Oscars Best Picture nominee profile: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ helped bring the masses back to movie theaters

Sam Eckmann
·5 min read
10
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

James Cameron’s sci-fi epic “Avatar” stormed the 2010 Oscars with nine nominations and three wins for Cinematography, Production Design, and Visual Effects. The film lost that elusive Best Picture trophy to the more intimate war drama “The Hurt Locker.” Thirteen years later, Cameron has returned to the Oscars with the sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water.” New filming technology, grand special effects, and an emotional story about familial bonds all come together to form the biggest box office juggernaut of the year. Will that be enough for “The Way of Water” to take the top award that the initial film narrowly lost?

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is one of 10 Best Picture nominees this year. It is nominated alongside “All Quiet on the Western Front,” The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Elvis,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “The Fabelmans,” “Tar,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Women Talking.” Cameron’s film racked up a grand total of four nominations. In addition to its Best Picture bid, the movie also contends for Production Design, Sound, and Visual Effects.

More from GoldDerby

SEE Joe Letteri interview: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ VFX supervisor

Since “The Way of Water” missed out on a Cinematography nomination, the sequel cannot repeat all three of its predecessor’s victories. It does appear to be a shoe in for at least one of those categories, however. The film has maintained a commanding lead in our combined odds for Visual Effects all season long. As of this writing it has unanimous support from all of the Gold Derby Experts and Editors to win this race. Production Design and Sound may prove more difficult to win, according to our odds. It currently ranks third for Production Design, behind “Babylon” and “Elvis.” Though, as of this writing, three Experts are predicting “The Way of Water” to pull off a surprise victory here. The film also sits in third place in our combined odds for the Sound category, just behind fellow Best Picture players “Top Gun: Maverick” and “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

The movie might not have as many opportunities at bat as other nominees this year, but “Avatar” comes to the table with a strong case for the top prize: it’s the biggest movie of the year. “The Way of Water” spent an astounding seven weeks as number-one in the domestic box office. Its worldwide gross is over $2.2 billion, making it the highest grossing film of 2022 and the third-highest grossing film of all time. Those numbers are important to the movie-makers of Hollywood, who see evidence every day that the theater-going experience is in freefall. Movie theaters have closed at an alarming rate over the past year, and it doesn’t just affect smaller chains. In January, Regal Cinemas announced that it would close 39 domestic houses, including in major markets like Los Angeles and New York. It’s justifiable to think voters will gravitate towards a Best Picture nominee that is actually getting butts in seats.

SEE AACTA International Awards: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ wins Best Picture

Cameron’s film is not only the type of large-scale story that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible, it also harkens back to a time when the Oscars would reward the biggest, most popular film with their highest honor. “Braveheart,” “Titanic,” “Gladiator,” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” are Best Picture winners that reflect an era when the general public was highly invested in going to the movies, and highly invested in the outcome of the Academy Awards. In the era of the Oscars’ expanded, preferential ballot, blockbusters have had a much harder time claiming Best Picture. More intimate fare usually prevails, and last year the Academy selected its first ever winner from a streaming service: “CODA.” Those in the industry fretting about getting the public out to the theater may want to change course.

This is where the cinematic experience of “Avatar: The Way of Water” comes into play, and is the movie’s most essential asset in the Oscar race. As you sit in the dark auditorium, the lush world of Pandora unfolds before you. An IMAX screen envelopes you in floating mountains, dense alien forests, and whimsical underwater locales. You sit in wonder as characters mounted on impressive beasts zip through the sky and under giant waves. The most common refrain you overhear as you exit the cinema is, “This is what I go to the movies for.” In a world where the viability of the current movie theater business model is on shaky ground, “The Way of Water” is an enticing Best Picture choice for those in the industry looking to keep the magic of cinema alive.

This article is a part of Gold Derby’s “Oscar nominee profile” series spotlighting the 2022 Best Picture nominees. 

PREDICT the 2023 Oscar winners by March 12

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions

Best of GoldDerby

Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.