The Contending gives a rundown of everything that happened this week in the 2026 Oscar race!
Greetings, Oscar fiends!
What a week, right? It started out with Kate Hudson officially launching her Best Actress campaign for Song Sung Blue (more on that in a second) and ended with Timothée Chalamet crashing the Best Actor race (hard!) with boisterous, borderline obnoxious reviews for Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme. Plus, we have some new releases, trailers, and campaign placement.
Let’s jump in!
Kate Hudson Has Entered the Oscar Chat
Twenty-five years after Almost Famous made her a household name (if being Goldie’s daughter didn’t already help), Kate Hudson is back in the Oscar conversation, only this time for Best Actress in Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue, about a Neil Diamond impersonator (Hugh Jackman).
A role like this makes sense for Hudson, who’s been quietly building a solo rock career (2024’s album Glorious), and it’s kind of cool to see her go from groupie to lead. I’m just not sure how this will play into the already crowded Best Actress race, led by Jessie Buckley, Emma Stone, Renate Reinsve, as well as Cynthia Erivo. But the film looks fun in a Full Monty-esque crowd-pleasing way (hoping to see it at SCAD).
Director Craig Brewer has some serious street cred, directing Hustle & Flow and the critically acclaimed Dolemite is My Name, and according to the trailer, it looks like there’s more to this film than a slew of Neil Diamond tunes. It looks like it doesn’t take itself too seriously while also bringing some gravitas to the art of impersonation. Something also tells me that something somewhat tragic might happen to Kate Hudson’s character in this (I have nothing to back this up).
Paul Mescal Will Campaign for Supporting Actor for Hamnet
Since premiering at Telluride, there has been a lot of online chatter about whether Paul Mescal is Lead or Supporting in Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet (I’m in the Lead camp). Now we’re getting a definitive answer: He’s going Supporting.
Good news for Mescal (it’s a cramped Best Actor lineup — see more below), but bad news for Jacobi Jupe, the titular character and heart of the film. He gives an amazing performance that now could be overlooked in place of Mescal.
The Smashing Machine Does Not Smash the Competition; Marty Supreme Does (For Now)
Do you smell that? It’s what The Rock is cooking, and apparently, it’s pretty rank.
The Smashing Machine has all of the hallmarks of an award-winning film. Boxing-adjacent with The Wrestler-esque undertones. A long-suffering girlfriend (Emily Blunt). Benny Safdie and A24 behind it. However, for some reason, that didn’t translate to a knockout at the box office or with critics.
Do you hear that? It’s the sound of everyone on Film Twitter actively taking The Rock out of their Best Actor lineup and putting Timothée Chalamet at the top of the list. Because while Benny Safdie didn’t have a great week, Josh Safdie did.
Marty Supreme premiered at the New York Film Festival, and everyone collectively lost their shit. And just when you thought it was safe to have an acting race without Timmy, everyone’s talking about him again and how apparently while he was preparing to play Bob Dylan for five years, he was also learning to play ping-pong.
Everyone’s calling it a race between Leo and Timmy right now, which also feels like a race between Gen X heartthrob versus our Gen Z heartthrob. Who will reign supreme? They both definitely feel in at this point, and I would put Jeremy Allen White and Ethan Hawke as the other two. Then who’s that elusive fifth option? Maybe a plucky Roofman.
Roofman has Channing Tatum’s Career-Best Performance and Stand-Out Supporting Work from Kirsten Dunst
Friendly reminder that director Derek Cianfrance directed two of the best Ryan Gosling movies: Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines — right when Gosling hit that 2011 sweet spot and was EVERYWHERE. He’s a great director and really knows how to play with complicated relationships, which makes Roofman kind of in his wheelhouse (even if it also has comedic elements).
Roofman feels like a role Gosling would have taken pre-Barbie, but I’m glad that Channing Tatum is getting to flex his insane ability to slip between comedy and drama from one scene to the next. He plays a veteran who resorts to robbing McDonald’s restaurants to keep his family together and then eventually escapes jail, hiding out in a Toys ‘R Us. He meets employee Leigh (Kirsten Dunst) and falls for her — oh and this is all a true story.
We don’t give Tatum enough credit. He really is an actor who can do it all, and his heartfelt performance as Jeffrey/John really demonstrates his talent and how he’s more than Magic Mike.
Tatum and Dunst have great chemistry, and in their final scene together, Dunst reminds you why she’s been in this business for so long. I would love to see her get into the Supporting Actress race.
The Superhero the Gays Care about: Spider Woman
This will be an interesting weekend for Jennifer Lopez. The buzz has been good for her supporting turn in Bill Condon’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, while the film certainly won’t generate Wicked or Dreamgirls-like box office numbers, will it be enough to keep her in the race? (J. Lo movie title reference unintended!)
And if she’s good as everyone says she is, will they reward her with a nomination? Even her ex Ben Affleck made an appearance on the red carpet to support her (he’s a producer on the movie, so he kinda has to) and generate some goodwill (hunting).
It’s crazy to think that a year ago she was at her career low. She just came off of This is Me Now, canceling her Greatest Hits tour, and a divorce. Now she’s generating Oscar buzz and hitting the red carpet with her ex. Hollywood loves a comeback story. Maybe this will be hers.
Greetings Megan and thanks for this great feature.
I had no idea Ms Hudson had entered the chat. Best of luck to her but WHY ON EARTH hasn't Ms Leonie Benesch even been whispered near the chat? Her work in Last Shift is among the best performances of the year.
I was hoping with The Pitt earning so many awards and attention, maybe the similarly themed gem from Switzerland might shine too, or at least her beautiful performance.
Oh! Will have to add Last Shift to my watch list! Thanks for putting her on my radar (and for reading!).
Last Shift is really great, great performance by Benesch. I went to the cinema with a friend who used to work as a nurse in a hospital, and she confirmed that the film is very authentic. Besides, I don't think enough Oscar voters will see the film; it doesn't strike me as the typical foreign language candidate that will get enough attention.
Glad to hear that it was authentic because it really felt like it.
Sadly you're definitely on point about Oscar voters and film's chances (Or hers). Here's Ms Benesch will get noticed more and more as she continues her solid work.