PGA Nominations: The usual suspects plus "Deadpool"
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 2:00PM 
Did Deadpool just shoot some Oscar dreams in the head?It's fitting that a year such as 2016, which gave us all the middle finger in such a crass broad strokes kind of way with T**** would also prove to be the year of Deadpool and his tiny baby hand gave the middle finger to superhero blockbusters (albeit a middle finger of love since it's gleefully being everything it's snarky about). I can't imagine Deadpool transferring from the Producers Guild Nomination to Oscar's Best Picture roster especially since they have yet to nominate 10 movies in their new rules of "5 to 10 nominees" in the years since that ruling but congratulations on making it this far!
While you're perusing the Producers Guild noms keep in mind that this is not necessarily the end of Best Picture dreams for a movie that missed and here's why...
There have been a grand total of ZERO years since Oscar's expansion from the 5 wide Best Picture field in which Oscar didn't find at least one candidate that PGA ignored.
Oscar vs Producers Guild Recent History
2016: ??? nominees -- ??? were PGA nominees
2015: 8 nominees -- 7 were PGA nominees (PGA did not nominate Room)
2014: 8 nominees -- 7 were PGA nominees (PGA did not nominate Selma)
2013: 9 nominees -- 8 were PGA nominees (PGA did not nominated Philomena)
2012: 9 nominees -- 8 were PGA nominees (PGA did not nominate Amour)
2011: 9 nominees -- 7 were PGA nominees (PGA did not nominate Tree of Life / Extremely Loud...)
2010: 10 nominees -- 9 were PGA nominees (PGA did not nominate Winter's Bone)
2009: 10 nominees -- 8 were PGA nominees (PGA did not nominate The Blind Side / A Serious Man)
The Nominees this season are...
Theatrical Motion Pictures
- Arrival Producers: Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, Aaron Ryder, David Linde
- Deadpool Producers: Simon Kinberg, Ryan Reynolds, Lauren Shuler Donner
- Fences Producers: Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington, Todd Black
- Hacksaw Ridge Producers: Bill Mechanic, David Permut
- Hell or High Water Producers: Carla Hacken, Julie Yorn
- Hidden Figures Producers: Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin & Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams, Theodore Melfi
- La La Land Producers: Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt
- Lion Producers: Emile Sherman & Iain Canning, Angie Fielder
- Manchester By the Sea Producers: Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck, Kevin Walsh
- Moonlight Producers: Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner
Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
- Finding Dory Producer: Lindsey Collins
- Kubo and the Two Strings Producers: Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight
- Moana Producer: Osnat Shurer
- The Secret Life of Pets Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy
- Zootopia Producer: Clark Spencer
Isn't it weird how the precursors are so resistant to foreign animated films and yet the Oscar's animation branch completely isn't? In the 15 years so far of Oscar's animated feature category there have only been three years in which Oscar didn't include a foreign or partially foreign motion picture. And in all of those years (2001 & 2004 & 2008) there were only 3 nominees as opposed to 5 due to a smaller than usual number of animated features qualifying.
Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures
- Dancer Producer: Gabrielle Tana
- The Eagle Huntress Producers: Stacey Reiss, Otto Bell
- Life, Animated Producers: Julie Goldman, Roger Ross Williams
- O.J.: Made in America Producers: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow
- Tower Producers: Keith Maitland, Susan Thomson, Megan Gilbride
Of these titles only Dancer is not in the running for the Oscar.
Reader Comments (17)
I think the AMPAS drops Deadpool and either Lion or Hidden Figures and picks up Silence instead for a late Scorsese run. Would love to see Hacksaw Ridge dropped, but it seems pretty solid by now (and might be even moreso after DGA on Thursday).
I am just amazed this year that more individuals who saw both Deadpool and Jackie decided to list the former on their ballots rather than the latter.
Sorry Nat, but "Deadpool" was kind of the likeliest PGA nominee, out of the blockbuster pool. It's a game-changer for the industry, loved by critics and audiences alike, that broke records for a "R" film and was a huge risk for the producers, that paid off handsomely.
Plus, it's a great film. I understand you don't like it, but come on, to compare it to some just-above-average spoof as "Shrek" was clearly unfair. Specially considered, this is a Ryan Reynolds labor of love, and a love letter to the fans of the original source. It's probably the BEST adaptation from a comic-book, ever... it's literally the comic, in the big screen.
I'd say even better than the original comic, which I never got to really dig.
Surprised to see 13th missed in the doc category
Jesus -- comparing it to Shrek is completely fair. Perhaps you've forgotten that 95% of the response to Shrek in 2001 did not consider it "average" but all the things Deadpool is now getting credit for . People were OBSESSED with Shrek in 2001. It was only with the passage of time and the sequels that people started treating Shrek like the mediocrity it was.
and if we're judging comic movies based on how exact they are of the comics, I believe the winner is still WATCHMEN which literally just filmed exact panels... (but i'm not sure that's a great way to judge movies)
My money is they drop Deadpool and Lion (which doesn't feel like it has the heat it needs here, nor the famed director to carry it, though I suspect those two supporting nominations still happen), and Silence comes in-it feels like the sort of movie the directors branch gravitates toward, and people who like it will REALLY like it.
All this lovefest for Deadpool almost makes me wanna see it...but I'm sure it will be one of those "I don't get it, people are loving this?" kinda of movies.
Is Silence a non event at this point or the Academy won't be able to get over the name Scorsese?
Deadpool is exactly what Nathaniel says it is. Fun for about half an hour, until you realize it is all of the things it is mocking. I'm fine with people liking the movie and it's great to see an R-rated blockbuster do so well, but it was a complete bore for me. The Shrek comparison is fitting.
I have a feeling they'll drop Deadpool and Lion, and add Nocturnal Animals instead of Silence.
I think "Silence" squeaks in. Oscar's gone from being relatively cool toward Scorsese to considering him family. It might only get one or two other nods, but I see it as a Best Picture finalist.
DEADPOOL is obviously out when it comes to AMPAS Best Pic noms. I think LION will likely get in. I think FENCES is vulnerable. SILENCE, NOCTURNAL ANIMALS and maybe something like SULLY could all surprise. There likely won't be 10 Oscar noms for Best Picture -- I don't think thats happened yet since they went to the preferential ballot.
WTF DEADPOOL?! Really? Good lord. Drop it. Now.
I hope Silence gets in the Oscars noms!
Yay to Arrival! But it's disheartening to see Jackie and 20th century women continue to be dismissed.
Do you think an animated film can get in the best picture line up? Zootopia maybe?
Arrival and Manchester are two of my three favorite "Oscar releases" (along with poor ignored Jackie - 20th Century Women doesn't come out here for another week) so I'm glad to see them both hanging on. It's better than I do most years!
I wonder if this could be the one year that the nominations line up with PGA, minus Deadpool. I'd love to see Hacksaw Ridge gone, but there's always one movie in the group that totally disinterests me, so....
"Deadpool" is both the usual Marvel origin story but the dark and often outrageous humor raises it's profile.
I tink Silence is dead in the pool now. Dun tink it will crack best pic or major cat. At most adaptation.
I tink the fault lies in distributor for releasing it so late in Dec, when there were too many pic jostling for tt Xmas spot. Silence is not exactly a movie u wanna watch during the festive season.
I tink Scorsese thot he could pull the same last min stunt like 3 yrs ago w Wolf o Wall St, but too bad this time it backfired on him
@Danno: I think "Silence" will get a few technical nominations (Cinematography, Production and/or Costume Design) + a lone Best Director nod for Scorsese but not for Best Picture.
Based on your analysis of what misses the PGA but makes it onto the best picture list, I'm struck by the common denominator of WOMEN. Women directors (Selma, Winter's Bone) and female driven stories (Room, Philomena, Blind Side) in particular. Gives me hope that Jackie, Loving or 20th Century Women still have a chance at best picture noms. I'm guessing it's the women in the actors branch who might sway the votes, and these are exceptionally well acted pics that the PGA didn't make room for (amid a lot of testerone).
Nat, despite some minor flaws, I LOVE Watchmen and consider it one of the best adaptations of a comic book. But it lacked soul, in my opinion. Capturing the soul of a source material isn't to merely reproduce the pannels. "Deadpool" clearly captures the infectious and completely random amoral fun of the comic-book, which is not a small achievement.
When I saw "Shrek" inmediately I thought, "good try, but it's not a great film, just above average and fun". "Shrek" didn't fully embrace the idea of harshly spoofing fairy tales because of comercial reasons, it couldn't kill the audience that would pay for its budget... it's no "Sausage Party" which is a superior film and that does never shy off, to touch any subject matter in the most outrageous way possible. The harshest joke in the "Shrek" franchise is Fiona sending the Little Mermaid back to sea, and inmediately being eaten by sharks, and that's barely noticeable in a wink-and-you-miss way, and that was in Shrek 2 - a better film than the original. While "Shrek" and "Deadpool" might look similar, they are not in quality. "Deadpool" is not overrated, at all and it can be objectively be analyzed why it is subversive in multiple levels, while "Shrek" was a safe film. It's like comparing the Monty Python and South Park and The League of Gentlemen (amazing british series that inspired Little Britain) with safer slightly subversive fare as Mr. Bean or The Simpsons, who know their limits and never go beyond them.