Academy Award Nominations 2012 Forecast

Here are the nominations we should hear tonight, in the order in which they could possibly be nominated:

best picture-

The Artist
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris

If there will be more nominees, we might see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Moneyball or Bridesmaids.

best director-

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Martin Scorsese for Hugo
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life

David Fincher might replace Malick with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

best actor-

George Clooney in The Descendants
Brad Pitt in Moneyball
Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar

Other possibilities are Michael Fassbender (in Shame) and Demian Bichir in (A Better Life).

best actress-

Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Viola Davis in The Help
Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn
Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs
Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk about Kevin

Others who might sneak in- although dark horses- are Rooney Mara (in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Kirsten Dunst (in Melancholia).

best supporting actor-

Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill in Moneyball
Albert Brooks in Drive
Nick Nolte in Warrior

Others who could step in are: Armie Hammer (in J. Edgar); Patton Oswalt (in Young Adult); and, Max Von Sydow (in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close).

best supporting actress-

Octavia Spencer in The Help
Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids
Berenice Bejo in The Artist
Jessica Chastain in The Help
Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs

Shailene Woodley (in The Descendants) might still make the cut.

best original screenplay-

Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig for Bridesmaids
Asghar Farhadi for A Separation
Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life

Other possibilities: Will Reiser (for 50/50) and Tom McCarthy (for Win Win).

best adapted screenplay-

Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillian for Moneyball
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for The Descendants
Tate Taylor for The Help
John Logan for Hugo
Steven Zaillian for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Other possibilities: Peter Straughan and Bridget O’Connor (for Tinker Tailor Solider Spy) and George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon (for The Ides of March).