Hollywood studios have long favored December as the month to release their Oscar hopefuls. Just look at some of the upcoming releases: Leonardo DiCaprio's "The Revenant," Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" and Jennifer Lawrence's "Joy" will all be vying for Best Picture, among others. But what about "Star Wars: The Force Awakens?"
In today's entertainment landscape, it's hard to believe a space opera like "Star Wars" could land the big prize at the Academy Awards. However, a long time ago, the original "Star Wars" nabbed a Best Picture nomination and some are whispering the same could happen for "The Force Awakens."
Overall, the "Star Wars" saga has produced 22 Oscar nominations with seven total wins (six belonging to the first film). For the most part, "Star Wars" has received acclaim for special effects. But Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter believes "The Force Awakens" could break this trend in an admittedly weak year for film.
"It's a year with a lot of movies that many people like, but not a lot of movies that many people love, and the passion that Academy members feel for a film or the people associated with it - as reflected on a preferential ballot - really matters," Feinberg wrote.
Coming out of last night's world premiere, "The Force Awakens" is generating widely positive reviews from critics and Academy members. Plus, up to 10 films can be nominated for Best Picture these days. Do we really think there are 10 films that are better through and through than "The Force Awakens?"
While many of the other contenders for Best Picture may have more weighty material, none can match the level of passion audiences have for "Star Wars." Is "The Force Awakens" fighting an uphill battle for Oscar recognition? Absolutely. But could J.J. Abrams' highly anticipated feature surprise us all? You know it.
