Oscars 2026: 'Avatar 3,' 'Frankenstein,' 'Sinners' among VFX finalists
What's the story
The race for the Best Visual Effects category at the 98th Academy Awards has narrowed down to 20 contenders, reported Variety. The list is dominated by blockbusters and franchise films from major studios including Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, and Netflix. These finalists were informed before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Studio dominance
Disney leads with 7 films in the top 20
Disney, through its subsidiaries, has the highest number of entries with seven films in the final 20. This includes two from 20th Century Studios: Predator: Badlands and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Marvel Studios also contributed with The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Captain America: Brave New World. Walt Disney Pictures was represented by Lilo and Stitch and Tron: Ares.
Other studios
Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures follow suit
Warner Bros. Discovery came second with four entries: Mickey 17, A Minecraft Movie, Sinners, and Superman. The studio also co-distributed F1 with Apple Original Films. Universal Pictures had three entries: Wicked: For Good, How to Train Your Dragon, and Jurassic World: Rebirth. Netflix's Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein was among the finalists too.
Final contenders
This shorlist has not been confirmed yet
Paramount Pictures's Edgar Wright's The Running Man and the last film in Tom Cruise's action franchise, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, were among the finalists as well. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has not publicly released this list or confirmed these films' advancement to the next round.
Important dates
Oscars 2026: Key dates and final nomination process
The preliminary voting period for the Oscars shortlist starts on December 8 and ends on December 12. The shortlists in 12 categories will be announced on December 16. After that, the VFX bake-offs will take place on January 10-11, when the final 10 films will present to branch members for final nomination consideration. Voting for all branches occurs from January 12-16 with nominations announced on January 22. The ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026.