[UPDATE: Variety shared a list of 22 a week ago jumping the gun a week ago and we followed suit. Now we've updated on 11/11 with 5 additional titles since the actual list has been revealed]
Twenty-seven films are officially in the mix for Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature. Since the threshold to trigger a five wide shortlist in the category is only sixteen, we'll get five nominees this year. As per usual in this category the US will dominate but one or two of the nominations will surely be nabbed by formidable and lower profile threats from France and/or Japan. The list and a few notes follow...
27 Eligible Features
links go to our reviews
Country listed is country of origin though most animated films are dubbled in English for US release
- 25 April (Australia)
- Angry Birds Movie (US)
- April & The Extraordinary World (France)
- Bilal (United Arab Emirates | Saudi Arabia)
- Finding Dory (US)
- Ice Age: Collision Course (US)
- Kingsglaive Final Fantasy XV (Japan | USA)
- Kubo and the Two Strings (US)
- Kung Fu Panda 3 (US)
the first two were nominated. Can they go 3 for 3 despite no buzz this year? - The Little Prince (France)
A global hit but didnt get a substantial release in the US. Its presence on Netflix will help it get seen though - Long Way North (France/Denmark)
- Miss Hokusai (Japan)
- Moana (US)
- Monkey King: Hero is Back (China)
- Mune: Guardian of the Mune (France)
- Mustafa & The Magician (???)
- My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland)
This film could theoretically be a double nominee - it's also submitted for Best Foreign Film - Phantom Boy (France)
- Ratchet & Clank (Canada/US)
- The Red Turtle (France/Japan)
We'd be shocked if this mesmerizing effort isn't nominated - Sausage Party (US)
They're campaigning hard. Do you think they could surprise? - The Secret Life of Pets (US)
- Sing! (US)
People really seem to like this one and it's probably going to be a big sleeper hit. But box office and Oscar nominations are different things - Snowtime! (Canada)
- Storks (US)
- Trolls (US)
- Your Name (Japan)
- Zootopia (US)
Currently we're predicting that the global hit Zootopia is locked up, the mesmerizing silent The Red Turtle (a Japanese/French production) also seems very likely, as does Laika's Kubo and the Two Strings since all of their gorgeously designed films have been nominated. Disney's musical Moana is about to start screening but unless it shocks everyone by disappointing it looks like a nominee. That leaves a free-for-all for the fifth spot which is probably Pixar's to lose for Finding Dory... but it could. Yes, it was extraordinarily successful but do people really think it's "best" and if so would they really place it on top of their ballot with so many great films eligible this year?
Every film we had anticipated to be eligible on the Oscar prediction chart was. The only titles to emerge that didn't seem like givens are Japan's Your Name (a body-switching high school anime) and France's Mune Guardians of the Moon. Since they're arguably the lowest profile titles stateside, here are their trailers. Get acquainted!
YOUR NAME
MUNE: GUARDIAN OF THE MOON
25 APRIL
MONKEY KING
SNOWTIME!