Michel Hazanavicius's movie "The Artist" is viewed as the front-runner by far in this category. Martin Scorsese's film "Hugo" garnered the most Oscar nominations overall; "The Help," directed by Tate Taylor, snagged the SAG Outstanding Performance by a Cast award, which can sometimes point to a Best Picture win at the Academy Awards; and the Alexander Payne film "The Descendants" seemed like an early favorite. But "The Artist" took the Best Comedy or Musical award at the Golden Globes, the Best Film prize at the BAFTAs, and its producer Thomas Langmann won at the Producers Guild Awards. And the PGA's pick for producer has mirrored the Best Picture Oscar for the past four years. The Directors Guild also gave its Best Director award to Hazanavicius, and often the winner in that category has his or her film picked for the Oscar prize.
