As is the case with most below-the-line Oscar categories, bigger equals better when it comes to Best Production Design. The more lavish the sets, the more accurate the period detail, the more extravagant the designs, the more likely your film will win an Academy Award. Formerly known as Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, this prize goes to the production designer and set decorator, leaving the poor art directors on the outside looking in; perhaps that accounts for the title change. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2021 Oscar predictions for Best Production Design.)
Like Best Costume Design, this award rarely corresponds with Best Picture. Before “The Shape of Water” prevailed in both categories in 2018, the last to line-up was “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” in 2004. Often, the winner of this race hasn’t even been nominated for the top prize, as was the case with “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2006), “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2007), “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2008), “Alice in Wonderland” (2011), and “The Great Gatsby” (2014).
Academy voters love period designs, as seen in recent winners such as “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2009), “Hugo” (2012), “Lincoln” (2013), “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2015) and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2020). That rare victory for a contemporary film like “La La Land” (2017) is due to its expressionistic use of color and shape rather than any shift in the taste of voters. Sci-fi and fantasy titles, such as “Avatar” (2010), “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2016) and “Black Panther” (2019), also do well here.
Please note: Only those films with confirmed release dates are listed below. Check back often as new contenders are scheduled while others are dropped due to delays or critical reaction.
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UPDATED: March 3, 2021
Leading Contenders
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
Mark Ricker (production designer), Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton (set decorators)
“Mank” (Netflix)
Donald Graham Burt (production designer), Jan Pascale (set decorator)
“Mulan” (Walt Disney Pictures)
Grant Major (production designer), Anne Kuljian (set decorator)
“News of the World” (Universal Pictures)
David Crank (production designer), Elizabeth Keenan (set decorator)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Shane Valentino (production designer), Andrew Baseman (set decorator)
“Tenet” (Warner Bros.)
Nathan Crowley (production designer), Kathy Lucas (set decorator)
PREDICT the 2021 Oscar nominations through March 15
Strong Contenders
“Greyhound” (Apple TV+)
David Crank (production designer), Leonard R. Spears (set decorator)
“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.)
Sam Lisenco (production designer), Rebecca Brown (set decorator)
“The Midnight Sky” (Netflix)
Jim Bissell (production designer), John Bush (set decorator)
“Pinocchio” (Roadside Attractions)
Dimitri Capuani (production designer), Alessia Anfuso (set decorator)
“The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Paramount Pictures)
Daniel T. Dorrance (production designer), Pascale Deschênes (set decorator)
“Wonder Woman 1984” (Warner Bros.)
Aline Bonetto (production designer), Anna Lynch-Robinson (set decorator)
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Possible Contenders
“Emma” (Focus Features)
Kave Quinn (production designer), Stella Fox (set decorator)
“Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix)
Wynn Thomas (production designer), Jeanette Scott (set decorator)
“Hillbilly Elegy” (Netflix)
Molly Hughes (production designer), Merissa Lombardo (set decorator)
“I’m Your Woman” (Amazon Studios)
Gae S. Buckley (production designer), Patrick Cassidy (set decorator)
“Minari” (A24)
Yong Ok Lee (production designer), Hanrui Wang (set decorator)
“The Personal History of David Copperfield” (Searchlight Pictures)
Cristina Casali (production designer), Charlotte Dirickx (set decorator)
We will be updating our Oscar predictions for each competitive category often in the days to come so be sure to bookmark this page and keep checking back as the race heats up.
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture: Updated – February 22, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Director: Updated – February 23, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Actor: Updated – February 24, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Actress: Updated – February 24, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor: Updated – February 25, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actress: Updated – February 25, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Adapted Screenplay: Updated – February 26, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Screenplay: Updated – February 26, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Cinematography: Updated – February 12, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Costume Design: Updated – February 12, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Film Editing: Updated – February 12, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Updated – February 22 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Score: Updated – February 10, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Song: Updated – February 10, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Production Design: Updated – March 3, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Sound: Updated – March 3, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Visual Effects: Updated – March 3, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Animated Feature: Updated – March 3, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Documentary Feature: Updated – February 9, 2021
2021 Oscar Predictions: Best International Feature: Updated – February 9, 2021
