Saturday, January 5, 2013

Will Bond Get A Best Picture Nomination?

It's been 50 years since 007 made his screen debut with the 1963 spy film, Dr. No. Five decades, five versions of the MI6 agent, two lawsuits over rights to the franchise, one atrocious spoof by Woody Allen and $6 billion dollars later, Bond may be finally getting his due from the big-wigs at AMPAS:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced on Friday that the 85th annual Academy Awards ceremony will include a tribute to 007. The secret agent celebrated his 50th anniversary in 2012, marked by the release of "Skyfall."
"We are very happy to include a special sequence on our show saluting the Bond films on their 50th birthday," said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron in a statement. "Starting with 'Dr. No' back in 1962, the 007 movies have become the longest-running motion picture franchise in history and a beloved global phenomenon."
But it looks like Oscar could be doing the franchise one better: It could be nominated for Best Picture come Thursday morning. The biggest indicator of this is Skyfall nabbing a nomination for Best Film from the Producers Guild of America this week, one of a handful of major indicators of a film's chances of gaining a Best Picture nomination.

As someone who's only introduction through Bond comes from the Brosnan/Craig eras and an advocate of having well-made box office blockbusters getting recognition from the stuck-up members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, I'm grateful that they may be finally ready to give the Bond series recognition for becoming a global icon in film history. Granted, I wish they would have given similar treatment to other well-made mainstream films like The Dark Knight or any of the Harry Potter movies, but it's a good freaking start if this happens.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am the James Bond geek here as you know. I'd be happy if in fact Skyfall gets a nomination though I am not sure it deserves it.

It feels like a career participation mention. Skyfall is a great Bond film. On Her Majesty's Secret Service was better and there is no way that film would ever have gotten nominated. From Russia With Love, Casino Royale (2006) were also arguably better.

Still for the simple fact that Bond doesn't get the kind of respect it deserves I am all for Skyfall getting the nomination.

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