds should be able to find great reasons to go to the theaters for the rest of the year.
The Killer
David Fincher's newest project could had been higher up on this list if it had a confirmed 2022 release date, as the Netflix release is set to be either late 2022 or early 2023. But if the rollout of his last film Mank is any indication, a December release with a heavy Oscar campaign is likely.
The film is set to star two acclaimed actors in its starring role, with Michael Fassbender playing the titular killer and Tilda Swinton accompanying him in the cast. Fassbender supposedly will be portraying an assassin, who begins to develop a conscience as the movie goes on and starts to psychologically crack.
White Noise
Noah Baumbach's last film was Marriage Story, which was nominated for six films at the Oscars and was a strong contender for winning Best Picture. Baumbach is once again teaming up with Netflix for White Noise, which is an adaptation of Don Delillo's 1985 postmodernist classic novel.
White Noise will be another collaboration between star Adam Driver and Baumbach, as well as another professional collaboration with his partner, Greta Gerwig. All three have had major success with Academy nominations during their careers, though they will each be looking to take home their first trophy this year.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
A24's Everything Everywhere All At Once is one of the only films to generate Oscar buzz this early in the year, as it became a cultural sensation this spring. It was the second feature film from the directing duo Daniels, and its hype has continued into the summer as it continues to perform at the box office in late June, according to Box Office Mojo.
Thanks to an impressive display of special effects that was put together on a small budget with a small team, the film is incredibly impressive technically. And with a lead performance by Michelle Yeoh that is almost certain to also generate Oscar buzz, fans will likely continue to discuss the movie well into the winter and awards seasons.
Empire of Light
Sam Mendes is another filmmaker whose past success at the Academy Awards cannot be ignored. The filmmaker won Best Director for American Beauty in 1999 while the film took home Best Picture, and he was once again nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for 1917 in 2020.
His next feature Empire of Light seems to be right up the alley of the type of movies that Oscar voters typically go for as well. The film is a romance, led by two-time Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman, that supposedly develops in an old cinema on the south coast of England in the late 20th century.
Avatar: The Way of Water
After years of production and eight delays, the follow-up to James Cameron's 2009 smash hit Avatar is finally set to be released this winter. The sequel, titled Avatar: The Way of Water, is adding superstars like Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, and Kate Winslet to the cast of the original film.
The sequel is supposedly going to focus on the oceans of the planet Pandora, and Cameron has hinted at a more unconventional plot than the original that explores more of the world. Both Titanic and Avatar were amongst the biggest box offices successes in history, and both were incredibly well received at the Academy Awards.
Don't Worry Darling
Olivia Wilde broke onto the Hollywood scene with her first film as a director in 2019, when she directed the hit teen comedy Booksmart. Her follow-up, Don't Worry Darling, is a psychological thriller that seems to be a big departure from Wilde's first film.
The film's prestige is driven by its cast which features Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, Harry Styles, and a host of other stars, and the trailer details Pugh's character unveiling some kind of sinister plot unfolding. Wilde says that she took inspiration from Inception and The Matrix in writing the film, and anticipation should continue to grow this year.
Nope
Jordan Peele has had one of the most exciting starts to a career of any modern filmmaker, and his debut film Get Out was nominated for four films, winning Best Original Screenplay. Despite that, the director has yet to have a movie nominated for Best Picture, a trend that could change with the release of Nope this summer.
Nope marks Peele's reuniting with actor Daniel Kaluuya, and the latest trailer indicates that the film will most likely involve an alien invasion in some way. While Peele's first two films were spring releases, far away from the typical Oscar season, Nope is set to come out on July 22, which should allow for its momentum to continue stronger into Oscar season.
The Fabelmans
It is well-known that director Steven Spielberg is another filmmaker who almost always enters the Oscars conversation when releasing a new film, and The Fabelmans should be no different. The story is a coming-of-age film that is loosely autobiographical about Spielberg's time growing up in the Southwest after World War II.
Though Spielberg's recent career has been filled with nominations, the prestigious director has not received a win at the award show since Saving Private Ryan in 1998. The film may also be the final collaboration between Spielberg and legendary composer John Williams, who has hinted at his upcoming retirement.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon has been one of the upcoming 2022 movies that deserves more anticipation. The movie will reunite frequent partners Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio after having been rumored for the projects for years now. The film is finally set to be released in November 2022.
Four of the five movies that the two have worked together on have gone on to be nominated for Best Picture, with The Departed taking home the big prize. Killers of the Flower Moon is an adaptation of a nonfiction book, and will depict the story of the FBI investigation in to a series of murders of Osage Native Americans after oil deposits were discovered under their land.
Babylon
Damien Chazelle has been one of the most successful young filmmakers with the prestigious gold this past decade, becoming the youngest director in Oscars history to win the Best Director award for La La Land. His newest film is set to release on Christmas Day this winter, in the heat of Oscar season.
Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie are set to helm the upcoming picture, both of whom have starred in Oscar contenders during their careers. And Chazelle's film is supposedly focusing on the Golden Age of Hollywood, a topic sure to excite Academy Voters. Little is known about the plot, but Babylon is one of the most anticipated films of the rest of 2022.