Credit: PixarAs the Academy Awards charge around the corner, Disney is not making nearly as many waves as it has in the past. Although the studio has 20 nominations, Elemental stands alone as its solitary entry for Best Animated Feature.
Disney won’t be leaving the Oscars empty-handed, especially with Searchlight’s Poor Things (2023) taking several categories. However, this is the second time an official Disney animated feature hasn’t been nominated for an Academy Award, largely in part to the performance of Strange World (2022).
That said, Pixar’s unconventional rom-com from director Peter Sohn might be Disney’s lifeline to maintain its Oscar gold standard. With competition from films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) and Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron (2023), both studios need some Disney magic.
Pixar is “Elemental” in Disney’s Success
Disney dealt with an ocean of controversy last year, as poor box office performance has led to fans calling it the studio’s “Flop Era.” While the much-anticipated Wish (2023) failed to meet many expectations, Elemental was a slow-burning hit from Pixar that won the audience back over.
From a dismal opening of $29.6 million to a triumphant near $500 billion soon after, Ember and Wade’s tale of romance and intercultural relationships was nothing short of a Disney underdog scenario. Pair that with the semi-autobiographical nature of Peter Sohn’s direction, and it’s truly a gem more than worthy of the Oscar.
Not only that, but the vocal performances of Leah Lewis as Ember and Mamoudou Athie as Wade were incredibly instrumental in the film’s emotional delivery. Despite recent reports, Disney truly had a harmony of elements in this new Pixar classic.
That’s all well and good, and all the luck in the world is undoubtedly wished to Pixar and all those involved, but the competition will be tough to beat. Not only is the film going toe-to-toe with a Spider-Verse movie, the winner of 2022’s Best Animated Feature, but it will also have to contend with another mega Disney competitor, the legendary Studio Ghibli.
Elemental is a different breed of Disney movie, proving that the studio can adapt to new audiences and tastes while maintaining its classic nature. If it does manage to take home the Academy Award this year, it could be the catalyst Disney needs to kick things back into gear.
Do you think Disney can still take home an Oscar? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!