‘Dunkirk,’ ‘Okja,’ ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Make First Cut In Oscar’s 2018 Visual Effects Race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 20 films that will be officially considered for this year’s Best Visual Effects Academy Award.  Many of the expected contenders made the cut including “Dunkirk,” “The Shape of Water,” “Okja,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Blade Runner: 2049,” “War for the Planet of the Apes” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.”

The only notable omissions were “It” (although horror rarely plays with this branch), “Downsizing” and “Mother!”

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the preliminary shortlist. Later this month, the committee will select the 10 films that will advance to the infamous “Visual Effects Bake Off” and final nominations voting.

Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.

The 20 selected films are as follows:

“Alien: Covenant”
“Beauty and the Beast”
“Blade Runner 2049
“Dunkirk”
‘‘Ghost in the Shell”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”
“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”
“Justice League”
“Kong: Skull Island”
“Life”
“Logan”
“Ojka”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”
“The Shape of Water”
“Spider-Man Homecoming”
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
“Thor: Ragnarok”
“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”
“War for the Planet of the Apes”
“Wonder Woman”