Oscar Predictions: Best Production Design — ‘Frankenstein’ Sets the World-Building Standard and Could be Rewarded Accordingly

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 chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Oscars Best Production Design Commentary (Updated Jan. 9, 2026): Best production design has emerged as one of the more stable technical races of the season, but is it really?

The Art Directors Guild nominations laid the foundation early. In the period feature film category, “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme” and “Sinners” all landed nods, immediately separating themselves as the core contenders. “Bugonia” added a crucial data point by appearing in the contemporary feature film category, signaling that its grounded, modern aesthetic still resonated strongly with the craft branch.

That cohesion only strengthened with BAFTA’s longlist, which included “Bugonia,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another” and “Wicked: For Good,” alongside genre-heavy entries like “Mickey 17” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” The overlap between BAFTA and ADG is notable, especially in a category where international taste often diverges from the Academy’s final five.

Critics Choice effectively crystallized the race. Nominees mirrored the expected Oscar field almost exactly, with “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sinners” and “Wicked: For Good” all cited — and “Frankenstein” ultimately taking the win. That victory gives the film a commanding position, especially as it has consistently been recognized for scale and world-building across every major precursor.

Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” adds a different dimension, offering a retro-futurist canvas where past and future collide through the sleek, stylized environments of Kasra Farahani and Jille Azis.

Nominations voting will begin Monday, Jan. 12, and conclude Friday, Jan. 16. Official nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be revealed Thursday, Jan. 22. The 98th Academy Awards will take place Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre and will be televised live on ABC in more than 200 territories worldwide.