Now that those back-to-back Wicked movies are the in the history books, Universal’s future has been changed… for good. The studio is quite clearly pinning its 2027 Oscar hopes on Christopher Nolan’s muscular summer blockbuster The Odyssey, with Matt Damon playing the hero of Homer’s epic poem. Launching in theaters on July 17, the film is hoping to follow the playbook that delivered the director’s previous film, Oppenheimer, to a dominant 13 nominations and seven wins at the 2024 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for the Memento helmer.
As it happens, Universal’s other big awards player from a veteran Oscar winner is also releasing during the warm weather months. That would be Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, which marks his overdue return to stories about close encounters with the extraterrestrial kind. Written by David Koepp, the film seems certain to speak to the conspiracy-minded thinking that permeates so much of the present day discourse — and that timeliness could very easily resonate with Oscar voters in the same way it will with audiences.
Universal’s specialty arm, Focus Features, will also take the stage during the presentation with fresh footage from the newest cinematic take on Jane Austen’s seminal novel Sense and Sensibility, this time starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Outlander star Caitríona Balfe. Robert Eggers is also certain to be on hand for the first look at Werwulf, his Gothic take on werewolf legends that reunites his Nosferatu trio of Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Willem Dafoe. Follow along for all of Gold Derby’s updates from inside the room.
