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As the Oscars shortlist voting period looms, the race for the coveted best visual effects category is heating up.
The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch notified the artisans of the 20 films advancing to the next round just before the Thanksgiving holiday. Through multiple sources, Variety has confirmed 17 of the finalists that are still in the running. Shortlist voting runs from Monday, Dec. 9, to Friday, Dec. 13, and the field reflects an overwhelming amount of IP and dazzling technological achievements. From the expansive deserts of “Dune: Part Two” to the chaotic multiverse of “Deadpool and Wolverine,” the finalists exemplify the artistry and innovation that define modern artisans.
The films are:
Popular on Variety “Alien: Romulus” (20th Century Studios) “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (Warner Bros.) “Better Man” (Paramount Pictures) “Civil War” (A24) “Deadpool and Wolverine” (Marvel Studios) “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Warner Bros.) “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (Sony Pictures) “Gladiator II” (Paramount Pictures) “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (Warner Bros.) “Here” (Sony Pictures) “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (20th Century Studios) “Mufasa: The Lion King” (Walt Disney Pictures) “A Quiet Place: Day One” (Paramount Pictures) “Spaceman” (Netflix) “Twisters” (Universal Pictures) “Wicked” (Universal Pictures) It’s Warner Bros. that leads the way for an individual studio with the spooky sequel “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” sci-epic “Dune: Part Two,” the action-packed “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and the monster-clashing “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” However, four of Disney’s subsidiaries also find themselves among the candidates. 20th Century Studios’ “Alien: Romulus” and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” Marvel Studios’ superhero mash-up “Deadpool and Wolverine” and Walt Disney Pictures’ prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which will have its L.A. premiere on Monday night.
Paramount Pictures has three films vying for consideration with Ridley Scott’s epic sequel, “Gladiator II,” Michael Sarnoski’s horror prequel “A Quiet Place: Day One” and Michael Gracey’s Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man,” where the British musician is portrayed by a CGI Monkey in a motion capture performance by Jonno Davies.
Universal Pictures has two films in the running with the blockbuster musical “Wicked” and the summer hit, “Twisters.” At the same time, Sony Pictures will steer two of its movies with Robert Zemeckis’ “Here” and Jason Reitman’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.”
Netflix secures its spot with Johan Renck’s sci-fi drama “Spaceman,” featuring Adam Sandler alongside an extraterrestrial spider voiced by Paul Dano. Meanwhile, Alex Garland’s dystopian thriller “Civil War,” starring Kirsten Dunst as a photojournalist, adds a cerebral edge to the mix under the A24 banner.
Regarding the three mystery candidates, Variety has confirmed through multiple sources which films did not make the top 20 and are no longer in the running. Among those missing out are Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” Steve McQueen’s “Blitz,” John Krasinski’s “If,” J.C. Chandor’s “Kraven the Hunter,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Kelly Marcel’s “Venom: The Last Dance” and William Goldenberg’s “Unstoppable.”
Also not among the finalists are Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver,” Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer” and Matthew Vaughn’s “Argylle.”
None of Variety’s current best animated feature contenders made the list as well, notably “Flow,” “Inside Out 2,” “Memoir of a Snail,” “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” and “The Wild Robot.” None of the next five animated bubble contenders are in the running either.
This story will be updated when the three movies are revealed.
The Academy did not comment nor confirm the list of finalists.
The shortlist of 10 finalists, alongside nine other Oscar categories, will be revealed on Tuesday, Dec. 17. From there, the Visual Effects Branch will vote to narrow the field to five nominees for the 97th Academy Awards.
