Oscars update: Saoirse Ronan moves to Best Supporting Actress race for ‘Blitz,’ remains in Best Actress for ‘The Outrun’

Gold Derby can now report that Saoirse Ronan is officially making an awards move long expected. The four-time Oscar nominee will campaign as Best Supporting Actress for “Blitz,” avoiding a possible vote split with her other big contender of “The Outrun,” which has her as Best Actress.

From Apple Original Films, “Blitz” has yet to me seen by major critics or festival crowds but is one of this year’s hottest contenders from past Oscar champ Steve McQueen. It will debut at the BFI London Film Festival on October 9. Its theatrical opening is a month later on November 1. And then it’ll be on Apple TV+ starting on November 22.

For this movie, Ronan plays the distraught mother of a young boy (Elliott Heffernan) who goes on a perilous adventure during World War II. It co-stars Harris Dickinson and is written, directed and produced by McQueen. View the trailer below:

Ronan’s lead performance in “The Outrun” is about Rona, an alcoholic woman recently released recently released from rehab. Nora Fingscheidt directed the film, which she co-wrote with Amy Liptrot, with the story also by Daisy Lewis. Co-stars are Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves and Paapa Essiedu. The premiere happened months ago at Sundance, and it has also performed well at various recent festivals. See the Sony Pictures Classics trailer below:

It remains to be seen how our Experts, Editors and Users will rank Ronan in the supporting category. She has been doing really well in the Gold Derby predictions center for Oscars. Her role in “The Outrun” has been in sixth place at 15/1, while the one in “Blitz” now moving to supporting is in seventh place at 16/1.

Ronan was a previous Academy Awards nominee in 2008 for Best Supporting Actress for “Atonement.” Her other three nominations were for Best Actress: in 2016 for “Brooklyn,” 2018 for “Lady Bird” and 2020 for “Little Women.”

She could become the 13th person to be nominated for two acting roles in the same year. Academy rules prohibit someone from being nominated twice in the same category, but it’s certainly possible to get in as a leading and supporting actress. The most recent time for this happening was at the 2020 ceremony for Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story,” “Jojo Rabbit”). Others have been Cate Blanchett, Jamie Foxx, Julianne Moore, Emma Thompson, Holly Hunter, Al Pacino, Sigourney Weaver, Jessica Lange, Barry Fitzgerald, Teresa Wright and Fay Bainter.

Make your predictions today for Oscars nominations, Golden Globes (TV and Film), SAG Awards (TV and Film), Grammy Awards nominations and more.

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