The Oscar Run is a weekly feature discussing how the Oscar race is shaping up. This week, The Oscar Run takes a look at how “Gravity” and “Captain Phillips” are shaping the race and how recent box office activity is sending Ron Howard’s latest swerving off the track.

Gravity has been a much anticipated film for many, but now the film has delivered on it’s promise by making $47 million at the box office this past weekend, becoming a favorite from critics and audiences alike and becoming yours trulys favorite sci-fi film this year. Having seen it, I can gurantee the film will have a major presence at the awards this years, especially for Sandra Bullock who gives the best performance of her career in this film.

What’s more, another October drama, Captain Phillips had it’s premiere at the New York Film Festival recently, generating an almost unanimously positive response, especially towards Tom Hanks’ performance, putting him into strong consideration for Best Actor, along with pushing Paul Greengrass as a likely nominee for Best Director.

Meanwhile, Ron Howard’s Rush made only $10 million in its first weekend of wide release, a somewhat expected occurrence as the true story the film is based on is little known in America, not to mention the fact that film wound up underwhelming relative to it’s potential.  This certainly has hurt the film’s Oscar chances, despite Ron Howard’s past success at the Oscars with “Apollo 11” and “A Beautiful Mind”

And now, without further ado, current predictions for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. These 5 categories will always be featured, while another category like Best Director or Best Animated Feature will be occasionally highlighted if there’s been some kind of considerable movement in that area.

Best Picture:

* Gravity

* Lee Daniels’ The Butler

* Captain Phillips

* The Wolf Of Wall Street

* Inside Llewyn Davis

* American Hustle

* The Monuments Men

* 12 Years A Slave

* The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Best Actor:

* Forest Whitaker (Lee Daniels’ The Butler)

* Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave)

* Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips)

* Oscar Issac (Inside Llewyn Davis)

* Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress

* Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

* Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

* Oprah Winfrey (Lee Daniels’ The Butler)

* Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)

* Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Supporting Actor:

* Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

* Michael Fassbender (12 Years A Slave)

* Sam Rockwell (The Way, Way Back)

* Woody Harrelson (Out Of The Furnace)

* Tom Hanks (Saving Mr. Banks)

Best Supporting Actress:

* June Squibb (Nebraska)

* Amy Adams (American Hustle)

* Naomie Harris (Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom)

* Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave)

* Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)