The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will now be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 6, 2018. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar® consideration.
- “Alien: Covenant”
- “Blade Runner 2049”
- “Dunkirk”
- “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”
- “Kong: Skull Island”
- “Okja”
- “The Shape of Water”
- “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
- “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”
- “War for the Planet of the Apes”
Everything I had on my original predictions made the cut expect for “Wonder Woman,” which now that I’ve seen many of the critics awards, I mistakenly should have included “War for the Planet of the Apes” on my original list, which is bound to get in. “Blade Runner 2049” is still a shoe-in. “Dunkirk” and “The Shape Of Water” will likely have all around love, getting both of those films easy nominations here. “Alien: Covenant” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” were not very well liked, both of which I could easily see passed up. “Okja” is Netflix so I do not see that making the cut either. That leaves the final nomination down to either “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Kong: Skull Island,” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and of those three, “The Last Jedi” has the more impressive visuals, especially with the red salt planet fight scene, which is one of the most iconic images of the year.
NOMINATION PREDICTIONS
- “Blade Runner 2049”
- “War For The Planet Of The Apes”
- “Dunkirk”
- “The Shape Of Water”
- “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
