‘The Playlist’ Predicts ‘The Promise’ Lead Actors as 2017 Oscar Hopefuls

Oscar Issac and Christian Bale star in “The Promise”

LOS ANGELES—The entertainment blog, The Playlist, is predicting that much-anticipated Genocide-themed film, “The Promise,” with its lead actors Oscar Issac and Christian Bale, will be on a short list for Academy Award consideration in 2017.

“Right now, ’The Promise,’ from ‘Hotel Rwanda’ director Terry George, is a little under the radar, but we don’t expect that to last. Firstly, it’s a lavish period love triangle set against the Armenian genocide in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, a subject matter rarely examined on film but is long overdue for the big-budget treatment. Secondly, it has a heavyweight cast, particularly when it comes to its two male leads Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, and we think either one could end up registering with the Academy. It’ll depend on which actor ends up campaigning for lead (assuming it’s picked up in time for an awards season release), but both are deserving: Bale earned his third nomination last year for ‘The Big Short’ (having won for ‘The Fighter,’ his first nod), while Isaac has never been recognized but is much more familiar to voters now after ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ and likely stands his best chance yet. Either could follow in the footsteps of George’s ‘Hotel Rwanda’ star Don Cheadle for a nod,” wrote Oliver Lyttelton of the Playlist Blog, published on the entertainment website, Indiwire.

Golden Globe-winner Issac and Oscar winner Bale were announced as leads of “The Promise” in June when Survivor Pictures, founded by late-billionaire Kirk Kerkorian revealed the long-rumored film project. According to early reports, Bale will play Chris, who is in love with both a woman and the danger of being in a combat zone during World War I. Isaac will play Michael, who is in love with the same woman but conflicted by old-world traditions and his heart.

The film, which also stars, Charlotte Le Bon, James Cromwell, Marwan Kenzari, Jean Reno, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Angela Sarafyan, among others, completed shooting in Europe last fall and is in post-production and editing stages. It is scheduled for release in 2016.

After shooting was completed on the film, Survival Pictures co-manager and a producer of the film, Eric Esrailian told Asbarez in an email that “Kirk will be proud,” referring to Kerkorian. “That makes all of the hard work even more special.”