Four of the five spots for Animated Feature seem fairly set in stone for Onward, Over the Moon, Soul, and Wolfwalkers. Those four were all nominated at the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, but it’s still anyone’s guess what film nabs that fifth spot.
Before we get there, I can’t help but ponder if Over the Moon is starting to look slightly shaky. Its rousing anthem “Rocket to the Moon” was missing from the shortlist for Best Original Song and it couldn’t crack the final 15 for Original Score either. It has the might of Netflix behind it, but if there’s a shock snub in the category this year (à la Frozen II last year), this could be it.
The smart money for the fifth spot would be Dreamworks’ colourful sequel The Croods: A New Age. It nabbed the final slot at the Golden Globes and scored a mention on BAFTA’s longlist, which only contains six films this year. Netflix’s other great hope, The Willoughbys took the final place on BAFTA’s longlist, so it’s definitely in play as well.
There’s often a surprise nomination in this category that seemingly comes from nowhere. On that basis alone, my fifth spot goes to Japanese box office sensation Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train. The film has broken records in its homeland and is now being more widely seen around the globe. The international members of the animation branch could certainly see this as their final pick.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE PREDICTIONS:
1. Soul (Disney)
2. Wolfwalkers (GKIDS/Apple TV+)
3. Over the Moon (Netflix)
4. Onward (Disney)
5. Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train (Funimation)
OTHER CONTENDERS:
Bombay Rose (Netflix)
The Croods: A New Age (Universal Pictures)
Earwig and the Witch (Studio Ghibli)
Lupin III: The First (GKIDS)
No. 7 Cherry Lane (Far Sun Films)
On-Gaku: Our Sound (GKIDS)
Ride Your Wave (GKIDS)
Scoob! (Warner Bros)
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (Netflix)
Trolls: World Tour (Universal Pictures)
The Willoughbys (Netflix)
