This year’s Oscar nominations, which titles we can expect? Which of them have leaked online?
As 2019 and 2020 movies are promoted to Academy Jury members, many upcoming movies end up early online. Often ahead of their official VOD and physical release. They are called screeners and are distributed digitally, or as DVDs and Blu-Rays, to jury members. And 2020 is no different. While it took some time for the big titles to leak last year, as piracy group Hive-CM8 didn’t get a hold of screeners in time, they’ve picked up the pace this year.
And it’s a big year. There are some incredible titles to look forward to.
Which movies can we expect to leak?
- Motherless Brooklyn
- Queen & Slim
- Spies In Disguise
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
- The Lighthouse
- The Report
- Uncut Gems
When will they leak?
The first leak, Uncut Gems, appeared on December 16th, shared by an anonymous pirate group.
Which ones have leaked?
December 16th
December 17th
December 21th
December 23rd
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
December 25th
December 28th
January 2nd
January 3rd
January 9th
January 11th
Guest feature published: The Reason Why Oscar Movies Leak Each Year
January 12th
January 17th
A new piracy group calling themselves TOPKEK release a five new releases, including Dark Waters ripped from a BluRay.
1917
Richard Jewell
Disturbing the Peace
Queen And Slim
A Hidden Life
Dark Waters
Color Out of Space (Not an Academy contender)
As we’re nearing the end, you can Follow all download reports live here. We’re also set to reveal behind the scenes of this year’s exciting leaks. So make sure you’re a registered member.
Where can I download screeners?
Not here. We provide news updates and do not link to torrents, magnet links or pirate streaming websites. But if you register a Where You Watch account you can receive email alerts as soon as they leak. And feel free to discuss the screeners in the comment section.
Why are they sent as DVDs?
To somewhat combat piracy, screeners are often sent as low quality DVDs to avoid having the leaks effect sales and streams. If you want to watch Frozen 2 in high-end 4K you’ll have to wait. However, there have been exceptions where certain Jury members have been give Blu-Rays or digital downloads but they’ve yet to surface online.
Can you tell me more about this year’s movies?
Screener season isn’t all about piracy. It’s a celebration of movies and highlights some 2019 gems you don’t want to miss out on. Here’s a rundown.
Frozen 2
I don’t think I need to explain this one. Out of all screeners this year, Disney’s Frozen 2 is by far the most mainstream and will likely be the most popular download. Expect a huge number of parents searching torrent sites and looking for Frozen 2 magnet links this holiday season. If you want to both impress and keep your kids in check, a Frozen 2 screener is your ticket to freedom. Wreck it Ralph 2 was actually the first title to leak last year, so it’s not impossible that this Disney franchise will be one of the first screener leaks.
- Our Frozen 2 page, with synopsis and trailers.
The Lighthouse
Directed by Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse is one of those movies that are difficult to categorize. The movie follows the tale of two lighthouse keepers as they gradually become violent and deranged to escape the company of each other when one of them begins to question why he is not allowed to enter the mysterious lighthouse. It’s also being released by A24, so I’m already on board.
- Our The Lighthouse page, with synopsis and trailers.
1917
1917 is an upcoming war movie that follows the story of two young British soldiers who are given an extremely challenging mission. The plot is basically a race against time as the two soldiers must cross enemy territory and call off a deadly attack by delivering the message. If they fail to complete the mission, about 1,600 men will lose their lives, including one of the soldier’s brother.
The trailer of the film leaves a strong first impression, looking both utterly thrilling and intense. Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, and Mark Strong are some of the folks in the stacked cast.
- Our 1917 page, with synopsis and trailer
Little Women
Directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Little Women is the latest adaptation of the 19th-century classic by Louisa May Alcott. The story, as you may already know if you have read the novel, revolves around the March sisters in the aftermath of the 1860s American Civil War. However, the upcoming film will mainly focus on the young-adult lives of the sisters, particularly after Amy, Beth, Jo, and Meg leave their home. The story of four young women who want to live their lives on their own terms is both timely and timeless.
Little Women has certainly put together an impressive cast including Emma Watson, Meryl Streep and Laura Dern, and although the story is going to be mostly the same, the film could be Gerwig’s ticket back to the Academy Awards. Lady Bird was also one of the most downloaded screeners in 2018.
Our Little Women page, with synopsis and trailer.
Uncut Gems
Adam Sandler plays the lead role in this fast-paced, exhilarating thriller which takes place in the corrupt world of diamond district in New York. Ratner must find a way to pay his debts and perform a dangerous high-wire act, balancing family, business, and enemies on all sides. Idina Menzel, Judd Hirsch, Eric Bogosian, and Lakeith Stanfield also star.
Our Uncut Gems page, with synopsis and trailer.
A Hidden Life
A Hidden Life is an upcoming US drama based on real events. Written and directed by Terrence Malick, the film follows the story of an unsung hero, an Austrian peasant farmer who refuses to sign an oath of loyalty to Hitler and can’t fathom why others don’t realize what’s going on in their midst.
When he is faced with the threat of execution for treason, the love for his wife and kids as well as his unwavering faith keep Franz Jägerstätter’s spirit alive. However, it would be a shame to download this as a DVD screener, since Malick is known for his visual language.
Our A Hidden Life page, with synopsis and trailer.
Knives out
Knives Out is an American whodunnit film in which everyone is a suspect. Directed by Rian Johnson, the plot of Knives Out is set in an old mansion with many family members who attend their father’s birthday party which soon comes to an end when he is murdered. Two detectives come to investigate the death and no one can leave the mansion until the murder mystery is solved. There are many twists and turns in the film as family members don’t like each other and start turning on each other when things begin to go south. A perfect screener for the holidays.
Features Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jaeden Martell, Lakeith Stanfield, Toni Collette, and more.
Our Knives Out page, with synopsis and trailer.
Queen & Slim
Melina Matsoukas’ upcoming drama/thriller film Queen & Slim has been collecting some amazing buzz recently. The movie follows the story of a black man, a retail employee, and a black woman, a defense lawyer, who go on their first date but soon start to face various challenges when they are pulled over for a minor traffic violation. When the man kills the police officer in self-defense, the situation escalates, creating tragic and sudden results. Terrified, both are forced to go on the run. However, the incident is captured on video and goes viral, making the couple a symbol of pain, grief, terror, and trauma for people across the country.
The film basically introduces modern day Bonnie and Clyde. It is a complex movie which plays like a study looking at police racism and brutality.
Our Queen & Slim page, with synopsis and trailer.
A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood
A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood is the upcoming film adaptation of Fred Rogers – one of the most famous and beloved children’s television hosts. The film takes place somewhat late in Roger’s career, as can be seen from the trailer. The movie is loosely based on Tom Junod’s article for Esquire in 1998. The plot follows a journalist who is hired to write an article on Fred Roger. The writer is not a fan of Roger’s optimistic message. However, when he spends some time with him, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about decency, kindness, and empathy from America’s most beloved neighbor. If there’s a movie which will get leaked as a DVD screener early, I bet it’s this one.
Our A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood page, with synopsis and trailer.
The Report
Directed by Scott Z. Burns, The Report is an upcoming Amazon film in which Adam Driver portrays the Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones who exposed the secrets of the government regarding the CIA’s use of torture in its Detention and Interrogation Program. The film had a splashy debut at Sundance and is generating a bit of an Oscar buzz.
The Report is a bold, dense film. Just like any decent journalism film, The Report will throw a lot of information at the you and demand your full attention while showing you a series of events, names, and facts. The film also starts Maura Tierney, Jon Hamm, Corey Stoll, Dianne Feinstein, and Annette Bening.
While it’s too early to predict the awards chances of this movie, one thing is for sure, the film has the based-on-a-true-story sheen as well as a great cast and this combination definitely appeals to Academy voters.
Ford v Ferrari
Directed by James Mangold, the upcoming car racing drama Ford v Ferrari has been creating a lot of awards season buzz since its first trailer debut. The film centers around the true story of the efforts of the Ford Motor Company to beat the recurring winner Ferrari at a prestigious endurance racing event held in France.
Ford v Ferrari is more than just a racing movie featuring two car companies, it is also a film about big personalities i.e. Henry Ford II, Ken Miles, and Carroll Shelby played by big movie stars Tracy Letts, Christian Bale and Matt Damon. The trailer of the film looks promising as it is filled with amazing cars, crashes, and speed. Ford v Ferrari will hit theaters on November, with a screener to follow.
Our Ford V Ferrari page, with synopsis and trailer.
Honey Boy
My personal pick this year. Written by Shia LaBeouf and directed by Alma Har’el, Honey Boy is a semi-autobiographical movie about a young child actor trying to repair his relationship with his alcoholic and abusive father. LaBeouf plays a version of his own father in this film which is quite interesting. Honey Boy is being considered a possible Oscar contender by many.
The audience gets two perspectives in the film, one form the younger Otis and the other from the older Otis. Singer/dancer FKA twigs also makes her feature-film debut in Honey Boy, playing a kindred spirit and neighbor to the younger Otis. Honey Boy is a unique and interesting collaboration between subject and filmmaker, exploring art as imagination and medicine as hope through the life and times of a traumatized, talented performer who dares to go in search of himself. The film is scheduled to be released on November 8, 2019, which makes it a perfect DVD screener material.
Our Honey Boy page, with synopsis and trailer.
Motherless Brooklyn
Based on the excellent detective mystery novel by Jonathan Lethem, Motherless Brooklyn is a story that has been tweaked from modern Brooklyn neo-noir into a New York neo-noir of 1950s. The film follows the story of Lionel Essrog, a private detective who tries to solve the mystery behind the murder of his friend and mentor Frank Minna. The more he investigates, the more he finds himself being pulled into a major conspiracy and mystery going on in NYC surrounding Moses Randolph.
Our Motherless Brooklyn page, with synopsis and trailer.
Jojo Rabbit
Described as a “World War II satire”, Jojo Rabbit follow the story of Jojo, a bullied and lonely German boy who longs to be a part of Hitler Youth. When Jojo discovers that there is a young girl hiding in their attic, he must confront his nationalistic and prejudiced beliefs and decide which side of history he will be on. Apart from writing and directing the movie, Taika Waititi also starts in it as an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler, who appears in the daydreams of Jojo.
Our Jojo Rabbit page, with synopsis and trailer.
Harriet
The first trailer of the upcoming film Harriet got released a while ago and it has been creating a lot of buzz since then. Harriet is a film biopic of 19th-century abolitionist, Underground Railroad hero, and legendary freedom fighter Harriet Tubman. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, Harriet is the first feature-length movie that tells the story of a hero who was born into slavery, then managed to escape to Philadelphia, and made history by escorting 300 slaves to freedom via the network of secret routes and houses known as the Underground Railroad.
British actress Cynthia Erivo portrays as the legendary hero Harriet Tubman. The film also stars Leslie Odom, Joe Alwyn, and Janelle Monae. The film will hit theaters on November 1, 2019. DVD Screener and VOD likely just after.
Our Harriet page, with synopsis and trailer.
Any movies I might have missed?
40 thoughts on “2020 Oscar DVD Screeners – Here they are”
Lucy In The Sky has released too!
It’s wasn’t a screener but a retail rip.
Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker should leak. A friend who is an Academy member just received a screener.
A friend who is an Academy Member told you this? I am part of the Academy… And I received the screener not via the Academy, but via a very intricate and newly-designed system to prevent piracy. It was for review purposes only. And Academy members aren’t allowed to discuss the screeners, plus the screeners expire within two hours after watching.
It’s all rumours. But if you’re talking about a system which automatically expire screeners, you’re talking about a streaming service. And Star Wars is on a DVD, which can’t expire. Correct me if I’m wrong.
It used to be given as DVD’s, but the AMPAS changed the rules. It’s sent as a screener via a streaming method. And it expires within two hours after watching. There are, however, more influential Academy members – those who would vote for a particular category only – who do receive a DVD copy. But it’s so few and far between that the leaks have become much slower over the past couple of years. But the new streaming method is a pain in the you know what. Plus, with the shortlists already done, AMPAS decided to bring the date forward to further prevent any form of bribery (it happens) and piracy. Weird thing is though, studios tend to send studio-owned copies to the countries with the highest piracy rates, e.g, South Korea, Russia, India.
The whole thing is a bit crazy. The AMPAS have very strict rules in place, which means the aforementioned is allowed if a nom de plume is used, but nothing else is allowed to be discussed.
Any thoughts on the BluRay leaked which happened? And why aren’t the physical copies sent out having a more modern anti-piracy protection? Like putting watermarks in the audio.
If there’s a fluctuation in leaks, like pre-retail Blu-Ray or DVD leaks, it usually means one of the following happened:
1) The studio/production companies/distributor(s) spent too much on the marketing and awards promos, so they “accidentally” leak 720p (or similar) copies because the back-points might be higher for a win and a strong theatrical release than it would for the retail. The losses incurred by this are actually not “losses”, but form part of what is referred to as “intentional optioning” – leak the retail copy, because physical sales are less than streaming sales. People would rent it on Apple or Amazon for $3.99, instead of paying $14,99 (for example) for a physical copy.
2) A disgruntled group of people – trust me when I say almost everyone in the industry is either permanently tired, half-past dead, or hold a grudge against someone who is friends with the someone who they shouldn’t be friends with. That’s a big possibility. A production company/studio usually have NDA’s inside two NDE’s (Non-Disclosure Envelopes) which would silence any such warmongering amongst the troops. Payoffs also happen.
3) It was purely accidental. Someone had amnesia or fell asleep (remember, always tired!) and made the biggest mistake of this life and the next five thousand lives.
Number one is most probably the reason. In fact, I’ll even bet on it.
As for your second question, which is very interesting FYI, we start shortlisting and voting and doing whatever we do in October already. Many films have to complete their eligibility runs before they’re able to be entered. As a film critic, and as a voting member of the major awards and festivals, these theatrical runs are usually too “inconvenient” for the more… Uhm, how should I put this? For the more self-indulgent amongst us… Those who are not interested in braving the LA traffic for a screening at a theater… These lovely individuals, as well as those of us who are unable to attend, receive “For Your Consideration” screeners during the eligibility run. It’s usually watermarked with the studio/production company’s logo every few minutes, plus the quality, which is usually about 360p to 480p contain “sound shutters”.
You know when you watch an obscure movie you cannot find anywhere except online? Well, in those rare cases, these specific early screeners contain “clicks” and “blips” in the audio when watched somewhere that’s illegally legal (oxymoron, I know).
What the public do not see and hear are the actual audio and screen watermarks. They are usually accompanied by a break in the film with a bleeping sound when watched on a FYC dvd. It’s annoying, but it prevents rogue critics or film writers from just uploading it to someplace like Vidlox and making money off it.
But there are rogue writers (unaffiliated) who do this on a yearly basis. I don’t think it’s wise to give out the methods used to circumvent this, because giving out information regarding piracy will cost myself and other, well-known critics their financial futures due to how the system works.
As I’m bound by my anonymity/nom de plume, all I can say is that I know of two film writers who made enough from it to open their own respective production houses.
And finally, a large leak could also just be as simple as a hack… Remember North Korea and Sony?
Oh, BTW, who runs the site? I wish to contact him/her/you directly about something unrelated.
The Lighthouse and Joker are also leaked and available.
Those weren’t leaks, they are retail copies.
21 Bridges
2019
Frozen 2 2019
Spies In Disguise
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
December 25 DVDSCR ??
Boy oh boy, has there ever been such an uninspiring list of screeners as this years lacklustre crop (Uncut Gems and JoJo were awful for starters)!! Have to wonder if Hollywood has run out of ideas, sure seems like it… Sad times.
“That’s just like your opinion, man”
– The Dude
Star Wars won’t leak. It never does. And if it does, it won’t be released by Hive. You can say many things about them, but they’re not dumb. Maybe someone new will take a risk, but I doubt it.
If posting that something is out there, would be nice to state if cam, screener, or better. I got excited for Cats but it’s a cam version — meh….
If you add an email alert, change the quality to 4 out of 5. Otherwise you won’t know. And check the guidelines. That’s where the tomb of info lies hidden. 🙂 Don’t worry though, CATS has been pulled by Universal from the AMPAS “For Your Consideration” list, so it’s kind of moot.
And it’s the worst film ever made. I kid you not. It’s so bad that the initial eligibility run, and the subsequent theatrical release, contained a “bug” in the CGI… Several of them actually. Faces would leave the bodies and drift around like disembodied terrors; hands would go through walls; cats would merge into one and form a Rat King-esque scene of sheer horror.
It was pulled and re-released. Theaters had to download the new copy… I cried from laughter at its festival screening. I wet myself too I think.
CATS has leaked? You count garbage quality CAM recordings as screener leaks?
My mistake. Removed.
So they wrote in new NFO that they ARE looking for Star Wars so I return what I said. But it’s still hard for me to believe it’ll happen.
2014/2015 were bumper years for great films available from screeners, it seems to me the quantity of good films has been
slowly going down hill since.
And 2016! Those were strong years, but then the entire system changed and now it’s a whole different ballgame. Studios are not as influential anymore ever since the DVD-only screeners went to Academy members. It changed with the streaming system. And the inclusion of Netflix and other streaming giants, plus the #MeToo movement created a method of accountability, where executives and studios are excluded from certain “conversations”, or just completely removed from the Academy.
The “La La Land Incident” was the first example of how the system has changed. The reason why I love this site so much is that not only does it combat piracy in an unusual way, but it also gives Academy members, such as I, the opportunity to view the studio-promotion-hellstorm system from an objective angle.
I commend this website for what it has done for the industry. As a professional film critic with a decade of experience, plus as a voting member of all the major awards shows and festivals, it is refreshing to know that the beauty, the thrill and the enthralling rush of the silver screen isn’t lost on audiences because indie studios, or powerful studios, work the system to their advantage.
Hive-cm8 has frozen 2 and 1917 but they have dangerous tracers on them according to what the email said. They are working on releasing them as soon as they can get the tracers off.
Eh. I don’t have the ranking to submit the report, but Little Women is out as a screener. Don’t ask how or why, just know that I know it’s out. Also, 1917 is out already. The streaming I mentioned a couple of weeks ago has led to an easy bypass by a few sneaky-sneaky BAFTA and AMPAS members.
No they aren’t. If they were I would have them already! 1917 is a cam copy and I haven’t seen Little Women on any sites yet!
They are out. I don’t know when they’ll be leaked by whomever, but they’ve been out since October-ish.
I know this because I know this, and I mean that with no malice at all. I can’t explain why or how, but they are DEFINITELY out.
Patience, my friend. I know how it feels to anticipate a film, but just wait until we’re done voting.
I’ve seen a screener of Frozen II floating about.
If you want to see what movies have been sent out by studios as screeners, http://kenru.net/movies/2019-20_academy_screeners.html is the best site to see the list. Ken posts this list every screener season as he has been a member of the academy for years.
Glad you mentioned Ken and his list! Highly recommended.
Harriet is out!
What has happened to updates on this site?… Harriet not posted a day after being leaked and Frozen 2 was days late. Tardy.
Make sure to use https://whereyouwatch.com/latest-reports/ or the front page.
Does anyone have Clemency or Waves?
Any news on the 1917 Screener? – CM8 must have it already as they are not asking for it on their recent NFO notes, plus it did well at the Emmys so surely it’s gonna drop. I’s all very slowwww this release season.
The film hasn’t been released nationwide yet. They will not release the screener until it has been in theatres for a bit.
“very slowwww this season”?
Of the 10 Golden Globe best picture nominees, 9 have been released (1917).
Of the 10 Critics Choice best picture nominees, 8 have been released (1917 & Little Women).
Of the 10 Screen Actors Guild Awards (most likely Oscar nominees) for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, all 10 have been released and for the 5 Outstanding Performance by a Cast nominees, all have been released.
Yes Slowwww – we are in mid January already and of the OSCAR nominated titles listed above at least TEN are still to be made available – including some of the better titles like 1917. Little Women, Motherless Brooklyn and Honey Boy. I recall that previous years were way faster than this – Holding on to titles until they are ‘re;eased’ in the theaters is somewhat laughbale looking at the ‘bigger piture’ – piracy is piracy any way you slice it so just release the titles already imo. Just sayin’.
Little Women has been leaked
1917 now out – 1917.2019.DVDScr.XVID.AC3.HQ.Hive-CM8
Spies In Disguise 2019 Hope is out dvdscr? Thanks
1917 1080p update from a private screener source. It’s legit and not Topkek’s release upscaled.
1917 2019 1080p SCREENER x264-FoE