The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the 20 films that are in contention for this year’s Best Visual Effects Oscar race, narrowing down the field. Those thatdidn’tmake the cut include Sony Pictures’Venomand 20th Century Fox’sDeadpool 2, as well as Netflix’sAndy Serkis-directedMowgli: Legend of the Jungle. But aside from these absences, there are no genuine “snubs” to be found.
Unsurprisingly, all three of Marvel Studios’ superhero movies made the cut, as did Disney’sSolo: A Star Wars Storyand the upcomingMary Poppins Returns. Perhaps more surprisingly, the animated filmsIncredibles 2andIsle of Dogswere nominated, withIncredibles 2marking the first time a CG-animated feature has made it this far in the Visual Effects Oscar race. The stop-motion animatedKubo and the Two Stringspreviously landed an Oscar nod in this category.
Aside from the obvious contenders likeInfinity WarandBlack Panther, I’d personally love to see the nuanced character work inPaddington 2get recognized, or the seamless integration inMission: Impossible – Fallout.Steven Spielberg’sReady Player Oneis pretty stunning as well.
Check out the full shortlist below. These contenders will be further narrowed down after “bakeoff” presentations are granted, at which point we’ll be down to 10 contenders. Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on June 20, 2025.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Christopher Robin
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Mary Poppins Returns
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Mortal Engines
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Paddington 2
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story
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