Jennifer Lawrence took home the Best Actress award at the Academy Awards on Feb. 24 and now pundits are wondering who may be the next Best Actress.
Lawrence is one of the many actresses pundits believe could return to the Oscar race. The Academy Award winner could return for her new film "Serena" which reunites Lawrence with her "Silver Linings Playbook" co-star Bradley Cooper. The role is being described as mix between Daniel Plainview and Lady Macbeth.
The most nominated actress of all time Meryl Streep is likely to receive her 18th nomination for "August: Osage County." Streep will play a cancer patient and will be distributed by awards mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Nicole Kidman is receiving buzz for her role of Grace Kelly in "Grace of Monaco." Kidman may have an opportunity to win her second Oscar because the Academy loves biopic films and nine out of the 15 Best Actress winners have been based on real life characters. She is also directed by Oliver Dahan who led Marion Cotillard to her first Oscar and the film was just picked up by Weinstein.
Kidman's best friend, Naomi Watts may also be up for her third Oscar nomination for her role as Princess Diana. Like Kidman she is playing a real life character and the Academy may want to honor her for the first time.
Marion Cotillard received buzz for her latest role in "Rust and Bone" but failed to get nominated for the Oscar. However she is back in the race with "Lowlife," which tells the story of immigration and will showcase Cotillard in the lead role.
Academy Award winner Kate Winslet looks to be back in the awards race for her new film "Labor Day." Winslet's role is said to be more of a secondary character but after "The Reader," she may end up back in the lead race.
Jessica Chastain is back in the race for her role in "Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His & Her. The actress who was nominated this past year for "Zero Dark Thirty" plays the lead of Eleanor Rigby.
Other actresses in the running include Cate Blanchett for "Blue Caprice," Judi Dench for "Philomena," Emma Thompson for "Saving Mr. Banks," and Felicity Lott for "The Invisible Women.