The Producer’s Guild of America, who are traditionally one of the most reliable of the Oscar precursors, announced their ten nominees for the best film of 2016 earlier today!
Not on the list: Martin Scorsese’s Silence. Last year, at this time, Silence was the most anticipated of the potential Oscar nominees. Now, 12 months later, whatever momentum that Silence had seems to have fizzled.
You know what film was on the list?
Deadpool!
Somehow, Deadpool has emerged as a legitimate Oscar contender. That doesn’t mean that it’s going to be nominated, of course. Last year, a lot of people made the mistake of getting excited when both Carol and Straight Outta Compton showed up among the Producers Guild’s nominations.
Here’s what we have to remember — every years, the PGA nominates 10 films. However, the Academy never nominates a full slate of 10 films. While the best picture nominees probably will all have received a PGA nomination, that doesn’t mean that every PGA nominee is going to be nominated for best picture.
Still, Deadpool is coming on strong with the guilds. It has some support among the industry.
A best picture nomination for Deadpool? Normally, I’d laugh that off. Then again, at one time, I also laughed off the idea that Mad Max: Fury Road would get a nomination, despite the fact that I thought Mad Max was one of the best films of 2015.
In the end, anything can happen. That’s one reason why Oscar watchers like me are always a little disappointed when the Oscar nominations are announced and the precursor season ends. During the precursor season, anything is possible.
Anyway, here are the PGA nominations:
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:
- Arrival
Producers: Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, Aaron Ryder, David Linde
Producers: Simon Kinberg, Ryan Reynolds, Lauren Shuler Donner
Producers: Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington, Todd Black
Producers: Bill Mechanic, David Permut
Producers: Carla Hacken, Julie Yorn
- Hidden Figures
Producers: Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin & Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams, Theodore Melfi
Producers: Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt
- Lion
Producers: Emile Sherman & Iain Canning, Angie Fielder
Producers: Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck, Kevin Walsh
Producers: Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:
Producer: Lindsey Collins
Producers: Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight
Producer: Osnat Shurer
Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy
- Zootopia
Producer: Clark Spencer
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:
* The PGA previously announced the nominations in this category on November 22, 2016. The list below has been updated to include eligible producers.
- Dancer
Producer: Gabrielle Tana
- The Eagle Huntress
Producers: Stacey Reiss, Otto Bell
- Life, Animated
Producers: Julie Goldman, Roger Ross Williams
- O.J.: Made in America
Producers: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow
- Tower
Producers: Keith Maitland, Susan Thomson, Megan Gilbride
Through the Shattered Lens 