Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicTo put it incredibly bluntly, The Walt Disney Company has not had its best year. After what many hardcore fans call its “Flop Era,” the studio somehow received several Academy Award nominations for this year’s Oscars.
Although the studio’s performance at the box office over the previous year has been anything but stellar, Disney has 20 Oscar nominations under its belt. While reception for projects like Wish (2023) might not have met expectations, films like Elemental (2023) are sweeping the competition.
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It should be noted that while Disney-owned films have been nominated, not all are directly connected to the House of Mouse. Searchlight Pictures (a division of the Walt Disney Company) is responsible for 13 out of the 20 nominations, but that doesn’t mean Disney is incapable of making movie magic.
Disney To Surprise Everyone at the Oscars
The official report from The Hollywood Reporter reads,
“Disney walked away with 20 nominations Tuesday morning for movies from its myriad film stables. Searchlight accounted for 13 of those, including 11 for ‘Poor Things.’ The Yorgos Lanthimos-directed movie landed a spot in numerous top categories, including best picture, best director and best actress (Emma Stone). Among Disney’s other noms, Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ is up for best animated feature, while National Geographic Films landed a spot in the best documentary feature category for ‘Bobi Wine: The People’s President.'”
20 Oscar nominations is certainly no easy feat, but movies like Poor Things (2023) don’t exactly fit the magical Disney mold. However, despite their flop status, many of the studio’s features this year are still walking into the ceremony with their heads held high.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny might not have been the action-packed blockbuster hit Disney was expecting, grossing in at only $60 million out of the $600 million it needed to break even. That said, there is indeed still a place for Dr. Jones and his globe-trotting adventurers.
Although some might think its time for the beloved archeologist to retire, the series’ legendary composer has other ideas. John Williams was officially nominated for Best Original Score, and he might very well walk out with yet another Oscar if his reputation still proceeds him.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Before he made the jump to DC, James Gunn left Marvel with an emotional freight train of a parting gift with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. While this writer believes the final adventures of the MCU’s favorite team of rag-tag outlaws deserve nothing less than Best Picture, the film was already previously short-listed for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
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Much of the film’s weight and visual storytelling come from the creatures and characters brought to life by Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, and Theo Bialek at Marvel Studios. In short, Rocket couldn’t have his heart-wrenching story if it wasn’t for this team’s contributions to the final adventure.
Elemental (2023)
A surprise hit if there ever was one, Pixar’s fiery romcom had viewers flooding to watch it when it came out. Although it had a slow rise at the theaters, word of mouth soon had the film soaring to the top of the charts.
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While it’s true that the studio had the worst opening in Pixar history, bringing in only $29.6 million when it started, it soon climbed to $500 million worldwide. Peter Sohn’s personal passion project led by Wade and Ember currently stands as the only full-length animated film from Disney to be nominated for Best Animated Feature.
Although we’re still a month or so out from the official Academy Awards Ceremony, Disney likely won’t walk away empty handed. That said, the studio will truly have to wow the judges to reclaim its once-sterling reputation.
Does Disney have enough magic to take home Oscar gold? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!