2016 was a big year for superhero movies, and among the ones that made a big splash were Deadpool and Suicide Squad, though for different reasons. Deadpool finally faithfully adapted the Merc with the Mouth for the big screen after being stuck in development for years, and it went on to be a critical and commercial powerhouse. Suicide Squad served as the third entry in the DC Extended Universe, and although it also made a lot of money, it was met with mostly negative reviews. However, these two movies now share something in common besides being in the same genre: they're both almost eligible to be nominated for an Oscar in the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (via Variety) announced the seven finalists in Makeup and Hairstyling for next year's Academy Awards, and Deadpool and Suicide Squad are among those in contention. The other finalists are The Dressmaker, Florence Foster Jenkins, Hail, Caesar!, A Man Called Ove and Star Trek Beyond. This selection will be narrowed down to three candidates for the ceremony after members of the Academy's makeup artists and hairstylists branch meet on January 7 to watch 10-minute excerpts of all the movies in question and vote.
It's easy to see why Deadpool and Suicide Squad are in the running. For Deadpool, it was surely the makeup work done on Ryan Reynolds to make his Wade Wilson look disfigured after being tortured by Francis. Suicide Squad has a lot more examples, with the ones that immediately come to mind being Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, Jared Leto's Joker and Jay Hernandez's El Diablo. Since it's unlikely that both movies will be one of three final contenders, I'm guessing that Suicide Squad has a better chance of making the cut. That said, the last comic book-based movie that won the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar was 1990's Dick Tracy, so it will be an uphill battle for either of the blockbusters.
It remains to be seen whether Deadpool and Suicide Squad will receive any other Academy Award nominations, but both movies have been swimming in award attention of late. Deadpool recently earned two Golden Globe nominations, while Suicide Squad was nominated for numerous People's Choice Awards and Grammy Awards. The next two-three months are the prime award season, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend to find out all the nominees fare. After that, Deadpool 2 is slated to hit theaters sometime in 2018, while Suicide Squad 2 is in development, as is the Gotham City Sirens movie starring Harley Quinn.
Between Deadpool and Suicide Squad, which do you think stands the better chance of being nominated for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar, let alone winning the award? Let us know in the comments below.
