The average moviegoer might be eager to see another chapter in their favorite franchise, but when it comes to the country’s most prestigious awards show, sequels struggle to attract much attention at the Oscars. Over the course of the 96 ceremonies so far, nine direct sequels have been nominated for Best Picture, with only two lucky enough to go home with the shiny golden man. The first victory came in 1975, when Francis Ford Coppola explored two different generations of the Corleone family in The Godfather Part II. The second didn’t come until 2004, when the Academy praised Peter Jackson’s first loving farewell to Middle-earth the best of the films “Lord and the Rings” and “The Hobbit”.“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
The two films couldn’t be further apart. One is about kissing the ring, while the other is about doing whatever it takes to destroy a (completely different) finger band. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that both films had a significant influence not only in their respective years of release, but throughout film history. Often considered two of them the best films of all timeCoppola’s and Jackson’s epics are both films that are compelling in their own right, even if they build on what came before and tie together loose threads from it. The great thing now is that this once-rare trend of a sequel taking up a Best Picture nomination spot at the Oscars is becoming more common and all the more likely to increase in the coming years.
Further sequels are attracting attention at the Oscars
Of the nine sequel films nominated for Best Picture so far, six were released after 2002. The most recent two – “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Top Gun: Maverick” – came out specifically 2023, also known as the year of the Oscar blockbusters. Unfortunately, both lost to the devastatingly brilliant “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” It was great to see an imaginative and original sci-fi film take the Academy’s top honor (which is rare in itself), but it seems that now more than ever, Hollywood is a franchise-producing monster, and the The likelihood of another sequel increases. Winning the most coveted prize of the evening is greater than ever.
With that in mind, could “Gladiator II” or “Dune: Part Two” get recognition at the 97th Academy Awards? Is it possible that Tom Cruise’s farewell to the IMF and Ethan Hunt will be treated as well in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning as Top Gun: Maverick? Could Vin Diesel’s gas-filled swansong as Dominic Toretto in “Fast XI” give the “Fast & Furious” franchise the respect it deserves? It’s anyone’s guess, but like any good sequel, this article has to end on a cliffhanger as we wait for the next chapter of the story.
To be continued.
