Ireland’s potential nominees for the 2024 Oscars

Rory Cashin

It is never too early to get excited for the Oscars…

While the 2023 Oscars didn’t result in the Irish contingent bringing home as many trophies as we’d all hoped, there is actually going to be even more opportunity for Irish actors, actresses, writers, directors and producers to win big at the 2024 Oscars.

This, of course, is not a full list – who knows if we’ll get another An Cailín Ciúin or An Irish Goodbye over the next 12 months? – and the below is of course subject to release date changes and, well, quality of the finished product. Having said all of that, here are some very early predictions for some potential Irish nominees at the 2024 Oscars, starting with…

BEST PICTURE

Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos already has three Oscar-nominations to his name, spread across his directing and writing for The Lobster and The Favourite. Both of those movies were produced by Irish production company Element Pictures, who are also producing both of his upcoming movies.

The first of these is Poor Things, a sci-fi romance that is basically a sort of retelling of Frankenstein, focusing on a Victorian-era woman (Emma Stone) who is brought back to life by an eccentric scientist (Willem Dafoe). The cast also includes Mark Ruffalo, Jerrod Carmichael and Margaret Qualley. We’re not sure if this one might be a little too weird for the Oscars, but not to worry, even if it is, there is always Lanthimos’ other movie out in the next year…

AND

The plot for this one is being kept completely under wraps, but it is apparently an anthology tale, with an incredible cast already attached: Hong Chau, Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, Hunter Schafer and Margaret Qualley. Again, Element Pictures are also co-producing on this one, which means an Irish production company could be taking the Best Picture Oscar home in March 2024.

Flora And Son

Written and directed by John Carney (Once, Sing Street), this musical drama tells the story of a single mother (Eve Hewson) living in Dublin, who is desperately trying to find a hobby for her young son, before discovering a discarded guitar in the trash. She sets up some online musical lessons with an LA-based guitar teacher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and they soon discover music healing them all in unique ways.

The movie was co-produced by Screen Ireland, with the movie’s first festival screenings in Sundance earlier this year resulting in a standing ovation and the entire audience singing along with the movie’s songs. Best Original Song nominations are practically a sure-thing, but considering Apple TV+ spent just under $20 million to buy the distribution rights for the movie, this could be the kind of feel-good crowdpleaser that the Oscars are known to sometimes throw its support behind.

BEST ACTOR/SUPPORTING ACTOR

Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer

Somehow unbelievably, Murphy hasn’t been nominated for a single Oscar as of yet. In fact, he’s only got one Golden Globe nomination to his name, for his performance in Breakfast On Pluto, which he lost to Joaquin Phoenix for his performance in Walk The Line. The 2024 Oscars should bring an end to all of that, as he headlines Christopher Nolan’s all-star biopic of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the creators of the atomic bomb.

Michael Fassbender – The Killer

The first of Fassbender’s two potential Oscar nominations next year will see him working with brilliant director David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, The Social Network), who’s last movie – Mank – racked up 10 nominations. Admittedly, this one maybe isn’t as Oscar-friendly as that Hollywood-set biopic, as it tells the story of a high-end assassin who begins to develop a conscience. Regardless, Fassbender will likely get a lot of attention for his role in this.

Michael Fassbender – Next Goal Wins

Less likely but still in with a shout, Fassbender headlines this sports comedy which is also based on a true story. Directed by Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), it details the life of a soccer coach who attempts to train the American Samoan national team, considered to be the very worst in the world, and improve them enough to have them qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

Colin Farrell – Love Child

While he didn’t take home the Best Actor Oscar for his Banshees performance, Farrell could see himself up for Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 Oscars for his role in the new darkly comic drama from writer/director Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness). The plot revolves around an 11-year-old boy who decides to try to improve his mother’s (Rachel Weisz) life, with disastrous results. It has not yet been revealed what Farrell’s character is or how he impacts the plot, but Solondz has a way of getting some truly memorable performances out of his actors.

Barry Keoghan – Saltburn

Emeral Fennell (Promising Young Woman) writes and directs this thriller that sounds like it might have a Talented Mr. Ripley-esque vibe to it, set within the dangerous confines of an aristocratic English family. Keoghan will be joined on screen by Carey Mulligan, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant and Jacob Elordi, and depending on the size of his role, he could potentially see himself up for Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor.

Paul Mescal – Foe

Also hot off his Best Actor nomination, Mescal could be looking at two more consecutive years of nominations. 2025 could see him up for the award for his role in the Gladiator sequel, but 2024 might result in a nomination for his performance in this dark sci-fi thriller. Directed by Garth Davis (Top Of The Lake), it is set in a ruined Earth where global warming has destroyed most of the world’s crops, and a couple (Mescal and Saoirse Ronan) work the land on one of the last remaining farms on the planet. They live a quiet enough life, until one night a stranger knocks at their door and turns their lives upside down…

@joedotie “We chatted to #SaoirseRonan about her new movie #SeeHowTheyRun, but we also looked forward to upcoming scary movie Foe, co-starring#PaulMescal #fyp ♬ original sound – JOE.ie

BEST ACTRESS/SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Saoirse Ronan – Foe

We mentioned this movie above, but it is always worth pointing out just how much the Academy LOVES our Saoirse. The four-time Oscar-nominee is SURE to win eventually, and it could be for this thriller which sees the actress break out of her dramatic comfort zone.

Saoirse Ronan – Blitz

Another potential shot for Ronan is this war-time drama from writer/director Steve McQueen (Widows, 12 Years A Slave). Following the stories of a group of people in London during the World War II bombings, Ronan is starring alongside Harris Dickinson, Stephen Graham and Kathy Burke, but the only hitch might be that the movie isn’t finished and/or released by the time the 2024 Oscars roll around. But if not, there’s always the 2025 Oscars…

Eve Hewson – Flora And Son

Having impressed viewers in both Behind Her Eyes and Bad Sisters, Eve “Child of Bono” Hewson could also be in with a shot for her performance in this musical drama. It is a long shot, but the early reviews have singled her performance out as being a real highlight, so you never know.

Ruth Negga – Good Grief

Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek) writes, directs and stars in this rom-com-dram about a man who suffers the sudden one-two loss of both his husband and his mother, so heads off to Paris for a weekend of self-discovery with his two best friends. According to reports, those best friends are to be played by Ruth Negga and Himesh Patel. Negga has been blowing audiences away with her dramatic roles in the likes of Passing and Loving, but potentially playing a scene-stealing bestie in a heart-tugging rom-com could land her another nom.

Jessie Buckley – Fingernails

Another great Irish actress also getting into the dark sci-fi genre, Buckley plays a woman who begins to suspect that her long-time relationship with her partner (Jeremy Allen White) might not be the real thing, so she takes part in a scientific test in a mysterious institute that will discover if their love is for real. Sounds a little bit like Her meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, could be incredible, and Buckley is always incredible in everything.

Nicola Coughlan – Barbie

Yes, okay, admittedly, this is a shot in the dark, as we have literally zero idea who Coughlan is playing or how much she’ll be in this movie. But considering the talent involved elsewhere, from three-time Oscar-nominated director Greta Gerwig, to three-time Oscar-nominated co-writer Noah Baumbach, and two-time Oscar-nominated lead actress Margot Robbie… who knows who this might end up? If she’s in it enough and given enough screen-time to leave an impression, could Coughlan land a Best Supporting Actress nomination? It is possible…