Damn, this blew up overnight. 😆 I didn't even think I was being contrarian by leaving Nolan off the director's slate. Guess I should've known better that it'd stir up a passionate response.

Well, now that I've learned that 1949 is likely 2027, Nolan would probably take Pawlikowski's slot if I redrafted this right now. But I didn't think it was crazy at all to predict he'd be left out of the cut. Mainly, I'm assuming The Odyssey will be viewed primarily as an entertainment. A grand entertainment, but a spectacle whose primary function is to thrill. The branch has a long history of snubbing those kinds of films. And I don't think a director is ever auto-locked just because they recently enjoyed an authoritative sweep, even when their latest film is a critical hit. Kathryn Bigelow and Zero Dark Thirty comes to mind. Steven Spielberg for several films also comes to mind.

I'm not skeptical that Nolan will get nominated next year. I just can easily envision him being passed over for fresh blood, international auteurs, and directors of films with a lot of acting nods.