25 Films to Compete For "Best Animated Feature" Oscar Noms
Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 2:00PM WELL WELL WELL
Just last night we were speculating about what might be on Oscar's eligiblity list for Animated Feature and today, two weeks ahead of schedule (according to when they usually announce that is), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has gone and revealed the list. Perhaps we should have bought a lottery ticket?
Five of the 25 titles listed after the jump will go on to Oscar nominations in January...
Ana Y Bruno
- Ana y Bruno (Mexico)
- Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (US)
- Early Man (UK, Aardman) EFA Nominee
- Fireworks (Japan, Shout! Factory)
- Have a Nice Day (China, Strand Releasing)
- Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (US)
- Incredibles 2 (US, Disney/Pixar)
- Isle of Dogs (US, Fox Searchlight)
- The Laws of the Universe - Part 1 (Japan)
Liz and the Blue Bird
- Liz and the Blue Bird (Japan)
- Lu Over the Wall (Japan)
- MFKZ (France/Japan, GKids)
- Maquia (Japan) APSA Nominee
- Mirai (Japan, GKids)
- The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl (Japan, GKids)
On Happiness Road
- On Happiness Road (Taiwan) APSA Nominee
- Ralph Breaks the Internet (US)
- Ruben Brandt, Collector (Hungary, Sony Pictures Classics)
- Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero (US)
- Sherlock Gnomes (US)
- Smallfoot (US)
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (US)
- Tall Tales (France/Luxembourg)
- Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (US)
- Tito and the Birds (Brazil, Shout! Factory)
We've only seen five of the titles thus far and would rank them in tiers of preference like so: Loved and rooting for: Isle of Dogs; Strong - would be happy to see them nominated: Incredibles 2, Mirai, Ruben Brandt Collector; Didn't particularly care for though it has its moments: Tito and the Birds
Can anything beat Incredibles 2?
That depends on the combination of campaigning, response to the unseen films, and the unlikely but possible at some point industry fatigue about the fact that they've giving Pixar 50% of these statues over the years. Only one sequel has ever won the Animated Feature prize (Toy Story 3) but Incredibles 2 could easily make it a party of two.
Conspicuously absent.
Some foreign titles we discussed yesterday might not be eligible until next year -- it's hard to track this category. So possible entries on next year's list could be the Cambodia war drama Funan, Russia's stop motion fairy tale Hoffmanadia, and Spain's Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles about the filmmaker Luis Buñuel among others. Basically we'll just move all the foreign titles over to next year's Animated Feature prediction chart in case they open then.
Reader Comments (13)
I liked Smallfoot *runs away*
Pushing this up from the prior article:
My prediction:
1. The Incredibles 2
2. Isle of Dogs
3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
4. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (Not HUGE huge, but huge relative to its budget ($50 million gross on $10 million budget) and most who saw it, loved it. So, yeah, I think you really are grossly underestimating this one.)
5. Ruben Brandt, Collector
6. Ralph Breaks The Internet
7. The Grinch
8. Mirai (Non Ghibli anime has been consistently ignored previously for much stronger work than this. Under the new rules, it has even less of a chance.)
9. Smallfoot (Lit neither critics or the box office on fire, really. Better luck next time, Warner Bros.)
10. Early Man
(Surprised I don't have Wreck it Ralph 2 in the top 5? 1. Sequel. That matters a little less here than in most categories. But... 2. And this is the bigger problem, it looks like an only slightly smarter version of The Emoji Movie. So, I'm hedging my bets slightly on this. If it gets in? Ruben Brandt doesn't.)
Also conspicuously absent is Reveangeance, which had very little shot anyway, but should have at least submitted.
I liked Teen Titans Go to the Movies and I really want to watch On Happiness Road *runs away*
Isle of Dogs is a very good way to reward Wes Anderson, the same they did with George Miller. And it's his best movie ever, so, why not?
If there is a foreign language candidate, please please please not let it be HAVE A NICE DAY. That was one of the worst films I saw last year. So tedious once you got past the novelty of the animation.
My predictions for who will get nominated and reasons:
1. Incredibles 2 (Pixar and got good reviews)
2. Isle of Dogs (Stop-motion and it is made by Wes Anderson)
3. Mirai (A Gkids film and the first anime to premier at the Cannes Film Festival, also if it gets a nomination for an Annie Award for Best Animated Feature — Independent and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Feature then it has a hard lock)
4. Ralph Breaks the Internet (Disney and Rich Moore)
5. Ruben Brandt, Collector (It's a foreign language film by Sony Pictures Classics and set for a limited release on Christmas week)
Do you think there's any chance of ISLE OF DOGS actually win Best Animated Feature?
It's such a beautiful movie and I can see it contending for:
# BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
# BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
# BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
# BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
SGT STUBBY: AN AMERICAN HERO was such a charmer. I’m glad it made it to the list!
Travis -- that sentence is literally exactly how i felt watching LOVING VINCENT last year.
I really don't think Incredibles 2 is winning. I really enjoyed it, but an Oscar for it is so...unnecessary. This only happen if Fox Searchlight completely forgot about Isle of Dogs, which I very much doubt.
I think Mirai has a good shot of getting in. GKids has been really successful campaigning in this category in the past. Mirai is their more high profile film on the list because of director Mamoru Hosaido. I remember back when Summer Wars was in contention and quite a few critics groups went in for it in their animation category.
I'd like to see The Night is Short, Walk On Girl get in, but that's far less likely. It's a very different kind of anime feature than the Academy has gone for in the past. That's also one of two films on the long list from director Msaaki Yuasi (he also directed Lu Over the Wall). Lu... is closer to what the Academy has gone for in the past, but I prefer The Night...
My guess: Incredibles 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Isle of Dogs, Early Man, and either Mirai or On Happiness Road for the fifth slot. Spider-Man could sneak in if it's a big enough hit. The multiple animation styles gives it bit more for the voters to latch onto than other animated superhero stories not about the Incredibles.
They nominated the misfit pirates movie so I'd still predict EARLY MAN.