Oscars: ‘The Last Jedi,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049’ and more advance in VFX race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected 10 films to move forward in the visual effects category for the 90th Academy Awards.

AMPAS made the announcement on Monday. The list is dominated by big-budget tentpole films such as “Blade Runner 2049,” “Dunkirk,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “War for the Planet of the Apes” and “Wonder Woman,” but also includes South Korean action-fantasy “Okja” and Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War tale “The Shape of Water,” which carries a budget of under $20 million.

Here is the list in alphabetical order:

“Alien: Covenant”

“Blade Runner 2049”

“Dunkirk”

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”

“Kong: Skull Island”

“Okja”

“The Shape of Water”

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”

“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”

“War for the Planet of the Apes”

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will now be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Jan. 6. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 23. The 90th Oscars will be held on March 4 at the Hollywood & Highland Center.

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