Has Harvey Weinstein given up on Oscars?

Over at The Envelope, James Gates is predicting that Harvey Weinstein is going to largely stay out of this year's Oscar race. It's not that the films he and brother Bob have been involved with over the past twelve months aren't good enough to promote – although, in some cases, that's exactly it – it's that he's got one very good reason not to. "Having spent the last nine months (at least on paper) in the Disney fold," Gates writes, "Pretty much any awards glory would feel like it was being shared with a company he loathed being owned by." Gates predicts that Weinstein will launch a small handful of campaigns for actors and actresses that he'd like to cement working relationships with; Johnny Depp is the obvious example, and it does seem improbable that the Weinstein boys would let his performance in The Libertine slip by fellated.

I think Gates is exactly right - in fact, I think he maybe even underestimates the lengths to which Harvey's already gone to fill the four acting slots with his guys. Depp is surely a lock for Best Actor, and his co-star in The Libertine, Samantha Morton, has a chance in the Best Supporting Actress field as well. Transamerica should definitely reel in a Best Actress nod for Felicity Huffman, and even if Kevin Zeggers can't slide into the Supporting Actor category, Bob Hoskins, co-star of Mrs. Henderson Presents, can probably pick up the slack. Finally, that film's star is Judi Dench – a lady who, when it comes to Oscars, can never be completely counted out.