Cartoon Contenders: Details on the Nearly Three Dozen Animated Features Vying for Oscar
variety.comPeter Debruge Chief Film Critic Every few years, the Academy tweaks the rules for its animated feature category, with the net result that the nominees tend to skew ever more mainstream.
That makes it tough for most of this year’s hopefuls: A record-setting number of animated features submitted (nearly three dozen, though the Academy is still finalizing its list).
Those who pick the noms are required to watch roughly a third before ranking their top five, which can include additional titles they might have seen on their own.
Blockbusters naturally benefit, though “Flee” and “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” earned nominations in 2022 and 2023, respectively, suggesting that artful indies still stand a chance. The Boy and the HeronDirector: Hayao MiyazakiVoices: Luca Padovan, Robert PattinsonStudio: Studio GhibliDistributor: GKids Rumors of Miyazaki’s retirement were greatly exaggerated, as the unstoppable creative force (who won an Oscar for “Spirited Away” in 2003) returns with a story inspired by his childhood memories during wartime.
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