With 2/11 odds from our 27 movie Experts, “La La Land” is predicted to win Best Film Editing at Sunday’s Academy Awards. It’s edited by Tom Cross, who previously won this category for his last collaboration with director Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash” (2014). This season Cross has also won an ACE Eddie Award and a Critics’ Choice Award for “La La Land,” which has a remarkable 13 other nominations including Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars airing live Sunday on ABC and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
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Twenty-five of our 27 Experts are predicting a “La La Land” victory: Thelma Adams (Gold Derby), Matt Atchity (Rotten Tomatoes), Erik Davis (Fandango), Eric Deggans (NPR), Edward Douglas (Weekend Warrior), Joyce Eng (TV Guide), Bonnie Fuller (Hollywood Life), Matthew Jacobs (Huffington Post), Scott Mantz (Access Hollywood), Jack Mathews (Gold Derby), Michael Musto (Out.com), Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby), Kevin Polowy (Yahoo), Christopher Rosen (Entertainment Weekly), Paul Sheehan (Gold Derby), Keith Simanton (IMDb), Nicole Sperling (Entertainment Weekly), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily), Anne Thompson (IndieWire), Peter Travers (Rolling Stone), Brian Truitt (USA Today), Adnan Virk (ESPN), Jeffrey Wells (Hollywood Elsewhere), Glenn Whipp (LA Times) and Susan Wloszczyna (RogerEbert.com).
In second place is “Hacksaw Ridge” with 16/1 odds; the one Expert picking that biographical war film to win is Tim Gray (Variety). It’s edited by John Gilbert, who was nominated in this category once before, for “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001). Gilbert recently won the BAFTA Award for editing the film and also earned nominations from the Critics’ Choice Awards and ACE Eddie Awards.
Oscar Best Picture Gallery: History of Every Academy Award-Winning Movie
“Arrival” is close behind that with 18/1 odds based on support from one Expert: Tariq Khan (Fox News). Joe Walker is the man behind the cutting for this sci-fi drama about a linguist making first contact with extraterrestrials. He was nominated once before in this category, for “12 Years a Slave” (2013). Walker won an ACE Eddie Award for his work on “Arrival” in addition to nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards and BAFTAs.
Much further behind are “Moonlight” (Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders) with 50/1 odds and “Hell or High Water” (Jake Roberts) with 100/1 odds. All three of those editors are first-time nominees.
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According to our overall combined odds featuring the predictions of all Experts, Editors, Top 24 Users (those who did the best at their winner picks last year), and All Users, the rankings are the same. The favored pick of over 2,500 people is “La La Land” with even stronger 2/13 odds over “Hacksaw Ridge” with 16/1 odds. “Arrival” follows with 28/1 odds, and then “Moonlight” at 50/1 and “Hell or High Water” at 100/1.
This award has had a historically high correlation with the Best Picture Oscar. Since 1981, only one film has won Best Picture without a corresponding nomination for Best Film Editing: “Birdman” (2014). All five of this year’s nominees have corresponding nominations for Best Picture, and “La La Land” is the heavy favorite in that contest.
Predict the Oscar winners now; change them till February 26
Be sure to make your Oscar predictions. Weigh in now with your picks so that Hollywood insiders can see how their films are faring in our Oscar odds. You can keep changing your predictions right up until just before winners are announced on February 26 at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET. And join in the fierce debate over the Oscars taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our forums.
