Since 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has nominated at least nine films for Best Picture in an effort to include more popular films in the race. However, after a year when only one blockbuster made the cut, the Academy is reportedly considering cutting back.
Sources told the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday that the move to go back to only five Best Picture nominees has strong support within the 6,000-member Academy. It’s a clear admission that the six-year experiment hasn’t worked out for the better.
“They tried it, and it really didn't do us any good,” one source told THR.
The Academy’s board of governors, which would have to approve of such a dramatic change, has not received a formal proposal yet. And an Academy spokesperson refused to comment on the upcoming governors meeting on March 24.
From 1944 to 2008, the Academy only nominated five films for Best Picture. But when The Dark Knight wasn’t nominated for Best Picture of 2008, the Academy decided to experiment with a new system that would allow for anywhere up to 10 nominees. However, there never was a year with 10 nominees and there was only one year with less than nine - 2014.
The plan also didn’t suddenly mean that box office hits were being nominated. While films like Avatar, The Blind Side and Pixar’s Toy Story 3 and Up were nominated in past years, the 2014 class only included one movie that even passed $100 million - American Sniper. Only eight films made the cut this year, with Birdman taking the top prize last month.
In addition, these box office hits weren’t actually winning, something that the public picked up on. Even in years with hits, small films like The Hurt Locker, The Artist and Birdman were still winning.
Therefore, the expansion of the field became pointless. It wasn’t drawing in viewers and it certainly wasn’t helping blockbusters win Best Picture.
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