The Oscars Will Be Adding A New Category To Honor ‘Popular’ Movies

After months of discussions, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved three new changes to the Oscars, one of which could have huge implications on the Best Picture category. But first: the Academy is serious about a three-hour telecast (“We are committed to producing an entertaining show in three hours, delivering a more accessible Oscars for our viewers worldwide”), and the date of the 92nd Oscars has been moved up, from February 23, 2020 to Feb. 9 (next year’s Oscars will remain on Feb 24, 2019).

Here’s the big one.

New award category

We will create a new category for outstanding achievement in popular film. Eligibility requirements and other key details will be forthcoming.

The Academy Awards has struggled with how to balance blockbusters and more obvious “Oscar movies” ever since The Dark Knight, arguably the greatest superhero movie of all-time, wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. (In response, the category went from five possible nominations to 10.) Best Popular Picture (or whatever) is a way for the Academy to honor comic book and action films, like Avengers: Infinity War and Mission: Impossible — Fallout, that might be otherwise overlooked everywhere but the technical categories. But the “eligibility requirements and other key details” wording begs a lot of questions, like can Black Panther be up for both Best Picture and Best Popular Picture And: can Suicide Squad be nominated again, so it can win another Oscar

UPDATE: the Academy offered a bit of clarification.

While the details for a popular film category are still being finalized, a single film is eligible for an Oscar in both categories — Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film and the Academy Award for Best Picture. The new category will be introduced this coming year, at the 91st Oscars. In creating this award, the Board of Governors supports broad-based consideration of excellence in all films.

Either way, I look forward to the Oscars turning into the MTV Movie Awards. Add Best Kiss, too!

Reactions to the news has been — let’s say — mixed.

— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) August 8, 2018

I can't believe it happened again. pic.twitter.com/jQDqsjMdjC

— Scott Tobias (@scott_tobias) August 8, 2018

still no oscar for stunt performances/choreography or voice acting but cool, why not add an award for most popular movie, to the popular movie awards

— demi adejuyigbe (@electrolemon) August 8, 2018

an exclusive statement from the president of the Academy: pic.twitter.com/lVVxZnHiYa

— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) August 8, 2018

if it was actually just a "most popular film" award I would be into it as I am always rooting for a more postmodern Oscars

— Emily Yoshida (@emilyyoshida) August 8, 2018

re. these Oscar changes: I want #BlackPanther nominated for **Best Film**, not whatever new Popular Trending Thing category they making up

— Evan Narcisse (@EvNarc) August 8, 2018

YOU SAY: The Oscars are adding an award for achievement in popular movies

I HEAR: Christine Baranski and Jessica Keenan Wynn are winning a joint Oscar for their work as "Tanya" in the popular film MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN pic.twitter.com/BGYrgADtyO

— Kevin O'Keeffe (@kevinpokeeffe) August 8, 2018

Oscars 2019:

"Okay you mouth-breathing morons, now that we've bored you with Barry Jenkins, here's a statue to, I dunno, Groot or some shit."

— Jordan Hoffman (@jhoffman) August 8, 2018