Oscar race reshuffled as major films move from 2026 to 2027

Several major films, including Denzel Washington’s 'Here Comes the Flood', are shifting from the 2026 Oscars race

Several high-profile films once expected to compete during the 2026 awards season are now likely to move to 2027, while others remain without distributors.

Netflix titles including Here Comes the Flood, directed by Fernando Meirelles and starring Denzel Washington, are expected to arrive next year. The heist thriller also features Robert Pattinson, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Danai Gurira and Sean Harris. Production wrapped earlier this year, leaving limited time for post-production before Netflix’s crowded year-end schedule.

Netflix’s Saturn Return, directed by Greg Kwedar and starring Charles Melton, Rachel Brosnahan and Will Poulter, could instead premiere at South by Southwest in March 2027. The Chicago-set romance follows three college friends across two timelines.

A24 is also expected to shift several anticipated titles. Edward Berger’s The Riders, starring Brad Pitt and Julianne Nicholson, is likely to move to 2027 after production began in Europe earlier this year. Ruben Östlund’s The Entertainment System Is Down, featuring Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl, is also reportedly targeting a 2027 Cannes premiere.

Meanwhile, two prestige films are still seeking distributors. Tom Ford’s Cry to Heaven, starring Nicholas Hoult, Colin Firth, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Adele, is expected to find a buyer before a 2027 release. Joel Coen’s Jack of Spades, starring Josh O’Connor and Frances McDormand, has reportedly been screened for potential studios.

Other films already scheduled for 2027 include Neon’s A Place in Hell and Paramount Pictures’ Children of Blood and Bone. The latter is set for Jan. 15, 2027, and Paramount is not planning a late-2026 qualifying run.

The changes highlight the increasingly strategic nature of the Oscars race, with studios balancing festival premieres, post-production schedules and crowded release calendars.