28th November 2025
With 55 days to go until the nominations are announced, and with not much going through the workshop currently, we thought we’d take 5 minutes out to think about March’s Oscars.
The race for the 98th Academy Award for Best Production Design is shaping up to be a classic contest between a Gothic period piece, a massive fantasy spectacle, and a meticulously researched contemporary thriller.
While the field is competitive, the early buzz and the Academy’s historical preferences point to a clear frontrunner: Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
The Production Design Oscar frequently rewards films that demonstrate an immense scale of construction, meticulous period detail, or the creation of a wholly original, immersive world.
Our top three for the 2026 award each excel in one of these areas.
We believe the primary contenders are Frankenstein, Wicked: For Good and Sinners.
The most formidable challenger is Wicked: For Good, with production design by Nathan Crowley.
This film is a massive, colourful, practical fantasy spectacle, continuing the world-building from the first part and featuring large-scale set pieces.
Its Oscar case rests on its sheer scale, the successful translation of a beloved property, and the high visibility of a two-part epic.
Another strong contender is Sinners, featuring production design by Oscar-winner Hannah Beachler, and one of our fave films of 2025.
This film is a meticulously researched contemporary thriller, blending history, folklore, and the supernatural.
Beachler’s work is a strong contender as the Academy often rewards a design that is deeply integrated with theme and culture, especially when led by an Oscar-winning designer. And it’s bloody great.
Despite the strength of its rivals, the case for Frankenstein is hugely compelling.
Guillermo del Toro’s films are consistently recognised for their highly detailed production design and have garnered the ultimate award previously with Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water.
Production Designer Tamara Deverell created a world of gothic grandeur that blends the fantastic and the real.
With stunning effect.
This aesthetic – combining period setting with imaginative, dark fantasy – is a proven formula for success in this category.
The use of epic sets and the transformation of real-world locations into key narrative spaces, shows a strong commitment to practical, detailed set construction that the Academy’s Production Design branch often favour. Thankfully.
The 2026 Academy Award for Best Production Design will go to Frankenstein.
Not that we’re biased.
While Wicked: For Good offers the undeniable scale of a fantasy epic and Sinners the prestige of a recent Oscar winner, del Toro’s established visual brand and the inherent complexity of a Gothic period / fantasy piece give Frankenstein the decisive edge.
Plus it has amazing bookshelves too.
