Final Oscars Predictions: Animated Feature – Guillermo del Toro Set to Make History for Latino Filmmakers and Netflix With ‘Pinocchio’

Clayton Davis
·4 min read
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Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages are Davis’ assessment of the current standings of the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any film or performance. Like any organization or body that votes, each individual category is fluid and subject to change. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

LAST UPDATED: March 9, 2023

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2023 Oscars Predictions: Best Animated Feature

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, (aka (PUSS IN BOOTS 2: THE LAST WISH), from left: Puss in Boots (voice: Antonio Banderas), Perro (voice: Harvey Guillen), Kitty Softpaws (voice: Salma Hayek), 2022. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, (aka (PUSS IN BOOTS 2: THE LAST WISH), from left: Puss in Boots (voice: Antonio Banderas), Perro (voice: Harvey Guillen), Kitty Softpaws (voice: Salma Hayek), 2022. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

CATEGORY COMMENTARY:

We don’t need to entertain this any further. Netflix’s “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” has won every possible award for animation on its march to the 95th Oscars ceremony, including the Annies, ACE and PGA awards.

Guillermo del Toro will be the first person, and Latino, to have Oscars for best picture, director and animation, along with Netflix becoming the first streamer to win this category. He previously won statuettes for “The Shape of Water” (2017).

Everyone loves Guillermo!

Will Win: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) – Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley
Could Win: “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” (A24) – Dean Fleischer-Camp, Andrew Goldman, Elisabeth Holm, Caroline Kaplan, Paul Mezey
Should Win: “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”
Should have been here: “Wendell and Wild” (Netflix) – Henry Selick, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jordan Peele

See the latest film predictions, in all 23 categories, in one place on Variety’s Oscars Collective. To see the ranked predictions for each individual category, visit Variety’s Oscars Hub.

See the 2022-2023 Awards Season calendar for all key dates and timelines.

Countdown to the Oscars with Variety here.

ALL AWARDS CONTENDERS AND RANKINGS:

And The Nominees Are:

Rank

Film

Eligible Director(s) and Producer(s)

Distributor

1

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley

Netflix

A darker version of the classic children’s fairy tale of a wooden puppet that transforms into a real living boy.

2

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”

Joel Crawford and Mark Swift

DreamWorks Animation

Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burned through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.

3

“Turning Red”

Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins

Pixar

A 13-year-old girl named Meilin turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited.

4

“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On”

Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey

A24

Feature adaptation of the animated short film interviewing a mollusk named Marcel.

5

“The Sea Beast”

Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger

Netflix

When a young girl stows away on the ship of a legendary sea monster hunter, they launch an epic journey into uncharted waters – and make history to boot.

2023 Academy Awards Predictions

BEST PICTURE | DIRECTOR | ACTOR | ACTRESS | SUPPORTING ACTOR | SUPPORTING ACTRESS | ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY | ADAPTED SCREENPLAY | ANIMATED FEATURE | PRODUCTION DESIGN | CINEMATOGRAPHY | COSTUME DESIGN | FILM EDITING | MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING | SOUND | VISUAL EFFECTS | ORIGINAL SCORE | ORIGINAL SONG | DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | INTERNATIONAL FEATURE | ANIMATED SHORT | DOCUMENTARY SHORT | LIVE ACTION SHORT

The 95th Oscars ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre and televised live on ABC on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

2022 category winner: "Encanto" (Walt Disney Pictures) - Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino, Clark Spencer

About Variety Awards Circuit:

Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online and provides inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races. In addition to predictions, the section includes -- Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders in the race; Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly series featuring interviews with the top contenders in the awards race and an expert roundtable discussion with Variety's leading editors and columnists; Awards Circuit Predictions Video Series, a deep dive into specific categories, led by the leading pundits.

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