The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed today the 32 films that have been submitted for consideration in the Best Animated Feature Oscar category, and Disney’sThe Lion Kingis not among them. Since the film hit theaters and dominated the box office earlier this year, debate raged on whether it’s actually a “live-action remake” as it was marketed, or if it’s an animated film. In truth there’s only one live-action shot in the whole movie, while the rest was created using cutting-edge visual effects to craft photoreal versions of the characters. So yes, the characters are CG, but they’re not presented as “animated” characters in the traditional sense.
Indeed, Disney opted not to submitThe Lion Kingfor Best Animated Feature consideration, so it will not be presented as such. It is, however, expected to be a major player in the Best Visual Effects race.
Among the films thatarevying for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, we have Disney’s upcomingFrozen IIand Pixar’sToy Story 4, DreamWorks Animation’sHow to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden WorldandAbominable, Warner Bros.’The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part(a film that, I assure you, did actually come out this year), and Illumination Entertainment’sThe Secret Life of Pets 2. LAIKA’sMissing Linkis also competing, and Netflix is entering the race with the upcoming holiday filmKlausand the indieI Lost My Body.
Also of note, acclaimed filmmakerGenndy Tartakovsky’sPrimal – Tales of Savageryis being submitted as a film, despite airing in chunks on Adult Swim.
Notably absent from the list is Aardman Animations’A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, which hits domestic theaters in December. It’s unclear why it was not submitted.
As for who the frontrunner is, traditionally a Disney or Pixar film wins this category (more often Disney than Pixar in recent years), so the safe bets are on eitherToy Story 4or, if it has the goods,Frozen II. We’ll find out when the Oscars take place on June 22, 2025. Nominations will be announced on July 11, 2025.
Check out the list of animated films submitted for consideration below, and click here for my current Best Picture predictions.
Abominable
The Addams Family
The Angry Birds Movie 2
Another Day of Life
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles
Children of the Sea
