Best Adapted Screenplay
Chance of a nomination =
5/10 Chance of a win =
2/10 One of the toughest nuts to crack in the more rigid award categories is that of the screenplay, and it's one that blockbuster films especially struggle with. Given that this year's most prized contenders are adapted from highly-acclaimed plays (
Beasts of the Southern Wild), novels (
Life of Pi), amazing life stories (
The Sessions) and investigative journalism (
Argo), it would be quite a push for Nolan to force his way in here. Though Nolan has indeed been nominated for a screenwriting Academy Award twice, it has been in the original rather than adapted category both times (for
Memento and Inception). That said, the political currency of Nolan's narrative - in broaching the battle between the 99% and the 1% - might capture the imagination of voters not expecting such engagement with our times in a superhero film, and the film's overall emotional resonance might also earn it a few plaudits in this regard, so don't count it out entirely.
Best Costume Design
Chance of a nomination = 2
/10 Chance of a win =
0/10 It isn't a category that any of Nolan's films have even been nominated in, and it's unlikely again that his film will succeed here, especially after the Batsuit, and the Joker's loud, outrageous clothing was not recognised last time. Anne Hathaway's fairly dressed-down catsuit and Bane's militia-style deckings are unlikely to be seen as anything approaching awards worthy, so it's difficult to imagine that a nomination would even be thought about here, especially when you consider the genre's typical domination by period fare, of which there is plenty this year - Anna Karenina, The Great Gatsby, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Lincoln,
Snow White and the Huntsman and
Mirror Mirror.