The 90th Annual Academy Awards were this past Sunday, honoring the very best the film industry had to offer. While both the winners and losers from this past Sunday's ceremony are still processing, studios are already looking forward to next year's Oscars. It should come to no surprise that Disney is already planning which movies to put forward for consideration, and now we may know which two films the House of Mouse is putting hopes behind. Namely, the long awaited sequel Marry Poppins Returns, and Ryan Coogler's massively successful blockbuster Black Panther.
Disney is an absolutely behemoth company, which is always striving for the gold in regards to quality and box office performance. But the studio also want to get their hands on some coveted Oscar trophies, and it looks like Black Panther and Mary Poppins Returns are the most likely candidates for the 91st Academy Awards. Now the question is whether or not the year will provide enough quality films to push Disney out of the running.
This report comes to us from Deadline, which cites an unnamed Disney Exec as the source of the insider information. But since this is far from official (and there's a full year to wait until The Oscars) things can certainly change in the next series of months. Black Panther and Mary Poppins Returns are interesting choices, and should have very different odds at nabbing some nominations next year.
Black Panther definitely makes sense as a possible Oscar contender. Ryan Coogler's superhero movie has been met with massive success, even for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's standards. Its broken box office records, has a universally positive critical rating, and is being seen as a powerful moment in film history. Coogler assembled a fantastic cast of actors who carried out the story, with a particular standout being Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger. Since he took inspiration from Heath Ledger's Joker, Jordan would no doubt like to also nab an Oscar (or nomination) for his performance. Superhero movies have made significant steps forward regarding traditional awards, with Logan nominated for best adapted screenplay.
Mary Poppins Returns feels like more of a dark horse in regards to the biggest Oscar nominations. While creative categories like visuals and music seem like no brainers, I'd be surprised if the wholesome sequel beats out all the Oscar bait that usually come out of the woodworks during Awards Season. But with Oscar favorite Meryl Streep on board alongside Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda and the great Angela Lansbury, there are certainly some potentially great performances.
Aside from those two movies, Disney also has movies like Christopher Robin and A Wrinkle In Time arriving, in addition to the MCU's next few blockbusters. The CGI for those two movies looks absolutely stunning, which could mean some noms for the House of Mouse.
Black Panther is in theaters now, and Mary Poppins Returns will arrive December 25, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
