Ballots for this year’s Academy Awards were mailed out to voters today, and in honor of the official launch of Oscar season I present my own annual list of nominations. No, these aren’t my “best” or anything. No, these are what the Oscar nominations would look like if the ballots were determined solely by box office receipts.
Using the domestic box office tallies available at WorldwideBoxOffice.com, I filled up each category by starting at the top of the list (with Spider-Man 3 in the #1 position) and working my way down through the films, looking for five potential nominees.
As I think it always does, this list shows that the Oscars have surprisingly little to do with box office (where art thou, No Country for Old Men?)… and, not surprisingly, the fact that a movie makes a shitload of money has little to do with award potential (hello, Mr. Bay).
Best Picture, Director
300, Zack Snyder
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, David Yates
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Gore Verbinski
Spider-Man 3, Sam Raimi
Transformers, Michael Bay
Best Actor
Gerard Butler, 300
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Shia Labeouf, Transformers
Tobey Maguire, Spider-Man 3
Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Best Actress
Drew Barrymore, Music and Lyrics
Claire Danes, Stardust
Katherine Heigl, Knocked Up
Kiera Knightley, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Milla Jovovich, Resident Evil: Extinction
Supporting Actor
Wes Bentley, Ghost Rider
Orlando Bloom, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
James Franco, Spider-Man 3
Rupert Grint, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Justin Long, Live Free or Die Hard
Supporting Actress
Ellen Barkin, Ocean’s Thirteen
Kirsten Dunst, Spider-Man 3
Ali Larter, Resident Evil: Extinction
Eva Mendes, Ghost Rider
Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
So, who do you think would walk away with an award in one hand and a fat paycheck in the other?