On an all-new episode of For Your Consideration, Collider’s awards experts Scott Mantz, Perri Nemiroff and Jeff Sneider discuss the WGA Award nominations and make their own Oscar predictions in the category of Best Director.

Right off the bat, the gang is in agreement that the WGA nominations are a poor arbiter for the Oscar nominations, given how many top contenders are considered ineligible for various reasons. Movies such as Minari, Mank, Soul, The Father and Nomadland weren't eligible this year, which may account for adapted screenplay nominees like Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and The White Tiger, as well as original screenplay nominees such as Palm Springs and Judas and the Black Messiah.

The discussion culminates with Jeff launching a passionate defense of Sound of Metal, while Scott and Perri seem partial to the Black Messiah screenplay, which is the opposite of Sound of Metal in many ways. This still feels like Promising Young Woman vs. The Trial of the Chicago 7, and One Night in Miami vs. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom to the FYC hosts.

Meanwhile, the Best Director debate got surprisingly heated with Jeff's inclusion of Mank director David Fincher, who was on the outside looking in with regards to Scott and Perri's lists. Jeff wasn't even a fan of Mank, but thinks voters will admire the artistry and craftsmanship on display, while Scott and Perri are more confident in the chances of Lee Isaac Chung and Emerald Fennell. It still feels like Chloe Zhao has this Oscar in the bag, but a lot can happen between now and Oscar night, which isn't until April this year.

Mank is certainly an odd duck this awards season, as it may very well lead the field in terms of overall nominations, but it certainly seems to have regressed to also-ran status a la The Irishman last year, which was also positioned as Netflix's top contender. Instead, The Trial of the Chicago 7 has shown staying power over the past several months, even if it plays things much safer than Fennell's daring thriller Promising Young Woman.

For Your Consideration will now be taped on a weekly basis as awards season ramps up, so thank you for watching -- or listening -- and feel free to leave a comment below or on YouTube, as we welcome ideas from all FYC fans. Make sure to follow the gang on Twitter and Instagram at @MovieMantz, @PNemiroff and @TheInSneider. Until next time, we'll FYC-ya later!