The Academy has narrowed down eligible films for the Best Visual Effects Oscar, and 2017 is proving to be a formidable race. There aren’t really any noticeable snubs from the list of 20 films that have been selected to move forward to the next stage, which is a bakeoff in which the Academy’s VFX branch executive committee further whittles the list down to 10 films that advance to the nomination stage. Marvel’s three 2017 films—Guardians 2,Spider-Man: Homecoming, andThor: Ragnarok—all made the cut as didJustice LeagueandWonder Womanas well as Fox’sLogan. EvenStar Wars: The Last Jedihas been shortlisted even though no one’s seen it yet.
In terms of non-traditional nominees,Guillermo del Toro’sThe Shape of Water,Bong Joon-ho’sOkja, and evenChristopher Nolan’sDunkirk—which made great use of practical effects—are on the list.
One could surmise thatWar for the Planet of the Apesis the frontrunner here given the tremendous effects work that brings its characters to life, but the previous two films in the franchise both lost out on the big prize. Indeed, Best Visual Effects is a tricky category, and when a Best Picture nominee is among the VFX nominees, it usually wins the prize (see:Hugo,Inception). But that’s not always the case, as 2015 gave us a delightful surprise inEx Machinawinning out overStar Wars: The Force AwakensandMad Max: Fury Road.
If I had to pick a favorite to win right now it might beBlade Runner 2049, which could run away with quite a few below-the-line awards. It would certainly be deserved. And while the visuals inThor: RagnarokandGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2were stunning, Marvel Studios has yet to pull a win in this category and in some years is entirely shut out of the nominations circle.
Check out the full list of 20 shortlisted contenders and let us know your favorite in the comments below.
Alien: Covenant
Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Ghost in the Shell
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Justice League
Kong: Skull Island
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
The Shape of Water
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Thor: Ragnarok
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
War for the Planet of the Apes
