More Competition for Best Picture

The Los Angeles Times reports that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has just announced that the race for the Oscar for Best Picture will now have ten contenders instead of five.

The awards switched from 10 possibilities to only five in 1944. The most notable year for the award was 1939, where the 10 films were "Gone With the Wind" (the winner), "Dark Victory," "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," "Love Affair," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Ninotchka," "Of Mice and Men," "Stagecoach," "The Wizard of Oz," and "Wuthering Heights."

"Having 10 best picture nominees is going [to] allow voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize," Academy President Sid Ganis said.

According to the New York Times, Ganis also said that discussions regarding this change began after this year's show.

"I would not be telling the truth if I said the words 'Dark Knight' did not come up," he said.

The 82nd Academy Awards are scheduled for March 7, 2010.