Will ‘Boy and the Heron’ bring home the Oscars again after nearly 20 years?

Summary

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed seven Japanese films eligible for consideration for the Best Picture category.
• ‘Suzume’ and ‘The Boy and the Heron’ are eligible for Best Movie and Animated Feature categories.

It’s almost been 20 years since any anime movie has won Oscars. It was Miyazaki’s ‘Spirited Away’ that took it home last time and paved the way for global recognition of anime.

Last time, a list of five anime films eligible for the Animated Feature category was released. Now, the films eligible for the Best Picture category have been revealed.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the complete list of films eligible for nomination for Best Picture for the 2024 Oscars.

Among the 265 listed films, the anime films, or films otherwise related or connected to Japanese creators or franchises, include:

• Godzilla Minus One
• Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’
• Godzilla Minus One
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie
• YOSHIKI Under the Sky
• Makoto Shinkai’s ‘Suzume’
• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Godzilla Minus One has already been shortlisted for the Visual Effects category. This is the first time a Japanese film has made the shortlist for the Visual Effects award at the Academy Awards.

While ‘The Boy and the Heron’ was already shortlisted for the Best Animated Feature category. Surprisingly, ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie also made it to the list of films eligible for the Animated Feature category.

The YOSHIKI Under the Sky documentary about X Japan member YOSHIKI was eligible for the Best Documentary category but did not make the shortlist.

The list is strictly a list of eligible films and is not a shortlist or a nomination. The Academy will announce the final nominees on January 23, and the awards ceremony will be held on March 10.

While every movie on the list is impressive, we are all very impressed with ‘The Boy and the Heron’ and ‘Suzume’ for being eligible for both categories.

‘The Boy and the Heron’ is a once-in-a-lifetime movie and an absolute magnum opus. Fans sincerely hope for Miyazaki to take either of those categories, and here’s to that sincere hope.

About “The Boy and The Heron”

“The Boy and The Heron” (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) is an anime film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The story is inspired by the novel of the same name by Genzaburo Yoshino, first published in 1937 and set in pre-war Japan.

The novel tells the story of Copper, a fifteen-year-old boy who lives in Tokyo, watches thousands of people every day and wonders about anything and everything. After his father’s death, he goes on a journey of philosophical enlightenment and uses his knowledge to determine the best way to live!

Source: Indiewire