It has been a strange year for the film industry, with major blockbusters delayed while cinemas remain closed.

The latest James Bond movie, No Time to Die, has been put back yet again – until October 2021.

Daniel Craig's fifth and final outing as 007 was originally set for release in cinemas last April.

A series of delays pushed back the 2020 release date until November, with the global COVID-19 pandemic the main reason.

The Bond blockbuster's cinema release was then revised to April of this year, until a further postponement announced this month means fans will now have to wait until October.

While lockdown restrictions mean you can't currently visit your local multiplex or independent cinema, streaming sites have come to the fore – and this is reflected in the Oscar predictions.

Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are now major players in the movie market, with Netflix's The Trial of the Chicago 7 featuring a stellar ensemble cast and likely to feature come awards night.

Saffron Walden Reporter: The Trial of the Chicago 7.The Trial of the Chicago 7. (Image: © 2020 Netflix, Inc.)

As we approach Oscars season again, here our film reviewer Paul Steward looks into his crystal ball at the frontrunners for the 93rd Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, April 25, 2021.

Here he focuses on the Best Supporting categories.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Vanessa Kirby as Martha and Ellen Burstyn as Elizabeth in Pieces of a Woman.Vanessa Kirby as Martha and Ellen Burstyn as Elizabeth in Pieces of a Woman. (Image: 2020 © Netflix Inc.)

Best Supporting Actress

While this award often goes to a young up-and-coming actress, that isn’t always the case. As proved by last year's winner, 53-year-old Laura Dern, who won for her stirring turn as lawyer Nora Fanshaw in Marriage Story.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Ellen Burstyn as Elizabeth in Pieces of a Woman.Ellen Burstyn as Elizabeth in Pieces of a Woman. (Image: 2020 © Netflix Inc.)

This year, seasoned campaigners in the mix include former winner Ellen Burstyn for her role in Netflix drama Pieces of a Woman, and seven-time nominee Glenn Close, who will need to overcome some negative reviews for her film Hillbilly Elegy if she is to secure her first Academy Award.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova in Borat Subsequent MoviefilmSacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Image: Courtesy of Amazon Studios)

Newcomers looking for a debut nomination include Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova, for her absolutely fearless performance in comedy satire Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and 12-year-old Helena Zengel for her turn opposite acting heavyweight Tom Hanks in Paul Greengrass western News of the World.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) and Johanna Leonberger (Helena Zengel) in News of the World, co-written and directed by Paul Greengrass.Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) and Johanna Leonberger (Helena Zengel) in News of the World, co-written and directed by Paul Greengrass. (Image: © 2020 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS/NETFLIX. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Olivia Colman will be keen to add a supporting statuette to her 2018 lead actress Oscar for her part in upcoming drama The Father, while two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster also features in the running for her part in legal thriller The Mauritian.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Judas and the Black Messiah.Judas and the Black Messiah. (Image: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Others not to be discounted are 73-year-old South Korean actress Yuh-Jung Youn for her role in the hotly tipped Minari, and Dominique Fishback for the historical drama Judas and the Black Messiah.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies in David Fincher's Mank.Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies in David Fincher's Mank. (Image: Netflix)

Finally, awards regular Saoirse Ronan is again likely to be in contention, this time for Francis Lee romance Ammonite, and Amanda Seyfried will be hopeful of awards success for her role as Marion Davies in David Fincher's 1930s set Mank.

  • Top Pick – Ellen Burstyn
  • Outside Bet – Amanda Seyfried


Saffron Walden Reporter: Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies in Mank.Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies in Mank. (Image: Netflix)


Best Supporting Actor

Unlike in the female supporting category, the Academy has a history of rewarding elder statesmen when it comes to the male award.

Brad Pitt secured his first acting Oscar last year at the age of 56. So who will he be presenting the award to in April?

Saffron Walden Reporter: Frank Langella as Judge Julius Hoffman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Richard Schultz and Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7.Frank Langella as Judge Julius Hoffman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Richard Schultz and Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7. (Image: © 2020 Netflix, Inc.)

Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s is hotly tipped for a nomination for his dazzling turn in courtroom drama The Trial of the Chicago 7. Equally so, previous winner Mark Rylance for the same film.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Mark Rylance as William Kunstler and Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden in The Trial of the Chicago 7.Mark Rylance as William Kunstler and Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden in The Trial of the Chicago 7. (Image: © 2020 Netflix, Inc.)

Saffron Walden Reporter: Leslie Odom Jr. stars as Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami.Leslie Odom Jr. stars as Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami. (Image: Photo: Patti Perret, Courtesy of Amazon Studios)

Leslie Odom Jnr’s performance as musician Sam Cooke in Amazon Prime film One Night in Miami is gaining early rave reviews, while David Strathairn’s role opposite Frances McDormand in the eagerly awaited Nomadland is also expected to garner support from Academy voters.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Frances McDormand and David Strathairn in the film Nomadland.Frances McDormand and David Strathairn in the film Nomadland. (Image: Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2020 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved)

Veteran actor Stanley Tucci has a good chance of gaining his second nomination for a heartfelt turn in romantic drama Supernova.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci) in SupernovaSam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci) in Supernova (Image: StudioCanal)

Daniel Kaluuya, an actor who seems destined for superstardom, will hope to follow up his 2018 nomination for Get Out with a second nod, this time for his portrayal of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.

Saffron Walden Reporter: LaKeith Stanfield as FBI informant William O’Neal and Daniel Kaluuya as Chairman Fred Hampton in Warner Bros. Pictures' movie Judas and the Black Messiah.LaKeith Stanfield as FBI informant William O’Neal and Daniel Kaluuya as Chairman Fred Hampton in Warner Bros. Pictures' movie Judas and the Black Messiah. (Image: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Finally, after his sad and unexpected death last year, it seems likely Chadwick Boseman will receive a posthumous nomination for his performance in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods.

An honour that seems only fitting for a talent who was taken so cruelly in his prime.

Saffron Walden Reporter: The poster for Spike Lee film Da 5 Bloods which stars Chadwick BosemanThe poster for Spike Lee film Da 5 Bloods which stars Chadwick Boseman (Image: Netflix)

  • Top Pick – Chadwick Boseman
  • Outside Bet – Daniel Kaluuya