The Best Director award has become exclusively for auteur driven films. Recent nominees have included Steve McQueen, Alfonso Cuaron, Kathyrn Bigelow, Darren Aronofsky, David O. Russell, Martin Scorsese, and Michael Haneke. As a result, it is likely the Academy will continue the trend for the upcoming Academy Awards.
One of the biggest films this year is "Big Eyes" from Tim Burton. The film is getting a lot of buzz particularly for its actors but with Burton at the helm on his first indie film in years, the Academy may want to honor the director. Burton has never been nominated even though he has had a number of critical hits including "Sweeney Todd," "Big Fish," and "Ed Wood." With Harvey Weinstein at the forefront in his campaign, this could finally be Burton's year.
Paul Thomas Anderson is considered one of the great filmmakers of our time, but he has only been nominated once in this category. Still his films are usually a draw with the Academy and this year "Inherent Vice" looks to be his most accessible movie in years. As a result, the Academy may be more open to nominating him for this Warner Bros. release.
"Foxcatcher," directed by Bennett Miller, is already garnering buzz. The movie was originally scheduled for release in 2013, but was delayed when Sony Classics Pictures decided to move it due to the overcrowded slate. With a star-filled cast and a good campaign, expect Miller to be a nominee.
David Fincher has been a big draw with the Academy for his past three films. While "The Social Network" and "The Curious Benjamin Button" earned him director nominations, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was too violent for the Academy. This year, "Gone Girl" brings the auteur back to the mystery film; it is well known that Fincher was not successful in the awards race with "Zodiac" even though that movie was hailed as his best to date. With very little known about Fincher's latest experiment, it is too early to see if the Academy will go for it.
Wes Anderson has never been nominated for an Oscar in the directing category. This year "The Grand Budapest Hotel" had an early opening and has drawn crowds to the multiplexes to see it. While the film may have an early release date and the Academy may forget the film, a strong run at the box office could help the movie get enough attention to steal Academy nominations, including one for best director.
J.C Chandor has received a lot of attention for his first two films, "Margin Call" and "All is Lost." This year he is making his most ambitious film to date, "A Most Violent Year." The movie is receiving buzz due to its star studded cast and with Chandor's critical successes for his two films, an Oscar nomination is bound to come.
Stephen Daldry has been one of the Academy's favorite directors. His first three films got him nominated for Best Director and three of his four projects have been nominated for Best Picture. His new film "Trash" looks promising once again and with the popularity of the director there will most likely be a Best Director or Picture nomination.
Christopher Nolan has been infamously snubbed twice by the Academy. The director has made great blockbuster films that have been critical and box office successes; however, Nolan has not been able to get a director nomination. This year with "Interstellar," it seems that he has made a special-effects driven film that is more Academy friendly and which features Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, and Anne Hathaway, all Academy-friendly actors.
Other directors include Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for "Birdman," Mike Leigh for "Mr. Turner," Michel Hazanaicius for "The Search," Rob Marshall for "Into the Woods," and Richard Linklater for "Boyhood."