Looking to nab a Best Picture nomination for “Black Panther,” Disney has hired veteran Oscar strategist Cynthia Swartz to oversee the campaign, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
Disney and its superhero phenomenon “Black Panther” have been at the heart of much of the conversation surrounding the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ addition of a “popular film” category.
Views on the film’s awards potential went from: maybe it could be a best picture nominee, to concern it would be shoehorned into a popular film category created to boost the telecast’s sagging ratings by including more commercial hits.
But Marvel Studios still has its eyes set on best picture.
“Black Panther,” which opened in February and has since grossed $1.3 billion worldwide, won plaudits from audiences and film critics alike, and has sparked academic conversations about race, the lasting ripple effects of slavery and border politics.
In an attempt to boost sagging ratings for the Oscars, the Academy has taken dramatic and likely controversial steps to overhaul the annual awards ceremony. Among the steps, the creation of a category designed to salute “outstanding achievement in popular film.”
The new category comes with a risk. If it is seen as a second Best Picture category for movies that people have actually seen, it could dilute the prestige of the real Best Picture category, and hurt the credibility of the Academy.
Before the academy decided to shake up the awards ceremony and add the popular film category, many people in Hollywood thought “Black Panther” stood a good chance to become the first superhero film nominated for best picture.
Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” earned eight nominations back in 2009, and ended up winning two Oscars. But the film’s omission in the best picture category caused an uproar among fans, and is widely considered the reason the academy expanded the best picture category to as many 10 films from the traditional five nominees.
The idea was that this could open the door for more blockbuster movies, though, that hasn’t really been the case.
One Oscar consultant told The Times: “Right now, I think [academy Chief Executive] Dawn Hudson would crawl in a hole if ‘Black Panther’ gets snubbed for best picture and winds up landing in the popular film category. The funny thing is that Dawn would be way more disappointed than anyone at Marvel.”
13 Best and Worst Oscars Moments, From Frances McDormand's Speech to Gael Garcia Bernal's Singing (Photos)
Although the set design was way over the top with gothic chandeliers and abstract light installations, the 90th Academy Awards were filled with heartwarming but also gut-wrenching moments
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BEST: Rita Moreno
Literally everything about Rita Moreno rocked on Sunday night. Not only did she wear parts of her 1962 Oscars dress when she won an award for “West Side Story, but she also delivered maybe the most over-the-top yet amazing laugh when opening an envelope. Also, Moreno hasn’t aged one day.
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WORST: Set Design
From bizarre eastern-inspired columns and altars, gothic chandeliers, abstract light installations and what looks like two Lady Gaga shoulder pads framing the stage, we have no idea what in God's name was going on with set design this year.
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BEST: Old-Timey Opening Package
For just a split second, you couldn’t tell whether the 2018 Oscars telecast had begun, but soon it became clear that the old-timey film spool was serving as the opening to the awards show. Presented in black and white, the package poked fun at Emma Stone and Armie Hammer and honed in on attendees in the audience -- and at the end, it was revealed that Jimmy Kimmel was narrating the package in the antique voiceover style.
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WORST: Gael Garcia Bernal Singing "Remember Me"
Gael Garcia Bernal singing nominated song "Remember Me" from Oscar-winning film "Coco" wasn't on point. Sure, it was maybe meant to be endearing, but Bernal's performance missed the mark. But we're kind of relieved there is something Bernal isn't good at.
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BEST: Helen Mirren's Jet Ski Pose
Jimmy Kimmel surprised everyone with a need-for-speed gift -- whoever gave the shortest acceptance speech would win a jet ski. And who better to present the jet ski than Dame Helen Mirren? Mark Bridges ended up taking the jet ski home -- along with an Oscar for Best Costume Design for “The Phantom Thread.”
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WORST: "Star Wars" Stars Banter With BB-8
Kelly Marie Tran, Oscar Isaac and Mark Hamill took the stage with BB-8 for some endearing and light-hearted banter, but the audience just kind of politely applauded to humor the group.
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BEST: Mark Wahlberg/Michelle Williams Joke
While Mark Wahlberg glossed over the uncomfortable truth with a $1.5 million donation to Time’s Up, Oscar host Kimmel was not going to let the audience forget that the movie star was paid all that cash for reshoots on “All the Money in the World.” His costar Michelle Williams only got her per diem of $80 per day, and the pair have the same agency in WME, run by Wahlberg's rep Ari Emanuel. “If we can’t trust agents, who can we trust?” Kimmel joked.
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WORST: Joyless Oscar Audience Watching Ecstatic Normals Getting Visited by Celebrities
Jimmy Kimmel improved on his tour bus bit from last year by taking an undercover group of nominees and stars into a nearby advance screening of “A Wrinkle in Time.” Armed with a hot dog gun, buckets of candy and even a huge sub sandwich, stars like Gal Gadot and Emily Blunt shocked regular moviegoers by crashing their evening. The big screen inside the theater reverted to a live shot of the Oscars audience, who looked bored and unimpressed by the stunt.
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BEST: Allison Janney Thanks the "I, Tonya" Bird
When Janney won Best Supporting Actress for her role in "I, Tonya," she thanked the legendary bird for her award.
"To my 'I, Tonya' family: the magnificent Margot Robbie, the fearless Craig Gillespie, a cast and crew and bird that elevated my work," she said.
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BEST: Dreamers Mention From Lupita Nyong'o and Kumail Nanjiani
Kumail Nanjiani and Lupita Nyong'o took their time on stage to share a powerful message for the Dreamers -- the recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program, which had a supposed end date on Monday after Trump ended DACA in September.
"Like everyone in this room and everyone watching at home, we are dreamers," Nyong'o said. "We grew up dreaming of one day working in the movies. Dreams are the foundation of Hollywood, and dreams are the foundation of America."
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BEST: Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph Presenting
The two comedians had the entire audience in tears when they came on stage in their gowns and slippers, and Haddish told Meryl Streep that she wanted her to be her "mama one day."
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BEST: "This Is Me" Performance
Keala Settle moved everyone to tears with her performance of "This Is Us" from "The Greatest Showman," getting everyone in the audience moving and singing along.
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BEST: Frances McDormand's Acceptance Speech
Frances McDormand was so shaken by her Best Actress win that she told the audience to pick her up if she falls down "because she has some things to say." She then invited every female Oscar nominee in the room to stand up, bringing many to tears. She then urged listeners to help tell female stories and finished her speech with "Inclusion Rider."
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Probably the best moment of the night — no Best Picture flub this year
Although the set design was way over the top with gothic chandeliers and abstract light installations, the 90th Academy Awards were filled with heartwarming but also gut-wrenching moments
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