Academy Awards adding a "Best Popular Film" category. Good or bad idea? Academy walks it back, won't be presented this year

[The Panda]

At the very least they could have made a “Best Action/Stunt” award and/or “Best Comedy”, as at least that’s a blockbustery category that is quantifying something meaningful.

 

 

[Pinacolada]

They better change their mind and stop this nonsense

[Deja23]

I don’t see these changes working out the way they think. The new category is fine I guess, but it screams pandering due to the movies that have been released this year. I get they had their lowest ratings this year, but nominating more popular movies won’t necessarily make people who don’t watch the Oscars live tune in. I don’t think any of the blockbusters released this year should get a BP nomination, but can’t help but think this new category is a way of appeasing those who do. 

 

Not televising some categories live is fine as long as they do show them later in the show. 

[CoolioD1]

If we're doing this then Actual Best Picture should go back down to five since literally the reason it was expanded was to try get popular movies nominated. But that wasn't one of the announced changes so I guess not.

[filmlover]

Just now, Deja23 said:

I don’t see these changes working out the way they think. The new category is fine I guess, but it screams pandering due to the movies that have been released this year. I get they had their lowest ratings this year, but nominating more popular movies won’t necessarily make people who don’t watch the Oscars live tune in. I don’t think any of the blockbusters released this year should get a BP nomination, but can’t help but think this new category is a way of appeasing those who do. 

 

Not televising some categories live is fine as long as they do show them later in the show. 

It's a way of pandering to the People's Choice Awards crowd and nothing more. This isn't going to have the effect they're looking for.

[The Panda]

If the Academy really wants more viewers they should just add a Hulu and YouTube stream, since that’s the future of TV.

[RandomCat]

So...how do you categorize most popular for this? Whatever the critics voting liked best? Isn't that just the best picture category.

 

Basically, this is just the "Let the commoners have an award, and we will laugh, and laugh."

[EarlyDeadlinePredictions]

Will meme impact be considered? (ex. )

[CoolioD1]

2 minutes ago, Pandamia! said:

If the Academy really wants more viewers they should just add a Hulu and YouTube stream, since that’s the future of TV.

They have a deal with ABC that'll last until at least the 100th oscars in 2028. They might want to do something like that but not sure if they're contractually able to.

[RandomCat]

2 minutes ago, Pandamia! said:

If the Academy really wants more viewers they should just add a Hulu and YouTube stream, since that’s the future of TV.

Oh god, so not only will it be 2 minutes of ads for 3 minutes of content, but it'll be the same 2 ads over and over again!

[TalismanRing]

This is ridiculous. 

 

The Best Film category was opened to 10 films just so it could possibly include more popular films and all they did was make it more niche by changing the voting rules.  It will become a ghetto like Best Animated - which no matter how great a film is can't sniff the Best Film category any more. 

[YM!]

This is a awful idea. Most blockbusters in general don’t reach that level and it alienates the few great blockbusters, especially when there’s a few great ones this year (AQP, Panther, Fallout) from a chance at an Oscar and basically gives them a Peoples Choice Awards.

 

On the bright side, the MCU will gets it first Oscar.

[Morieris]

6 minutes ago, Pinacolada said:

They better change their mind and stop this nonsense

 

I think we're all missing the possibility of the bigger picture here - 

 

Most Popular Movie Oscar Winner Teen Titans Go To the Movies. 

[WrathOfHan]

The reaction online seems to be unanimously negative. This is only going to last a year, especially when it doesn't lead to a ratings boost at all.

[TalismanRing]

3 minutes ago, YourMother the Edgelord said:

This is a awful idea. Most blockbusters in general don’t reach that level and it alienates the few great blockbusters, especially when there’s a few great ones this year (AQP, Panther, Fallout) from a chance at an Oscar and basically gives them a Peoples Choice Awards.

 

On the bright side, the MCU will gets it first Oscar.

Let's be real though - most films nominated for Best Picture aren't great films - they're just the kind of good films that Oscar likes.

 

It feels like they're creating this category just so they can avoid nominating BP in the Best Film category.  That will go over well...

 

 

Edited August 8, 2018 by TalismanRing

[filmlover]

Angry Reddit User: "I am so mad that Infinity War will not be nominated for Best Picture. I saw it 30 goddamn times! How could they snub such a perfect movie!"

 

Academy: "Let them eat cake have their own award!"

[The Panda]

Just now, RandomCat said:

So...how do you categorize most popular for this? Whatever the critics voting liked best? Isn't that just the best picture category.

 

Basically, this is just the "Let the commoners have an award, and we will laugh, and laugh."

Pretty much it’s a “Favorite movie over x DOM/WW” award.  I’d reckon it’ll be a 150m cut-off (potentially even 100m)

 

Other years would have looked something like this

 

2017

1. Get Out

2. Dunkirk

3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

4. Logan

5. Wonder Woman

 

2016

1. La La Land

2. Hidden Figures

3. Zootopia

4. Deadpool

5. Rogue One

 

2015

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

2. The Martian

3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

4. Inside Out

5. Straight Outta Compton

[EarlyDeadlinePredictions]

5 minutes ago, WrathOfHan said:

The reaction online seems to be unanimously negative. This is only going to last a year, especially when it doesn't lead to a ratings boost at all.

Yeah this is going to backfire spectacularly. 

[grim22]

2 minutes ago, Pandamia! said:

Pretty much it’s a “Favorite movie over x DOM/WW” award.  I’d reckon it’ll be a 150m cut-off (potentially even 100m)

 

Other years would have looked something like this

 

2017

1. Get Out

2. Dunkirk

3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

4. Logan

5. Wonder Woman

 

2016

1. La La Land

2. Hidden Figures

3. Zootopia

4. Deadpool

5. Rogue One

 

2015

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

2. The Martian

3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

4. Inside Out

5. Straight Outta Compton

I think the voters will restrict this to live action mentally. Animated movies have their own category and will stay there. It will be different ghettos for each type of movie.

[The Panda]

5 minutes ago, TalismanRing said:

Let's be real though - most films nominated for Best Picture aren't great films - they're just the kind of good films that Oscar likes.

 

It feels like they're creating this category just so they can avoid nominating BP in the Best Film category.  That will go over well...

 

 

Lol, if BP literally misses the BP nod because of this stupid decision.  It’s one of the rare comic book movies that’s legit deserving (as were WW and Logan)