Predicting Nominees for the 87th Academy Awards

The nominations for the 87th Academy Awards will be announced tomorrow morning at approximately 8:40 A.M. EST. Here are my predictions for the names you'll hear called on Thursday morning.

Best Picture:
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
Gone Girl
Selma
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Locks: Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything
Toss-Ups: Gone Girl, Foxcatcher, Selma, Whiplash
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Nightcrawler, Wild, American Sniper, Into the Woods

Best Actor:
Steve Carrell, Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
David Oyelowo, Selma
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Locks: Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne
Toss-Ups: Steve Carrell, David Oyelowo
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

Best Actress:
Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Locks: Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, Felicity Jones, Rosamund Pike
Toss-Ups: Amy Adams
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Jennifer Aniston (Cake)

Best Supporting Actor:
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K Simmons, Whiplash

Locks: J.K. Simmons, Edward Norton
Toss-Ups: Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Duvall
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Josh Brolin (Inherent Vice), Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler) Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) (if deemed supporting role)

Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Rene Russo, Nightcrawler
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Locks: Patricia Arquette, Keira Knightley, Emma Stone
Toss-Ups: Rene Russo, Meryl Streep
 Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Naomi Watts (St. Vincent), Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year), Carmen Ejogo (Selma), Laura Dern (Wild)

Best Director:
Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
David Fincher (Gone Girl)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Birdman)
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game)

Locks: Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Toss-Ups: David Fincher, Morten Tyldum
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: James Marsh (The Theory of Everything), Clint Eastwood (American Sniper), Ava DuVernay (Selma)

Best Original Screenplay:
Boyhood
Birdman
Foxcatcher
Nightcrawler
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Wild

Best Animated Feature:
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie

Best Cinematography:
Birdman
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
Nightcrawler
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Foreign Language Film:
Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
Timbuktu
Wild Tales

Best Documentary Feature:
Citizenfour
Last Days in Vietnam
Life Itself
The Case Against 8
The Overnighters

Best Costume Design:
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
Maleficent
Selma
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
Foxcatcher
Guardians of the Galaxy
Maleficent   

Best Visual Effects:
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
X-Men: Days of Future Past