Awards season seems to have heated up at the annual CinemaCon as Fox and Warner Bros. showcased footage to their upcoming fall releases.

At Fox's presentation, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu showcased the first footage to "The Revenant" starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The film has been shooting for the past months and is only using the natural light from Canada's wilderness.

The footage showed glimpses of Leonardo DiCaprio as well as co-stars Tom Hardy and Will Poulter and was received by a warm reaction. The film is being financed by New Regency, who has won the Oscar back to back for "Birdman" and "12 Years a Slave" as well and Brett Ratner's Ratpac Entertainment. The film is set to open on Christmas Day and will go wide on Jan. 8, 2016.

Inarritu won the Academy Award last year for his work on "Birdman" and has previously been nominated for his work on "Babel," "Amores Perros" and "Biutiful." Additionally, his second film "21 Grams" was nominated for two Academy Awards. Inarritu has not missed a single Oscar ceremony for his films, and this one seems like it will also compete for some awards.

The presentation also showcased footage for David O. Russell's "Joy," starring Jennifer Lawrence. The film marks the third time Lawrence and Russell are working together and the footage was set to dark music. That is a change for Russell whose last film "American Hustle" was lighthearted. "Joy" has been date for Dec. 25 and has been in the awards conversation ever since the film was announced.

Russell has become a favorite of the Academy as his last three films have been nominated for the Best Picture at the Oscars. Lawrence has also been nominated for her last two collaborations and has went on to win for her work in "Silver Linings Playbook."

At the Warner Bros. conference, the studio showcased the first footage for "Black Mass." While the film is slated for a September release, a period that is not friendly for Oscar contenders, director Scott Cooper noted that the performance by Johnny Depp is one for the ages. The footage showed an unrecognizable Depp, which bodes well for the actor, as all three of his nominated performances have been for very diverse work.

Cooper directed the Oscar-winning performance by Jeff Bridges and he also directed Maggie Gyllenhaal's Oscar nominated performance in "Crazy Heart." While his second film "Out of the Furnace" was received with mixed reception, the film was still lauded for its fine acting.

The company also showcased footage for Ron Howard's "In the Heart of the Sea." The film was delayed from its original March release and under Howard's direction, this could be a big Oscar player.

The director has had three Best Picture nominees including one Best Picture winner and has acclaimed films such as "Rush" and "Cinderella Man."

CinemaCon is happening a month before Cannes, which is also predicted to have major Oscar players including Woody Allen's "Irrational Man," Gus Van Sant's "The Sea of Trees," Todd Haynes' "Carol," Justin Kurzel's "Macbeth," and "Denis Villeneuve's "Sicario."

Pete Docter's "Inside Out" will also premiere as well as Mark Osborne's "The Little Prince." Both films will likely be up for Best Animated film at the end of the year as they not only feature huge casts but have top animated directors at the helm.

Related