Chris here. In addition to the Art Directors Guild earlier in the morning, today the Producers Guild of America announced their feature film nominations, and we have some surprises.
The omissions included Carol (take a breath, everyone) and Room, both also left out from the ADG nominations. We may be passionate fans of Carol around these parts, but the miss here is a sign that our pony still has to capitalize on its momentum to continue in the race. Room on the other hand is a tiny, non-American produced film that was probably overestimated to show up in a group that has leaned populist enough nominate the likes of Star Trek and Skyfall.
Speaking of blockbuster candidates, The Force Awakens also missed out here. While thought to potentially upset here, the franchise's Oscar hopes can now likely be put to bed for major categories. Here are our nominees:
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Motion Picture
- The Big Short
- Bridge of Spies
- Brooklyn
- Ex Machina
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Martian
- The Revenant
- Sicario
- Spotlight
- Straight Outta Compton
The biggest surprises are Ex Machina and Sicario, also surprising at the ADG - are you sensing a trend? While they are not major Best Picture threats for the Oscar race, their place here shows passionate support brewing and certainly raises their profile. Straight Outta Compton, whose ensemble was recognized by SAG, is one of the bigger financial successes here and a nice nod to Universal's outstanding year at the box office.
Check after the jump for who got the biggest boost...
Brooklyn and Bridge of Spies needed a little heat to stay ahead after missing with SAG and the Golden Globes, and have mostly only had actors Saoirse Ronan and Mark Rylance representing the film in the season thus far.
Out in front, there are season staples Spotlight and The Big Short laying in wait to be potential powerhouses - and frontrunners this weekend at the Globes. The Revenant continues to grow, and could become a major player if its success in limited release is repeated as it goes wide this weekend. The race is about momentum and while these three feel like the freight trains, the one that could really surprise and advance its chances with a win is Mad Max: Fury Road. The likely winner is among these four, and a Max could use the recognition to help curb trepidations against genre and sequeldom.
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
- Anomalisa
- The Good Dinosaur
- Inside Out
- Minions
- The Peanuts Movie
The PGA has not been so kind to the smaller Oscar-nominated GKIDS and independent films in years past, so don't expect a repeat come Oscar nomination morning.
The Stanley Kramer Award - The Hunting Ground
Given to films that promote "public awareness important social issues," the nomination helps push forward the documentary (also previously nominated for Outstanding Documentary) when its field has been dominated by Amy and The Look of Silence.