Leonardo DiCaprio's comedy thriller 'One Battle After Another' has emerged as the frontrunner for the 2026 Bafta Film Awards, securing 16 mentions on the longlist. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film follows DiCaprio's character searching for his missing daughter as an old adversary resurfaces.
The film is longlisted for Best Film, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, and Director. DiCaprio, 51, who won a Bafta a decade ago for 'The Revenant', is in contention for Leading Actor. Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn are recognised for Supporting Actor, while Chase Infiniti (DiCaprio's daughter) and Teyana Taylor are listed for Leading Actress and Supporting Actress respectively.
Hot on its heels with 14 mentions each are Chloe Zhao's 'Hamnet' and 'Sinners'. 'Hamnet', an adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel, offers an imagined insight into William Shakespeare's life after his son's death. Its stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley are longlisted for Leading Actor and Actress. 'Sinners' is a US period vampire horror set against Jim Crow laws.
Josh Safdie's 'Marty Supreme', starring Timothée Chalamet as a ping-pong champion, received 13 mentions. Chalamet recently won the Leading Actor gong at the Critics' Choice Awards. Other notable longlisted films include Yorgos Lanthimos's 'Bugonia' (12 mentions) and Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' (12 mentions).
Notable omissions from major categories include 'Wicked: For Good', the biopic 'Christy' starring Sydney Sweeney, and 'Anemone', which marked Sir Daniel Day-Lewis's return to the screen. The official nominations will be announced on 27 January, with the winners revealed at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall.
