The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced next year's Oscars will have ten - count 'em, ten - Best Picture nominees instead of the traditional five.
The number of Best Picture contenders used to vary from year to year in the Oscars' early days. For example, there were 12 nominees in 1934 and 1935.
Academy President Sid Gannis said that "having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize.”
In other words, popular movies like The Dark Knight, which many people felt should have been a Best Picture contender, will no longer be shut out of the race. That will hopefully translate into higher ratings for the Oscar telecast, which airs March 7 next year.
Should be very interesting. Movies like "Up" and "Star Trek" will probably be nominated now.
Posted by: Adrian Ruhi | June 24, 2009 at 02:05 PM
Scorsese and DiCaprio have a shot at making it 4-4 with Shutter Island now.
Movies like Children of Men, Zodiac, The Diving Bell and the Buterfly, City of God may have a shot now.
Posted by: Reuben | June 24, 2009 at 02:46 PM
Ridiculous. This dilutes the impact of being nominated for the top category and adds bloat to an awards show many people are now tuning out on.
Why not just nominate 5 great movies and consider films like Up, Dark Knight, Star Trek, Wall-E and so forth instead of the boring artsy fartsy films that always get top honors?
Posted by: AgainstAwardShowBloat | June 24, 2009 at 03:22 PM
This owuld have been useful last year, when The Dark Knight SHOULD have been nominated. 10 is too much though. Should be 7. This is devalues the award, makes it just another golden globe. Essentially useless.
Posted by: Juan | June 24, 2009 at 11:37 PM