Yesterday, the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences approved several changes for upcoming Oscars, ranging from a new airdate of the 92nd Oscars telecast in early February 2020 and a fixed three-hour runtime for each telecast. Most notably, one of the approved changes is the addition of a category for outstanding achievement in popular film. This means that big-budget blockbusters like Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War have greater opportunities to earn nominations.

The eligibility requirements and the details of the category itself have not been confirmed at the moment. Therefore, it is not clear if this category will be similar to Best Foreign Language Film, where it is judged by the quality of the overall movie. In addition, it is also likely that this category exists to highlight a production element in a blockbuster film such as stunt work or motion capture performance.

Box office performance will definitely be a factor towards a film’s eligibility, though we shall see what other elements help a movie become nominated. For example, it is likely that high approval ratings on aggregate sites can influence a movie’s chance for recognition in the future. For the time being, audiences can further rejoice in knowing that the big-budget blockbusters will gain more attention in awards ceremonies.

What do you think about the Academy initiating a new category for popular movies? Be sure to tweet your thoughts at @superbromovies. – Mark Tan

Source: The Hollywood Reporter