The race for the 2026 Bafta Film Awards has officially begun, with the announcement of the longlists revealing a clear frontrunner. Paul Thomas Anderson's comedy thriller 'One Battle After Another', starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has stormed ahead with an impressive 16 mentions across the board.
Frontrunners and Strong Contenders
The film, which follows DiCaprio's character on a desperate quest for his missing daughter while an old foe returns, features in all major categories. These include Best Film, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, and Director. DiCaprio himself is longlisted for Leading Actor, a decade after his Bafta win for The Revenant. Co-stars Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn are recognised for Supporting Actor, while Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor are listed for Leading and Supporting Actress respectively.
Hot on its heels with 14 mentions each are two very different films. Chloe Zhao's 'Hamnet', an adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel imagining the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes after a family tragedy, is a powerhouse. It is listed for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, and Director, with its stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley in contention for the leading acting prizes.
Also on 14 mentions is the US period vampire horror 'Sinners', set during the era of Jim Crow laws. Meanwhile, Josh Safdie's 'Marty Supreme' secured 13 nods. Its star, Timothée Chalamet, who plays ping-pong champion Marty Mauser, recently won the Leading Actor prize at the Critics' Choice Awards and joins a formidable list of contenders including DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, and Cillian Murphy.
Notable Omissions and Ceremony Details
The longlist also revealed some surprising absences from major categories. The musical 'Wicked: For Good', the biopic 'Christy' starring Sydney Sweeney, and 'Anemone', marking Sir Daniel Day-Lewis's return, were all omitted from top slots. While 'Wicked' stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo appear in supporting categories, the film itself missed out on Best Film and Casting, a change from the first instalment's performance last year.
Other notable films include Yorgos Lanthimos's 'Bugonia' and Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein', each with 12 mentions. The official nominations will be announced on Tuesday, 27 January. The ceremony itself, hosted by Alan Cumming, will take place at London's Southbank Centre Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, 22 February.
Emily Stillman, Bafta film committee chairwoman, said the longlisted films reflected "a year of outstanding filmmaking told through bold, complex and original storytelling." She highlighted the strong presence of the British film industry across the global list and noted the challenging task ahead for Bafta's 8,300 voting members.
