3 Reasons 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Won't Win Best Picture at the 2016 Oscars

This year's Oscar race is one of the most wide open races in recent years. And while the frontrunners are far from being surefire winners, one film in particular may not be as well off as it seems: Mad Max: Fury Road. Here are the top three reasons the film might not end up winning the Best Picture award at the Oscars despite its massive 10 nominations.

1. Lack of a Screenplay Nomination

Perhaps the most damning evidence is the lack of a screenplay nomination. In the 87 year history of the Oscars, only seven films have won Best Picture without a screenplay nod. In the last 50 years alone,Titanic is the only film that has won without a corresponding screenplay nomination.

2. Losses at Critics' Choice Awards and Golden Globes

Precursor awards such as the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards are also indicative of a film's Best Picture chances. In the last 16 years, 11 films that have won the Best Picture award at the Critics' Choice went on to win again at the Oscars. The Golden Globes are a little more inaccurate, with only six films since 2000 wining in the best picture drama category at the Globes and Best Picture at the Oscars. However, the Globes do remain an important precursor to the Oscars, and the fact that Mad Max lost at both of these awards (The Revenant won at the Globes and Spotlight took the Critics' Choice top honor) this year doesn't bode well for its Oscar chances.

3. Lack of Acting Nods

In the last six years, no film has won Best Picture without at least one nomination in one of the four acting categories. In the last 20 years, only three films have won the award without an acting nod: Braveheart, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and Slumdog Millionaire.

The big indicator, however, comes this Saturday when the Producers Guild Awards winner is announced. Since the PGAs moved to a preferential, 10 film ballot like the Oscars, no film has won the Oscar without first winning the PGA.

Of course, all records are meant to be broken and anything can happen come Feb. 28 when Oscar winners are announced. For now, Mad Max fans will just have to wait and see.