This year’s roster of animated pictures is large and very diverse, though unlike some prior years, there is not that single slam-dunk juggernaut representing the one to beat. To be considered, of course, a film must be officially submitted, and a new rule change this year makes the deadline for animated films October 1, six weeks earlier than many other categories. Whether that has an impact remains to be seen.
The same goes for Steven Spielberg’s complaint this past March that films released through Netflix should not be considered for an Oscar. While this year’s rules do not reflect that, simply having the prejudice out there may impact two of this year’s animated contenders. And once again, the entire Academy membership may participate in the nomination process.
Also, we should keep in mind that the line between live action, animation, and special effects continues to blur through films such as the highly-anticipated Mary Poppins Returns, adding another level to the Oscar race handicapping.
Aside from those caveats, this year’s slate runs the gamut in terms of technique, style, tone, audience demographic, and country of origin. Let the mad award season campaigning begin!
[Note: Last month, the Academy revealed its list of 25 features that were submitted for consideration for the Best Animated Feature Oscar: They are:
Ana y Bruno
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch
Early Man
Fireworks
Have a Nice Day
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
The Laws of the Universe – Part I
Liz and the Blue Bird
Lu over the Wall
MFKZ
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
Mirai
The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl
On Happiness Road
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Ruben Brandt, Collector
Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero
Sherlock Gnomes
Smallfoot
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Tall Tales
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies
Tito and the Birds
This Dossier was prepared before the announcement and appeared in the print version of the magazine.]
Big Studio Pictures
Most Common Themes: Politics; dystopian worlds; conquering societal divisions.
Early Man
Studios: Aardman Animations, British Film Institute, StudioCanal
Director: Nick Park
Release Date: February 16, 2018 (U.S.)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Box Office to Date: $8.3 million
Synopsis: A caveman unites his clan to challenge Bronze Age conquerors to a football (soccer) match to win back their home, with the help of a skilled young woman on the inside.
The Word: “Early Man is not so much a return to form as it is a long overdue comeback – and a welcome one at that.” – David Sims, The Atlantic
Nomination Chances: Arguably Aardman’s most polarizing film (critics loved it; audiences less so), its chances depend on not comparing it to earlier Aardman works.
The Grinch
Studios: Illumination Entertainment, Universal Pictures
Directors: Yarrow Cheney, Scott Mosier
Release Date: November 9, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 55%
Box Office to Date: $67.6 million
Synopsis: You know the story; now add in background information on the Grinch’s character, and a subplot in which Cindy Lou Who conspires to trap Santa Claus in order to have a personal, appreciative confab with him.
Nomination Chances: Healthy, since other Illumination movies have received nominations before. Also, older voters might have a soft spot for the familiar Dr. Seuss character, despite the unpleasant memories from the last live-action adaptation.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Studio: Sony Pictures Animation
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Release Date: July 13, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 58%
Box Office to Date: $167.5 million
Synopsis: The Drac Pack leaves the hotel for a specialty cruise where Dracula himself finds love, which comes with some coffin-sized baggage.
The Word: “Delivers reliably on the series’ humble promise of sugared-up monster slapstick. The film is pleasingly mild and distracting.” – Oliver Jones, New York Observer.
Nomination Chances: Toonheads love how director Tartakovsky made an honest-to-God cartoon with computers, though that may not be enough to secure a spot for this threequel. The popularity of the movie at the box office worldwide is another thing going for the summer comedy.
Incredibles 2
Studios: Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Brad Bird
Release Date: June 15, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Box Office to Date: $608.3 million
Synopsis: Having been ruined through political pressure, the superheroic Parr family accept an offer to participate in a high-tech, pro-supers P.R. event, only to find vengeful machinations behind the scheme.
The Word: “Though it would be unrealistic to expect Incredibles 2 to have quite the genre-busting surprise of the original, it is as good as it can be without that shock of the new.” – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Nomination Chances: Only the actions of a supervillain could prevent this from scoring a nomination. The Academy has rewarded almost every Pixar movie ever made!
Isle of Dogs
Studios: Studio Babelsberg, Indian Paintbrush, American Empirical Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director: Wes Anderson
Release Date: March 23, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Box Office to Date: $32 million
Synopsis: In a “dog flu” ravaged Japan, a young boy seeks to rescue his beloved bodyguard dog from a quarantined island, and in the process creates a movement to save the dogs and expose government corruption.
The Word: “This leisurely tale of abandoned mutts taking on a corrupt human government is effectively puppy-treat cinema: small, salty, perhaps not an entire meal, but rewarding nonetheless.” – Guy Lodge, Variety
Nomination Chances: The sheer uniqueness in both the look and sound of this stop-motion tale could push voters who carry qualms about the simplicity of the story to support it. Most Academy voters have a soft spot for Wes Anderson’s quirky fables.
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2
Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Phil Johnston, Rich Moore
Release Date: November 21, 2018
Synopsis: The sequel sends Ralph inside the Internet to help Vanellope save her game, where they encounter the entire Disney universe, including Disney Princesses, the Muppets, Marvel Superheroes, and Star Wars characters.
The Word: Not released or screened by press time; this remains one of the more anticipated animated films of the year.
Nomination Chances: The Academy loved Ralph’s first outing enough to give it the 2013 Oscar, and judging from the trailers and advance word-of-mouth, the sequel promises to be just as smart, entertaining and hilarious. Extra bonus for a last-minute revision of Princess Tania’s design to restore her beautiful African American features.
Sherlock Gnomes
Studios: Paramount MGM, Rocket Pictures
Director: John Stevenson
Release Date: March 23, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 27%
Box Office to Date: $43.2 million
Synopsis: Garden gnomes are being abducted all over London, prompting Gnomeo and Juliet to engage Sherlock Gnomes to investigate the disappearances.
The Word: “There’s some potential for literary humor among the kid-oriented jokes here, but alas, Sherlock Gnomes doesn’t have nearly the wit or charm of the original.” – Rafer Guzman, Newsday
Nomination Chances: No sure-lock on a nomination. It’s no mystery that not many people saw the movie or cared about its garden-variety crime-solver.
Smallfoot
Studios: Warner Animation Group, Zaftig Films
Director: Karey Kirkpatrick
Release Date: September 28, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
Box Office to Date: $80.3 million
Synopsis: A member of a yeti village encounters a human, prompting him to investigate the other world of people, which his kind claim do not exist.
The Word: “The debunking of a creation myth isn’t the sort of narrative that usually drives an animated Hollywood comedy. Yet after a rather bland beginning, that is exactly what sets Smallfoot apart, along with some inspired slapstick stunts. This entertaining fantasy has intellectual ballast, but it’s cleverly disguised.” – Jane Horwitz, The Washington Post
Nomination Chances: A dark horse, though a fast and clever one.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Studios: Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel Entertainment, Columbia Pictures
Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Release Date: December 14, 2018
Synopsis: In an alternate universe an Afro-Latino teen is mentored by Peter Parker to become the new Spider-Man, and deal with all the multi-verse problems this brings to his life.
The Word (based on the trailer): “Into the Spider-Verse looks like it’ll take a very direct approach to its comic book influences, perhaps more direct than in the dozens of comic films that have [preceded] it … But in addition to taking a direct approach with comic-book visuals, the film also sticks close to comic-book concepts.” – Richard Newby, Hollywood Reporter
Nomination Chances: Its distinctive look is a huge plus, and Sony Pictures Animation gets extra marks for its smart, ethnically diverse take on the Marvel superhero.
Teen Titans Go! to the Movies
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation
Directors: Aaron Horvath, Peter Rida Michail
Release Date: July 27, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Box Office to Date: $29.6 million
Synopsis: In between battles with villains, the Immature Six struggle to right Hollywood’s greatest wrong and make their own movie, starring Robin.
The Word: “This is a rollicking, goofy superhero send-up that never overstays its welcome.” – Dana Schwartz, Entertainment Weekly
Nomination Chances: A nod may depend on how well a hip, sassy, TV-inspired, 2D kids’ movie plays amongst the membership-wide nominating committee (average age 62).
Indie International Movies
Most Common Theme: Kids with family issues.
Big Fish & Begonia
(China)
Studios: B&T, Huoerguosi ENLIGHT MEDIA, Studio Mir, Funimation Films
Directors: Liang Xuan, Zhang Chun
Release Date: April 6, 2018 (U.S.)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Box Office to Date: $85 million (China)
Synopsis: A girl from a magical realm transforms into a dolphin to visit the human world, where she is saved by a self-sacrificing boy. She barters her lifespan for his soul, which manifests as an ever-growing, dolphin-like creature she must protect.
The Word: “It marks a major step forward for Chinese feature animation, as well as the culmination of a journey that took the filmmakers more than a dozen years to complete.” – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Nomination Chances: Its visual beauty and haunting story give it a better than fair chance, even in a crowded field.
Captain Morten and the Spider Queen
(Ireland/Estonia/Belgium)
Studios: Calon, Grid Animation, Nukufilm
Directors: Kaspar Jancis, Henry Nicholson, Riho Unt
Release Date: August 15, 2018 (France)
Synopsis: A young boy is drawn into a fantastical adventure at insect-eye level as he tries to save his sea captain father’s ship from the iron-handed clutches of his grasping caretaker.
The Word: “The quality of the animation itself and the voice cast make Captain Morten and the Spider Queen one of the rare European efforts of its kind.” – Vladan Petkovic, Cineuropa
Nomination Chances: While this Euro-Irish stop-motion fantasy in the Burton/Selick mold has imagination to spare, it has yet to break out of the festival circuit, which minimizes its chances.
Fireworks
(Japan)
Studios: SHAFT, GKIDS
Director: Akiyuki Shinbo, Nobuyuki Takeuchi
Release Date: July 3, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40%
Box Office to Date: $26 million (Japan)
Synopsis: An unhappy young girl who wants to run away, her two friends and admirers, and a magical time-skipping ball combine for drama during a fireworks display.
The Word: “The unrealized potential makes the rote line style and stagnant backdrops seem all the blander.” – Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times
Nomination Chances: Limited release and a much better critical response in Japan than in America makes this a definite long shot.
Funan
(France/Luxembourg/Belgium)
Studios: Les Films d’ici, Bac Cinema, Lunanime
Director: Denis Do
Release Date: June 11, 2018 (Annecy Int’l Animation Film Festival)
Synopsis: One torn-apart family’s struggle to survive and reunite under the brutal regime of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the late 1970s.
The Word: “Funan is a compellingly dark and accurate look at a major 20th century atrocity, showing what it was like to experience it firsthand as a broken family.” – Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter
Nomination Chances: While animated treatments of families struggling under real-life oppressive regimes have scored in the past (Persepolis, The Breadwinner), Funan’s low visibility may complicate its chances. However, it did win the Annecy Cristal for best feature film this year.
Lu Over the Wall
(Japan)
Studios: Science Saru, Fuji TV, Toho, GKIDS
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Release Date: May 11, 2018 (U.S.)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
Box Office to Date: $110,000 (U.S.)
Synopsis: An alienated adolescent accidentally summons a music-loving mermaid, creating friction and even peril within his village.
The Word: “Even by anime standards, Lu Over the Wall is best enjoyed by disconnecting your logic circuits and just enjoying the pretty colors and sounds.” – Sherilyn Connelly, Village Voice
Nomination Chances: Likely to become lost in the shuffle. The film’s oddball mermaid is certainly no Ariel.
Mirai
(a.k.a. Mirai of the Future; Japan)
Studios: Dentsu, Kadokawa, Nippon Television Network, Studio Chizu, Toho, GKIDS
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Release Date: November 29, 2018 (U.S.)
Synopsis: Upset over having a baby sister, a four-year-old boy gains understanding after he magically encounters her as a grown up, having traveled back in time from the future.
The Word: “Hosoda takes a realistic premise and sprinkles it with fantastical details that should feel intuitive for fans of his work, including run-ins with anthropomorphic animals … and the ability to fly or time-travel.” – Peter Debruge, Variety
Nomination Chances: The combination of the film’s charm and Hosoda’s rockstar status among animavens might push it into the running, if enough animavens are on the nominating committee. The movie also made a big splash at Annecy earlier this year.
Next Gen
(China/Canada)
Studios: Baozou Manhua, Tangent Animation, Netflix
Directors: Joe Ksander, Kevin R. Adams
Release Date: September 7, 2018
Synopsis: A “digime” action-adventure about a disconnected young girl who befriends a robot, with whom she sets out to correct society’s injustices and save the world from an evil madman.
The Word: “It’s a chore just to keep up with all the shifts in tone, and by the time Next Gen reaches the finish line, we’re more exhausted than exhilarated.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun Times
Nomination Chances: While handsomely mounted, this film’s feeling of déjà vu amidst more original pictures makes its chances for a nod slim, even without the Netflix prejudice.
Night Is Short, Walk on Girl
(Japan)
Studios: Science Saru, Fuji TV, Toho, GKIDS
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Release Date: August 22, 2018 (U.S.)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Box Office to Date: $5.2 million (Japan and U.S.)
Synopsis: An infatuated university student pursues his lady love through a seemingly timeless, bottomless night of psychedelic adventure through Kyoto.
The Word: “Night Is Short, Walk on Girl…is not a conventional animated feature by any means, but it is a highly original work by an artist who follows his own vision — wherever it leads.” – Charles Solomon, Los Angeles Times.
Nomination Chances: The movie might prove too wild and eccentric for the more classically-minded Academy voters.
Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us
(Japan)
Studios: Oriental Light and Magic, TV Tokyo, The Pokémon Company, Wit Studio, Pokémon USA
Director: Tetsuo Yajima
Release Date: November 24, 2018
Synopsis: On the last day of the Festival of the Wind, when tradition holds a legendary Pokémon will appear and offer blessings, Ash and Pikachu meet up with five people with contrasting and unique stories.
Box Office to Date: $18 million (Japan)
The Word: “One of the most successful attempts at telling multiple stories within the same Pokémon film … the cast of human characters and their own personal motivations and secrets leave a stronger impression.” – Callum May, Anime News Network
Nomination Chances: The 21st Pokémon feature is unlikely to break through the fan base and into major award consideration.
Ruben Brandt, Collector
(Hungary)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classic
Director: Milorad Krstic
Release Date: November 18, 2018 (Hungary); 2019 U.S.
Synopsis: Persistent nightmares drive a psychologist to turn himself and four patients into a gang of international art thieves who stay on the run from authorities and the underworld alike.
The Word: “This is a film which fizzes with originality, one which works both as a pacey thriller and a playfully surreal intellectual exercise.” – Wendy Ide, Screen International
Nomination Chances: Sony’s strategy of staging a qualifying run for a future release worked last year for The Red Turtle, and it could work again for this stylish, original and adult animated thriller.
The Stolen Princess
(Ukraine)
Studios: Animagrad, Ukrainian State Film Agency
Director: Oleg Malamuzh
Release Date: March 7, 2018 (Ukraine)
Synopsis: A young wandering artist and wannabe knight falls in love with a beautiful and resourceful princess, who is ultimately captured by an evil sorcerer — and adventure ensues.
Box Office to Date: $4 million (Europe)
The Word: “The film makes use of self-deprecating humor and offers a quirky take on all those Disney Princess films.” – Devesh Sharma, Filmfare
Nomination Chances: Roughly the same odds as actually bumping into a beautiful princess while wandering around daydreaming!
Tito and the Birds
(Brazil)
Studios: Bits Productions, NIP, Shout! Factory
Directors: Gabriel Bitar, André Catoto, Gustavo Steinberg
Release Date: December (U.S.)
Synopsis: A young boy combats an oppressive regime that has made fear a deadly contagion by using his father’s research on birds to look for a cure.
The Word: “While it’s easy viewing for the eight and up crowd, filmmakers Gustavo Steinberg, Gabriel Bitar, and André Catoto never shy away from the darkness lying beneath the surface..” – Andrew Parker, The Gate
Nomination Chances: Thanks to its striking oil paint animation and dark, timely allegorical story, this Brazilian movie has a good chance of grabbing the category’s arty foreign film slot.
White Fang
(France/Luxembourg)
Studios: Superprod, Bidibul Films, Big Beach Films, Netflix
Directors: Alexandre Espigares
Release Date: July 6, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Box Office to Date: $41.4 million (Europe)
Synopsis: The hard-knock adventures of a spirited and intrepid wolf-dog in the Yukon, based on the Jack London classic.
The Word: “The power and majesty of White Fang, a truly wonderful protagonist … makes a journey worth taking.” – Kate Erbland, indieWire
Nomination Chances: Its distinctive visual styling makes it a potential contender, though the Netflix question and its distribution complicates its chances.
A Wizard’s Tale
(a.k.a. Here Comes the Grump; U.K./Mexico)
Studios: Anima Estudios, Prime Focus, GFM Animation, Blue Fox Entertainment
Director: Andrés Couturier
Release Date: September 14, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not yet available.
Synopsis: Inspired by the old DePatie-Freleng Saturday morning series, a young boy realizes the fairy tales his grandmother told him were based on reality when he is transported to a strange world to fight a nasty wizard called “The Grump.”
The Word: “The movie is full of wackiness but contains only traces of comedy.” – Cath Clarke, Guardian.
Nomination Chances: The longest of long shots.
LIVE ACTION/ANIMATION HYBRIDS
Most Common Themes: Reclaiming the past; challenging authority.
Chris the Swiss
(Switzerland)
Studios: Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG, Ma.Ja.De Filmproduktion, Nukleus film
Director: Anja Kofmel
Release Date: May 13, 2018 (Cannes Film Festival)
Synopsis: Animation is one element of this exploration by the director into the mysterious death of her cousin during the Yugoslav war in 1992.
The Word: “Kofmel’s film… is liberated from being a slavish work of investigative journalism and free to develop into a more compelling and artistic hybrid.” – Jessica Kiang, Variety
Nomination Chances: Given that this is a live-action/animation mix, it will likely fall outside the parameters of the Animated Feature category, though it could rate a Best Foreign Film nod.
Christopher Robin
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Marc Forster
Release Date: August 3, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%
Synopsis: The Hundred Acre Wood gang reunites with the adult — and now joyless working stiff — Christopher Robin, and encourage him to rediscover the finer things in life, such as his family.
Box Office to Date: $95 million
The Word: “Christopher Robin bobs along agreeably, a mellow, often melancholy and entirely diverting job of work that keeps the spirit of the characters intact.” – Nick Pinkerton, Sight and Sound
Nomination Chances: The fact that the animated characters, while certainly vital to the story, more resemble special effects likely eliminates it from the race.
Paddington 2
(U.K.)
Studios: Heyday Films, StudioCanal, Warner Bros. Pictures (U.S.)
Director: Paul King
Release Date: January 12, 2018 (U.S.)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Box Office to Date: $40.4 million
Synopsis: The little bear adopted by the Browns is now a popular member of his London community, but the theft of an antique pop-up book Paddington was eyeing as a special present for Aunt Lucy gets him caught up in a hairy crime caper.
The Word: “[Paddington 2] has one out-loud laugh, plenty of sincere cleverness, vast technical ingenuity, a warm heart, lively performances and enough gyroscopic camera moves to make Max Ophüls jealous.” – Richard Brody, The New Yorker
Nomination Chances: Despite the lovely inside-the-pop-up-book sequence and delightful character animation moments, it’s unlikely Paddington 2 will make the Animated Feature consideration cut. Don’t count out a vfx nod, though.
Studios: Sony Pictures Animation, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing
Director: Will Gluck
Release Date: February 3, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%
Box Office to Date: $115.3 million
Synopsis: The live-action descendant of grouchy old Farmer McGregor inherits his great-uncle’s manor, finding animated Peter Rabbit and his mischievous animal friends living there, which sets up a battle for the property.
The Word: “There are good laughs along the way, but they’re clobbered to death by Gluck’s insistence that you acknowledge them.” – Adam Graham, Detroit News
Nomination Chances: Like its aesthetic cousin Christopher Robin, there’s not enough perception that this qualifies as an animated feature to worry about a nomination. The film set a box office record in the U.K.
Ready Player One
Studios: Warner Bros. Pictures, Amblin Entertainment
Director: Steven Spielberg
Release Date: March 19, 2018
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%
Box Office to Date: $137 million
Synopsis: Young people in a dystopian, VR-controlled, futuristic world search for a clue in a video game that will lead to obtaining control of the entire artificial reality.
The Word: “Ready Player One isn’t the Spielberg home run that fans of the book may have hoped it would be, but it’s a solid double and a good time that is almost perversely suited for home viewing.” – Joe Reid, Decider
Nomination Chances: The line between animation and visual effects has not been this blurred since Avatar, which means its chances are probably better for a Best Visual Effects nod.
Welcome to Marwen
Studios: Universal Pictures, ImageMovers, DreamWorks Pictures
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Release Date: December 21, 2018
Synopsis: The true story of artist Mark Hogancamp, who was left brain-damaged from an assault, and recreated himself in miniature as a World War II hero. In the film, his miniatures come alive in his fantasies.
The Word (based on the trailer): “Universal Pictures probably felt the bad buzz that existed after the first trailer … The new trailer is almost completely different, this time focusing on Steve Carell’s performance as an artist struggling with PTSD after a traumatic brain injury … [it] paints a completely different picture of the film.” — Charles Barfield, The Playlist
Nomination Chances: A story that could only be presented using animation techniques, but it is still hard to characterize it as an animated picture.
