'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leads Best Science Fiction Film nominees at the Saturn Awards

I told my readers, "Stay tuned" as "I'm returning to awards show coverage [today], because the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films released the Saturn Awards nominations." I'm kicking the post off with Deadline Hollywood's paragraphs about the leading movie nominees.

Warner Bros’ record-setting Oscar nomination juggernaut Sinners, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash and Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps lead all film nominees for the 53rd Saturn Awards, which recognize the year’s best movies, TV programs and home video releases in the fantasy, science fiction, horror, superhero and action-adventure genres.
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Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which snagged a record 16 Oscar nominations last week, landed 12 Saturn nominations, as did Avatar: Fire and Ash and Fantastic Four: First Steps. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein followed with 11 noms, while Wicked: For Good picked up nine and Superman had eight.

The second paragraph sets my agenda for the order of the movie posts. All things being equal, which they are for three most nominated films, I'll break the tie in favor of science fiction, so it's going first.

Best Science Fiction Film:

Avatar: Fire and Ash
Bugonia
Jurassic World: Rebirth
Predator: Badlands
The Running Man
Tron: Ares

In addition to Avatar: Fire and Ash leading with 12 nominations, Predator: Badlands follows with five, Tron: Ares with three, Bugonia with two, then Jurassic World: Rebirth and The Running Man with one each in this category. I usually go with the expert/professional opinion when I vote in the Saturn Awards unless I have good reason to vote otherwise. My "good reason" is that Avatar: Fire and Ash is more science fiction than Bugonia, which is more of a dark thriller/comedy until the end, when the science fiction element is shown to be true instead of a character's delusion. It's also going to win, so I'm going with the flow. My vote: Avatar: Fire and Ash.

I'm re-examining my predictions for this category before I examine the acting, directing, writing, and craft nominations. As recently as November, I predicted "a match between Lilo & Stitch and Jurassic World: Rebirth" for this award, which I would have resolved in favor of the dinosaurs. Neither part of that will happen. First, Lilo & Stitch earned its nomination for Best Fantasy film. Second, the Academy extended its eligiblity period until about the end of 2025, making more films eligible. That's good news in that it allowed for higher quality fields with better comparisons with other awards. It's bad because the films released during November and December 2024 seemed to be dropped from consideration. No nominations for Wicked in film, just Wicked: For Good, for example. Hmph! In reaction/protest, I'm transferring the votes I would have cast for Wicked to Wicked: For Good.

Follow over the jump for the movie acting, directing, writing, and craft nominations and my votes.

Best Actor in a Film:

David Corenswet (Superman)
Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning)
Tom Hiddleston (The Life of Chuck)
Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein)
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Pedro Pascal (The Fantastic Four: First Steps)
Sam Worthington (Avatar: Fire and Ash)

Sam Worthington is the science fiction nominee, but I'm not voting for him. I think he's the weakest nominee. Michael B. Jordan is the only nominee here who is also nominated at the Oscars, so he has my vote.

Best Actress in a Film:

Rachel Brosnahan (Superman)
Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good)
Elle Fanning (Predator: Badlands)
Julia Garner (Weapons)
Vanessa Kirby (The Fantastic Four: First Steps)
Zoe Saldana (Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Emma Stone (Bugonia)

I wouldn't have voted for Cynthia Erivo over Demi Moore last year had both been nominated, so I'm not counting that among my votes transferred from Wicked to Wicked: For Good. Instead, I'm voting for the one nominee also nominated at the Academy Awards, Emma Stone. Zoe Saldaña? Sorry, wrong movie, wrong role, and wrong category, although the Saturn Awards ignoring Emilia Pérez was probably the right decision.

Best Supporting Actor in a Film:

Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
Edi Gathegi (Superman)
Jeff Goldblum (Wicked: For Good)
Stephan Lang (Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Delroy Lindo (Sinners)
Mads Mikkelsen (Dust Bunny)
Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Fantastic Four: First Steps)

Stephan Lang? Nope. Instead, I consider my choices to be Jacob Elordi and Delroy Lindo, the two Oscar nominees. Between the two, I'm voting for Elordi, who won the Critics Choice Award, earned a nomination at the Golden Globes, and has higher odds at Gold Derby to win the Oscar.

Best Supporting Actress in a Film:

Oona Chaplin (Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Mia Goth (Frankenstein)
Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good)
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Florence Pugh (Thunderbolts)
Hailee Steinfeld (Sinners)
Sigourney Weaver (Dust Bunny)

Oona Chaplin? Who? Nope. While Amy Madigan is the only Oscar-nominated actress in this field and I expect her to win, I'm going to use this opportunity to transfer a vote from Wicked to Wicked: For Good and click on Ariana Grande. Just to be consistent, I would have voted for her over Margaret Qualley last year, so she passes that criterion.

Best Younger Performer in a Film:

Miles Caton (Sinners)
Jack Champion (Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Maia Kealoha (Lilo & Stitch)
Madeleine McGraw (Black Phone 2)
Sophie Sloan (Dust Bunny)
Mason Thames (How to Train Your Dragon)

At least I know who Jack Champion is, but I'm still not voting for him. Instead, I'm voting for the Critics Choice Award winner, Miles Caton.

Best Film Direction:

James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash)
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein)
James Gunn (Superman)
Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning)
Matt Shakman (The Fantastic Four: First Steps)
Dan Trachtenberg (Predator: Badlands)

James Cameron won for the previous installment of the Avatar franchise, so I have him as the favorite. I'm not voting for him, Instead, my vote will go to the Oscar nominee, Ryan Coogler.

Best Film Screenwriting:

Avatar: Fire and Ash (James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver; Story by: Josh Friedman, Shane Salerno)
Dust Bunny (Bryan Fuller)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer)
Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro )
Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (Christopher McQuarrie, Erik Jendresen)
Sinners (Ryan Coogler)
Weapons (Zach Cregger)

Like Best Film Direction, my vote will go to Ryan Coogler.

Best Film Visual / Special Effects:

Avatar: Fire and Ash
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
How to Train Your Dragon
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Superman
Wicked: For Good

This is easy, as Avatar: Fire and Ash leads the Gold Derby odds for the equivalent category at the Oscars.

Best Film Music:

Avatar: Fire and Ash (Simon Franglen)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Michael Giacchino)
Frankenstein (Alexandre Desplat)
Sinners (Ludwig Göransson)
Tron: Ares (Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)
Wicked: For Good (John Powell & Stephen Schwartz)

This is also easy, as Ludwig Göransson has won the equivalent awards for Sinners at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes and leads the Gold Derby Oscar odds. Just the same, I'm embedding a video about Simon Franglen's score at the end of this entry.

Best Film Production Design:

Avatar: Fire and Ash
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Frankenstein
Sinners
Superman
Wicked: For Good

Frankenstein leads the Gold Derby odds and won the Critics Choice Awards over Wicked: For Good, but Wicked won the equivalent Oscar last year, so in protest over the first part of the series being passed over, I'm voting for Wicked: For Good.

Best Film Make Up:

28 Years Later
Frankenstein
Sinners
Tron: Ares
Weapons
Wicked: For Good

For once, the science fiction film nominee is Tron: Ares, not Avatar: Fire and Ash. I'm not voting for a Razzie nominee in this field, so my vote is going to the sole Oscar nominee and likely Oscar winner, Frankenstein.

Best Film Editing:

Avatar: Fire and Ash
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Frankenstein
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Predator: Badlands
Sinners

Sinners is the only Oscar nominee, so I'm voting for it.

Best Film Costume Design:

The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Frankenstein
Predator: Badlands
Sinners
Superman
Wicked: For Good

Both Frankenstein and Sinners are current Oscar nominees, but Wicked won this category at last year's Oscars, so in protest over the first part of the series being passed over, I'm voting for Wicked: For Good.

The Avatar YouTube channel uploaded Avatar: Fire and Ash | The Score to promote the film.

For Simon Franglen, epic scenes and new characters call for enormous themes and an ambitious score to elevate them. Experience Avatar: Fire and Ash now playing only in theatres. Get tickets: htpps://Fandango.com/AvatarFireandAsh

With “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” James Cameron takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family. “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which is directed by James Cameron and features a screenplay by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, and a story by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver & Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno, is produced by James Cameron, p.g.a., and Jon Landau, p.g.a., with Richard Baneham, Rae Sanchini, and David Valdes serving as executive producers. The film also stars Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, David Thewlis, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Britain Dalton, Jamie Flatters, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Brendan Cowell, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo, Duane Evans, Jr., and Kate Winslet.

That's a wrap for January 2026's blogging. I plan on posting more installments between now and March 8th, when the Saturn Awards will be presented. In the meantime, stay tuned for highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live as tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature to begin February's blogging.