The 16 official submissions for the Best Animated Feature Oscar have been revealed. The finalists include expected high-profile entries like Pixar's Inside Out and the still-to-come festival darling Anomalisa, and some you are maybe hearing about for the first time. Here's the list:
- Anomalisa (US)
- The Boy And The Beast (Japan)
- Boy And The World (Brazil)
- The Good Dinosaur (US)
- Home (US)
- Hotel Transylvania 2 (US)
- Inside Out (US)
- Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (Multinational)
- The Laws Of The Universe – Part 0 (Japan)
- Minions (US)
- Moomins On The Riviera (Finland)
- The Peanuts Movie (US)
- Regular Show: The Movie (US)
- Shaun The Sheep Movie (UK)
- The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water (US)
- When Marnie Was There (Japan)
After racking up Pixar's second highest domestic gross, Inside Out is the early frontrunner. Its potential is also boosted by its Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay prospects, and it has the blend of brains and heart that have lead Pixar to more wins in the category than any other studio. There is also The Good Dinosaur coming for Thanksgiving and hoping to celebrate Pixar's first dual release year with dual nominations.
Pixar isn't alone in bringing a high pedigree. Anomalisa stands to benefit from its uniqueness among the pack: already boasting the Academy-approved pedigree of Charlie Kaufman, it's also a rare entry intended squarely at adults. GKIDS, who have found favor in this category with lovely low profile films, have three eligible candidates, including Studio Ghibli's When Marnie Was There. Will Blue Sky's The Peanuts Movie register with nostalgic love or will it have similar poor luck to the other releases by the studio?
This category also has some tricky qualifications to note. The short version is that there could be five nominees (provided every single one of these meets release qualifications), but that depends on how well the nominating committee rates each film. If they think the field is weak, we could see less than five.
This category also has some tricky qualifications to note. The short version is that there could be five nominees (provided every single one of these meets release qualifications), but that depends on how well the nominating committee rates each film. If they think the field is weak, we could see less than five.