Opening 2020 Razzie Awards Odds: Serenity the Early Favorite for Worst Movie

• Early odds are in play for the next annual Golden Raspberry Awards
• The “Razzies” annually “honor” the worst in film
• Next year’s Razzies will take place on February 8, 2020, a day before the Academy Awards

It’s hard to believe that for four decades already, movie insiders have been awarding the worst in show. But the Golden Raspberry Awards will indeed celebrate their 40th year next year.

Each year, the Razzies committee pans and awards all of the previous year’s most deplorable films. As celebrated as the Academy Awards are, the Razzies are just as well known and followed by entertainment fans as a cheeky celebration of Hollywood’s most groan-worthy creations.

What Will Win Worst Picture at the 2020 Razzie Awards?

*Odds taken 09/11/19

A Dog’s Breakfast of Options

There are so many wonderful films released that it’s easy to forget about all the garbage that hits cinemas in a year span. Early odds for next year’s Golden Raspberry Awards are a roundup that reminds just how much fluff and schmaltz audiences are subjected to.

Previous recent winners of Worst Picture have been anything from second-rate animation (The Emoji Movie) , crappy comedies (Holmes & Watson), and obvious franchise trash (Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey).

Anything is fair game here, it seems.  But not all bad movies are made equally. This is where the Razzies come in, truly recognizing the worst of the worst.

McConaughey vs. Reeves

The front-runners so far in this year’s race to Worst Picture at the Razzies are the Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway-led fantasy thriller Serenity and the Keanu Reeves sci-fi vehicle Replicas. Oof. Lots to unpack here, folks.

A good indicator of bad movies is, of course, review site Rotten Tomatoes. Comparing the two films, we see a 10% approval for  Replicas (“Replicas is a ponderously lame sci-fi outing ), and not much better for Serenity, measuring up to 20% (“Unfortunately, it’s also not anywhere near as clever or entertaining as it thinks”).

Reeves has more Razzie history, too. He’s been nominated for Worst Actor at the ceremony four times, and never won. McConaughey has never been nominated.

Interestingly, both stars had otherwise great years in film. McConaughey shone in Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum while Reeves experienced his own renaissance starring in both John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Toy Story 4.

If Razzie history has taught us anything, it’s that the Razzie voters like to tear an actor down while they’re having a moment in the sun. Recently, Melissa McCarthy was awarded Worst Actress at the Razzies the same year she was nominated for an Oscar.

It’s Anyone’s Game

Bad movies don’t start and end with Reeves and McConaughey. The Razzies like to mix their game up, and this year we’ve seen a particularly strong assortment of crud on the silver screen.

The big trend in Hollywood right now is, of course, banking on pre-existing characters and franchises. This doesn’t always make for quality films. This year alone, we’ve seen plenty of repeat fare that would make perfectly suitable Razzie fodder.

The newest Madea film, A Madea Family Family Funeral continues on that franchise’s legacy of tastelessness. Despite being a Hollywood heavy hitter in previous outings, even movie monsters are losing their charm. Godzilla: King of the Monsters was hated by critics.

Disney’s live-action remakes may have taken on too much too soon, too. If Aladdin proves anything, it’s that fans want the company to slow down and do these films justice to their original animated counterparts.

The same goes for superheroes, too. Both X-Men: Dark Phoenix and the newest iteration of Hellboy failed to impress fans or critics.

Something New

The oft-forgotten Johnny Depp film The Professor is also a heavy contender for Razzie acclaim, too. This just goes to show that even star status means nothing in making a good film.

The Razzies do not discriminate when picking bad films. In fact, probably prefer to see a Hollywood heavy hitter in a bad film, judging by previous year’s winners. We’ve seen A-listers like Halle Berry, Ben Affleck, and Robert Redford’s films take home the trophy for Worst Picture before.

This year, we see a lot of big name stars’ films in Razzie territory, like Samuel L. Jackson (Glass), Anne Hathaway (The Hustle), and Bryan Cranston (The Upside).

Pick: Replicas (+500)