2022 Oscar Predictions: PRODUCTION DESIGN and COSTUME DESIGN (October)

I think you’d be hard-pressed to not see Denis Villeneuve’s Dune at the top of technical categories this season, and rightfully so. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t several films that are going to give the epic blockbuster some chase.

Guillermo del Toro’s 1940s set circus noir Nightmare Alley looks extravagant and luxuriant. Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, in all of its twee weirdness, could easily find a place here as his last films have. The new look at the design of Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, shot entirely on soundstages, make it impossible to ignore. And what lineup for costumes wouldn’t include Cruella, a story about costume design?

Several folks find themselves as double contenders this year, like production designers Adam Stockhausen and Rena DeAngelo with both The French Dispatch and West Side Story or Arthur Max with Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel and House of Gucci. Judy Farr also has The Last Duel and Last Night in Soho as well. The Last Duel/House of Gucci costume designer Janty Yates could also double up.

Here are my ranked 2022 Oscar predictions in Production Design and Costume Design for October 2021.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

1. Dune – Patrice Vermotte, Richard Roberts, Zsuzsanna Sipos (Warner Bros/HBO Max)
2. The Tragedy of Macbeth – Stefan Dechant, Nancy Haigh (A24/Apple)
3. Nightmare Alley – Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau (Searchlight Pictures)
4. The French Dispatch – Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo (Searchlight Pictures)
5. The Power of the Dog – Grant Major, Amber Richards (Netflix)
6. West Side Story – Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo (20th Century Studios)
7. Belfast – Jim Clay, Claire Nia Richards (Focus Features)
8. Being the Ricardos – Jon Hutman, Ellen Brill (Amazon Studios)
9. House of Gucci – Arthur Max, Letizia Santucci (MGM/UA)
10. The Last Duel – Arthur Max, Judy Farr (20th Century Studios)

Other contenders:
Cruella – Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton (Walt Disney)
Cyrano – Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer (MGM/UA)
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain – Suzie Davies, Charlotte Dirickx (Amazon Studios)
Eternals – Eve Stewart, Clint Wallace, Pancho Chamorro (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Last Night in Soho – Victoria Allwood, Emily Norris, Judy Farr (Focus Features)
Licorice Pizza – Florencia Martin, Ryan Watson (MGM/UA)
The Matrix Resurrections – Hugh Bateup, Peter Walpole, Lisa Brennan, Barbara Munch (Warner Bros/HBO Max)
Spencer – Guy Hendrix Dyas, Yesim Zolan (NEON)

COSTUME DESIGN

1. Dune – Jacqueline West (Warner Bros/HBO Max)
2. Nightmare Alley – Luis Siqueira (Searchlight Pictures)
3. The French Dispatch – Milena Cananero (Searchlight Pictures)
4. Cruella – Jenny Beavan (Walt Disney)
5. The Tragedy of Macbeth – Mary Zophres (A24/Apple)
6. Spencer – Jacqueline Durran (NEON)
7. House of Gucci – Janty Yates (MGM/UA)
8. West Side Story – Paul Tazewell (20th Century Studios)
9. Belfast – Charlotte Walter (Focus Features)
10. The Power of the Dog – Kirsty Cameron (Netflix)

Other contenders:
Being the Ricardos – Susan Lyall (Amazon Studios)
Cyrano – Massimo Cantini Parrini (MGM/UA)
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain – Michael O’Connor (Amazon Studios)
The Eyes of Tammy Faye – Mitchell Travers (Searchlight Pictures)
The Green Knight – Malgosia Turzanska (A24)
The Last Duel – Janty Yates (20th Century Studios)
Licorice Pizza – Mark Bridges (MGM/UA)
The Matrix Resurrections – Lindsay Pugh (Warner Bros/HBO Max)