Looks like "Birdman" and "Boyhood" are in tough competition to win the prestigious Best Picture Award at Oscars aka Academy Awards. The 87th edition of the event will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles on 22 February.

There are eight movies in the race. Apart from "Birdman" and "Boyhood", "The Grand Budapest Hotel", "American Sniper", "The Imitation Game", "The Theory of Everything", "Selma" and "Whiplash" have been nominated in the Best Picture category.

Online surveys and predictions say that "Birdman" and "Boyhood" are serious contenders to bag the coveted award.

Meanwhile, it initially appeared like "Boyhood" would have the last laugh after winning a dozen of Critics' Awards but it was "Birdman" that walked out with big awards at Producers Guild Awards and Screen Actor Guild Awards thus keeping the competition alive.

A report on Indiewire echoes the same thoughts and declares that "Boyhood" and "Birdman" are favourites to win even though it wanted "Gone Girl", which has not been nominated, to be in the race.

In another prediction, Awards Circuit website says that the competition is not just restricted to "Boyhood" and "Birdman" as a few other nominations like Ava DuVernay directorial "Selma", Clint Eastwood directorial "American Sniper" and Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is picking up steam.

Oscars (Academy) Awards 2015 Prediction for Best Picture: 'Boyhood',
A collage of "Birdman" and "Boyhood".Wikipedia

Nonetheless, the report admits that Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu directorial "Birdman" are top contenders to win the Best Picture at Academy Awards.

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