Whilst we’re not totally through the releases this calendar year, the race for the ninety-first Academy Awards is already heating up with 20 movies shortlisted under the VFX category.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the list of movies that have advanced further in the round for the coveted prize of ‘Best VFX’, and unsurprisingly feature some of the biggest blockbusters of the year.
Marvel’ Black Panther was a raging success at the global box-office for reasons more than one, while it’s pristine visual effects – headlined by the illustrious settings of Wakanda – were the frosting on the cake. Having already swept aside numerous honors since the release, the MCU phenomenon is a hot favourite to nick this one too.
However, it faces a stern competition from its production cohort in Avengers: Infinity War, arguably the biggest release of the year.
And despite the fracas that has enfolded in the recent times in the franchise, DC has a representative in Aquaman, which has although released in only some parts of the world, has garnered largely positive reviews especially for the visual nirvana on show.
Another mega-budget production in Solo: A Star Wars Story too makes a strong case after garnering tremendous superlatives for its VFX.
Here’s the list of top 20 nominees in full:
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Aquaman
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Black Panther
- Bumblebee
- Christopher Robin
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- First Man
- Incredibles 2
- Isle of Dogs
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
- Mary Poppins Returns
- Mission: Impossible – Fallout
- Mortal Engines
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
- Paddington 2
- A Quiet Place
- Ready Player One
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Welcome to Marwen
Later this month, the list will be further whittled down to 10 that will contest the nominations voting, and the final five nominees will be announced on 22 January 2019.
The ninety-first edition of the Oscars is set to take place on Sunday, 24 February 2019 at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood and will be televised live across 225 countries worldwide.