Whether or not this is a direct result of The Dark Knight not getting nominated for Best Picture last year we do not know, but this much we do know: Academy president Sid Ganis announced this morning that beginning with the 82nd Oscar Ceremony (to be aired on March 7, 2010), the Best Picture category will feature a whopping ten nominees instead of the usual five.
While it may seem strange and a bit much to some, the Academy is actually returning to its roots with this decision, as the awards ceremony used to shovel out ten nominees for Best Picture back in the 1930s and '40s. Commenting on the decision, Ganis said, "We nominated five, but there were many other great films last year. Everybody says the academy will never nominate a comedy. Well, maybe we will."
This move opens up the field for a lot of films, not just comedies. For one, you can bet the bank that Pixar's Up will be included in this year's 10, as well as buzzed-about documentaries and foreign films that usually get shoved into their own individual categories. And as for those comedies, I wouldn't be surprised if Judd Apatow's Funny People (due out July 31) makes the list as well. Widening the field to 10 also allows for more commercial choices (i.e.: audience favorites) to make it in there, too. Could we see Star Trek up for Best Picture … or Watchmen? Well, it's certainly possible now…
