2017 Oscar Predictions: BEST DIRECTOR (July)

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Ang Lee’s Long Pre-Oscar Season Walk continues this month as he edges one point closer to Martin Scorsese (Silence) with Billy Lynn. The two Oscar-winning directors are now within two points of each other. Nate Parker (The Birth of a Nation) remains in 3rd place but inches up two points. With Jeff Nichols again in 4th with Loving, the top four directors are aligned with the top 4 Best Picture nominee predictions. Interestingly, Denis Villeneuve’s alien drama Arrival (formerly Story of Your Life), starring Amy Adams, lands at #5 while the film is at #10 on the BP chart.

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) loses half of his points from last month and falls out of the top five and Garth Davis (Lion) remains a single vote getter. That vote comes from yours truly as I still think Lion will be Weinstein’s #1 this Oscar season. Barry Jenkins joins him at #9 with Moonlight.

Here are the July Oscar predictions for Best Director from The Gold Rush Gang:

OTHER CONTENDERS
Robert Zemeckis – Allied
Ben Younger – Bleed For This
Woody Allen – Café Society
Kelly Reichardt – Certain Women
Peter Berg – Deepwater Horizon
Denzel Washington – Fences
Tate Taylor – The Girl on the Train
Cédric Jimenez – HHhH
Rob Reiner – LBJ
Derek Cianfrance – The Light Between Oceans
Yorgios Lanthimos – The Lobster
James Gray – The Lost City of Z
Tom Ford – Nocturnal Animals
Morten Tyldum – Passengers

Follow the updated Gold Rush Gang predictions in these Oscar categories here:

BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BEST FILM EDITING
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
BEST SOUND EDITING
BEST SOUND MIXING
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE