Whether you believe the film deserved it or not, BLACK PANTHER's Oscar nomination for Best Picture is quite historic as it has become the first superhero movie to receive the honour. In addition to the Best Picture nomination, BLACK PANTHER also received nominations in six other categories, including Best Costume Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song. In reflecting on the importance of BLACK PANTHER's Best Picture nomination, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige summed it up with one word: pride.
"The word that keep coming to me from the moment it happened is just this humbling sense of pride for everyone involved in the movie," Feige told Entertainment Weekly, "It’s the most important recognition that a film can receive in our industry. That’s not lost on any of us. It’s something that’s immensely gratifying. As the numerous phone calls and text messages [show] that went back and forth between all of us who were lucky enough to work on the film, it is just … pride." Although Feige is disappointed that director and co-writer Ryan Coogler wasn't recognized, he says that it was Coogler's vision which inspired Academy voters to nominate the film.
I think Black Panther is a unique movie told by a unique filmmaker in a unique time. It comes down to this amazing cast and crew, and a brilliant director who had something to say. He had a very personal story and struggle to explore, and he wanted to use this movie and this canvas to tell it. Looking over the past year at the cultural impact this movie has had around the world, it feels like the recognition from the Academy this morning is the pinnacle of that.
According to Feige, Academy members responded to "the message of Black Panther, and not just the message within the thematics of the film, but even the story of how the film was made, how it came together, and how it was received… it’s about representation, and it’s about inclusion, and it’s about the importance of telling different types of stories. That the Academy recognized that this morning is extremely gratifying to all of us." You can check out the rest of the Academy Award nominations right here.
What do you think the chances are that BLACK PANTHER will actually win Best Picture?