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The Vulture Movies Fantasy League is back for our sixth season, and if you play your cards right, you — yes, you — can be one of the season’s big prize winners. You can get started selecting your team right now if you wish, but if you’re looking for some guidance as to which eight movies you’ll select, you’ve come to the right place. Below we’ve listed every movie that’s available to be drafted along with how much each one costs. Remember, you’re working off of a $100 budget of sweet fake money.
For every movie priced $10 and above, we’ve included a bunch of pertinent information, including the talent involved, their potential for earning awards or box-office points, and anything else that might persuade you to add that movie to your roster (or avoid it like the plague). And then for all the movies that are priced below $10, we’ve grouped them into categories that can help you assess their value.
Note: Movies with an asterisk (*) next to the title have already opened (or will have already opened when scoring begins on October 2) and thus won’t be eligible to earn box-office points. Certain movies don’t currently have American release dates and might not open until next year, so be aware of the risks.
Director: Christopher NolanStars: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom HollandRelease date: July 17➼ Ineligible for box-office points
Awards potential: As the big Christopher Nolan hit of the summer, the awards buzz is pretty massive. It should contend in every major category and most of the craft ones as well.
Additional info: We’re back again with another Christopher Nolan July blockbuster that’s getting elite Oscar buzz. Folks who drafted Oppenheimer based on that pedigree a few years ago were amply rewarded. The price tag is high, but if The Odyssey stomps through awards season in a similar fashion, it could be well worth it.
Director: Denis VilleneuveStars: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Robert PattinsonRelease date: December 18
Box-office potential: Significant. Neither Dune nor Avengers: Doomsday budged from their shared premiere weekend, but it was Dune that secured the Imax theaters. Dune: Part Two pulled in $282 million domestic as a February release. Plus it has Zendaya, the golden goose of the 2026 box office.
Awards potential: Villeneuve’s first Dune film was nominated for ten Oscars and won six. Part Two was nominated for five Oscars and won two. Both were Best Picture nominees. Those kinds of diminishing returns suggest a downward trend for Part Three (see the fate of Avatar: Fire and Ash last year). But as the third and purportedly final chapter of the trilogy, a smart campaign will get awards voters focused on the enormity of the Dune endeavor as a whole, on par with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Additional info: Robert Pattinson joining the cast as Tleilaxu face-dancer Pycelle (just go with it) has the potential to be the first Dune performance to earn an Oscar nomination.
Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher MillerStars: Ryan Gosling, Sandra HüllerRelease date: March 20➼ Ineligible for box-office points
Awards potential: As the first widely acclaimed movie of the year to pick up awards buzz, Project Hail Mary had several months to build momentum. Its $344 million domestic box-office take won’t earn you any MFL points, but it does give the movie a stamp of success heading into Oscars season.
Additional info: If Amazon MGM submits this as a comedy, it’ll have a real easy time racking up Golden Globe nominations and wins.
Directors: Joe Russo, Anthony RussoStars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris HemsworthRelease date: December 18
