Final Oscars Predictions: Production Design – Academy Loves Old Hollywood and ‘Babylon’ Has Dominated the Awards Season

Clayton Davis
·4 min read
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Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages are Davis’ assessment of the current standings of the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any film or performance. Like any organization or body that votes, each individual category is fluid and subject to change. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

LAST UPDATED: March 9, 2023

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2023 Oscars Predictions: Best Production Design

ELVIS, from left: Tom Hanks, as Colonel Tom Parker, Austin Butler, as Elvis Presley, 2022. ph: Hugh Stewart /© Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection
ELVIS, from left: Tom Hanks, as Colonel Tom Parker, Austin Butler, as Elvis Presley, 2022. ph: Hugh Stewart /© Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection

CATEGORY COMMENTARY:

“Babylon” has swept, but Catherine Martin has never won only one Oscar on a night. She’s typically won both production and costumes and is considered the favorite for “Elvis” in the latter category. Watch out for the triple-nominated woman or even “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which could hint at a possible best picture victory (but still, highly unlikely).

Will Win: “Babylon” (Paramount Pictures) – Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino
Could Win: “Elvis” (Warner Bros.) – Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Bev Dunn
Should Win: “The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) – Rick Carter, Karen O’Hara
Should have been here: “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix) — Rick Heinrichs, Elli Griff

See the latest film predictions, in all 23 categories, in one place on Variety’s Oscars Collective. To see the ranked predictions for each individual category, visit Variety’s Oscars Hub.

See the 2022-2023 Awards Season calendar for all key dates and timelines.

Countdown to the Oscars with Variety here.

ALL AWARDS CONTENDERS AND RANKINGS:

And The Nominees Are:

Rank

Film

Production Designer and Set Decorator

Distributor

1

“Babylon”

Florencia Martin (production designer), Anthony Carlino (set decorator)

Paramount Pictures

A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

2

“Elvis”

Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy (production designer), Bev Dunn (set decorator)

Warner Bros.

Biopic of Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

3

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

Christian M. Goldbeck (production designer), Ernestine Hipper (set decorator)

Netflix

A young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.

4

“The Fabelmans”

Rick Carter (production designer), Karen O’Hara (set decorator)

Universal Pictures

A semi-autobiography based on Spielberg’s own childhood growing up in post-war Arizona, from age seven to eighteen.

5

“Avatar: The Way of Water”

Dylan Cole, Ben Procter (production designer), Vanessa Cole (set decorator)

20th Century Studios

Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the planet of Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their planet.

2023 Academy Awards Predictions

BEST PICTURE | DIRECTOR | ACTOR | ACTRESS | SUPPORTING ACTOR | SUPPORTING ACTRESS | ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | ANIMATED FEATURE | PRODUCTION DESIGN | CINEMATOGRAPHY | COSTUME DESIGN | FILM EDITING | MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING | SOUND | VISUAL EFFECTS | ORIGINAL SCORE | ORIGINAL SONG | DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | INTERNATIONAL FEATURE | ANIMATED SHORT | DOCUMENTARY SHORT | LIVE ACTION SHORT

The 95th Oscars ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre and televised live on ABC on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

2022 category winner: "Dune" (Warner Bros.) - Patrice Vermette (production designer), Zsuzsanna Sipos (set decorator)

About Variety Awards Circuit:

Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online and provides inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races. In addition to predictions, the section includes -- Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders in the race; Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly series featuring interviews with the top contenders in the awards race and an expert roundtable discussion with Variety's leading editors and columnists; Awards Circuit Predictions Video Series, a deep dive into specific categories, led by the leading pundits.

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