Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, we are about to venture where have never gone before. For the first time since the advent of Animated Feature a quarter-century ago, we have a brand new category for the Academy Awards, and thus, for the Oscar Blitz. Welcome to the first ever breakdown of Best Casting!
That said, I’m not sure what exactly to break down. The Academy itself didn’t really define what constitutes “best” casting, other than the casting director making satisfying choices and collaborating with the directors and producers of each film. Even in the Bake-Off, most of the presentations were just video clips from the casting department, detailing those partnerships, of which we are not privvy.
Still, since when has a lack of information or context ever stopped me? This is brand new territory, so as far as I’m concerned, there’s no way to get this wrong. Let’s just wing it, shall we?
This year’s nominees for Casting are… in the video below! Oh yeah, this is also the first video breakdown of the season, so enjoy.
***
If the Blitz does continue beyond this year, one of the big things I’ll be looking forward to is a couple of years down the line, when we get to do this all over again, as Stunt Design will be added for the 100th Oscars in 2028. It’s so much fun to think about films in an entirely new context, and I’m guessing we won’t get too many more opportunities in the future, so let’s bask in them while we can. No matter who wins the inaugural Casting Oscar, and no matter what criteria the voters use, this group has made history, and that should be celebrated.
My Rankings:
Are in the video. Come on, I need the views!
Who do you think should win? Vote now in the poll below!
Up next, the Blitz is taking the weekend off, but that just means more batch reviews to start clearing out the remaining backlog of 2025 cinema. Then, on Monday, we’re back with the next breakdown, doing our best to figure out how a bunch of cars revving engines should qualify for an Oscar. It’s Sound!
Join the conversation in the comments below! What are your thoughts on the new category? How would you decide your vote? Why would anyone think we want to pay money to see a reality TV villain we get to watch for free? Let me know! And remember, you can follow me on Twitter (fuck “X”) as well as Bluesky, subscribe to my YouTube channel for even more content, and check out the entire BTRP Media Network at btrpmedia.com!
I Actually Paid To See This 
One thought on “Oscar Blitz 2026 – Casting (VIDEO)”