Visual Effects Nominees:
| “All Quiet on the Western Front” |
| “Avatar: The Way of Water” |
| “The Batman” |
| “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” |
| “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” |
| “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” |
| “Jurassic World Dominion” |
| “Nope” |
| “Thirteen Lives” |
| “Top Gun: Maverick” |
Per the Academy’s press release:
10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 95th Academy Awards. The Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
Each shortlist is determined by members of that corresponding branch, except for International Feature Film. (Members from all branches are invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.)
The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, while the Oscars ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
20th Century Studios
“The Batman”
Warner Bros. Pictures
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Walt Disney Pictures
“Nope”
Universal Pictures
“Top Gun: Maverick”
Paramount Pictures
WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?
“Avatar: The Way of Water” IS visual effects. The film doesn’t exist without them. The first “Avatar” won this category, and with the sequel’s reception, I’m guessing it’s the front-runner again this time. I would also look for “The Batman” and “Top Gun: Maverick” to get nominations for Visual Effects, as they used practical effects, which goes a long way when garnering support. “Nope” is my selfish pick, as I want it to be an Academy Award-nominated film so desperately, and the movie’s visual effects are genuinely Oscar-worthy. And “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is the toss-up pick. Out of the Marvel films shortlisted, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” feels like the more effects-heavy feature, but I can see “Wakanda Forever” being the more well-received film of the two.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Frank Petzold, Viktor Muller, and Markus Frank
October 7, 2022
Directed by Edward Berger
Produced by Malte Grunert and Daniel Dreifuss
Netflix
Synopsis: All Quiet on the Western Front tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Paul and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches. The film from director Edward Berger is based on the world renowned bestseller of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett
December 16, 2022
Directed by James Cameron
Produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau
20th Century Studios
Synopsis: Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
The Batman
Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands, and Dominic Tuohy
March 4, 2022
Directed by Matt Reeves
Produced by Dylan Clark and Matt Reeves
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: Batman ventures into Gotham City’s underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans become clear, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the metropolis.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Daniel Sudick, Geoffrey Baumann, and Michael Ralla
November 11, 2022
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore
Walt Disney Pictures
Synopsis: In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Jörundur Rafn Arnarson, Erik Winquist, and Joe Letteri
May 6, 2022
Directed by Sam Raimi
Produced by Kevin Feige
Walt Disney Pictures
Synopsis: In Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Christian Manz, Oliver Schulz, and Jay Barton
April 15, 2022
Directed by David Yates
Produced by David Heyman, Steve Kloves, Tim Lewis, J.K. Rowling, and Lionel Wigram
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?
Jurassic World Dominion
David Vickery
December 9, 2022
Directed by Colin Trevorrow
Produced by Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley
Universal Pictures
Synopsis: This summer, experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe. From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live–and hunt–alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.
Nope
Guillaume Rocheron, Jeremy Robert, Sreejith Venugopalan, and Scott R. Fisher
July 22, 2022
Directed by Jordan Peele
Produced by Jordan Peele and Ian Cooper
Universal Pictures
Synopsis: A man and his sister discover something sinister in the skies above their California horse ranch, while the owner of a nearby theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon.
Thirteen Lives
Jason Billington
July 29, 2022
Directed by Ron Howard
Produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Karen Lunder, P.J. van Sandwijk, Gabrielle Tana, and William M. Connor
United Artists Releasing
Synopsis: Thirteen Lives recounts the incredible true story of the tremendous global effort to rescue a Thai soccer team who become trapped in the Tham Luang cave during an unexpected rainstorm. Faced with insurmountable odds, a team of the world’s most skilled and experienced divers — uniquely able to navigate the maze of flooded, narrow cave tunnels — join with Thai forces and more than 10,000 volunteers to attempt a harrowing rescue of the twelve boys and their coach. With impossibly high stakes and the entire world watching, the group embarks on their most challenging dive yet, showcasing the limitlessness of the human spirit in the process.
Top Gun: Maverick
Ryan Tudhope, Scott R. Fisher, Seth Hill, and Bryan Litson
May 27, 2022
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, David Ellison, and Christopher McQuarrie
Paramount Pictures
Synopsis: After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
