‘Avengers: Doomsday’ & ‘Michael’ Shock Oscars – Suddenly Out of the Race, Here’s Why

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced significant changes to its Oscar rules for the upcoming awards cycle, directly affecting eligibility across various categories.

As reported by Deadline’s Pete Hammond, these new guidelines are part of a comprehensive effort to modernize the evaluation process for films, particularly in light of emerging technologies and shifting release strategies.

One of the key updates pertains to the International Feature Film category. Films can now qualify in two ways: through official selection by their respective countries or by winning specific awards at major international festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Sundance, and Busan. However, this change has also tightened eligibility criteria, leading to confusion regarding certain major studio releases.

Under the revised framework, large-scale studio films like ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Michael’ are no longer eligible for International Feature consideration, as they fail to meet the necessary submission structure linked to national selection committees or qualifying festival pathways. This rule change effectively disqualifies films that do not follow these specific entry routes, even if they are prominent global releases.

Additionally, the Academy clarified that awards in this category will now be awarded to the film itself rather than the country that submits it. However, this adjustment does not alter eligibility requirements; it merely emphasizes that only properly submitted films can compete.

In conjunction with the changes to the international category, the Academy has also reinforced stricter rules regarding authorship and performance, including new language surrounding human-created work and updated voting structures across other branches.

While these changes are extensive, their impact on eligibility has already been noticeable. Major studio titles that were anticipated to contend in various categories are now being excluded based on the updated submission rules, significantly altering the early awards conversation for the season.

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