How Black Panther is both a popular film and Oscar worthy
Black Panther‘s ascension to Oscar-nominated status encapsulates why the proposed “Popular Film” category seemed silly.
Forrest Gump was a six-time Oscar winner? with $677.9 million in the bank. Titanic became a $2.2 billion theatrical money-maker before garnering 11 Academy Awards. There are also releases like Gladiator ($460.6 million, five Oscars) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.1 billion, 11 Oscars) to think about.
What did the Academy board mean when they called for a “Popular Film” category? What do pundits mean when they say something is “award worthy”?
These questions linger in the conversation around Black Panther, which some critics feel only received its Oscar nominations (including one for Best Picture) due to its popularity. But why does one have to disqualify the other, especially when the work made such an impact culturally and financially?
