Oscar Predictions: Production Design — Could Something as Innovative and Cool as ‘Backrooms’ Find Love?

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 in response to buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Best Production Design Predictions Commentary (Updated: Nov. 5, 2026): Kane Parsons’ horror hit “Backrooms” is such a tantalizing wild card. Danny Vermette’s labyrinth of jaundiced wallpaper turned a creepypasta into A24’s biggest hit ever. The problem what it is destined to face — Nathan Crowley’s ancient Mediterranean for “The Odyssey,” the claustrophobic starship of “Project Hail Mary,” the lush period world of “La Bola Negra” and Patrice Vermette’s return to Arrakis in “Dune: Part Three.”

Horror has cracked this category before, but it usually needs something like a Gothic mansion or a haunted hotel.

If the branch wants to prove it can reward cool over costly, this could be the year to do it

The list of predictions in all categories can be found here.

The Governors Awards, which will hand out honorary Oscars to Glenn Close and Ridley Scott, will take place Sunday, Nov. 15. Preliminary voting for the Oscars shortlist in 12 categories runs Dec. 7-11, with the shortlist announcement to follow Tuesday, Dec. 15. Following the close of the eligibility period on Dec. 31, 2026, nominations voting will run Jan. 11-15, 2027. The official Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027. The 99th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 14, 2027 and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien. The ceremony airs live at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.