Dune: Part Three leads early trader focus for 2027 Best Visual Effects nominations due to its December 18, 2026 release positioning it as a late-year IMAX spectacle with franchise momentum in the category, large-scale world-building, and Denis Villeneuve’s established awards pedigree. Project Hail Mary, already released in March, draws support for its roughly 2,000 VFX shots that blend practical elements with digital work under Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey adds competition through its ambitious mythology sequences and IMAX filming, while Marvel entries like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday, plus creature features such as Godzilla Minus Zero, round out the conversation. Nominations voting begins in January 2027 after the December shortlist, leaving room for shifts based on final reviews, VES Awards precursors, and guild signals.