85th Oscar Animated Feature Updates (3/16/12)

Typically when considering the animated film category, prognosticators look at the scheduled wide-releases and simply line them up based upon the studios that produced them. Last year, however, four foreign language films made the short list, and two of them received nominations.

I’ve stepped up my game to try to acknowledge this, looking for foreign and independent animated films that might sneak up and surprise us. In reality, fewer than 20 of these films will actually qualify, with the others foregoing U.S. releases, going directly to DVD or being disqualified. Still, I’m hoping to claim the bragging rights for being the first one to identify those surprises.

For the moment, I have moved The Lorax out of the top 5. Reviews seem to suggest that it is a solid kid’s story, but the critics don’t seem to be overjoyed by it the way they were with last year’s Rango. I am also beginning to wonder whether the supernatural themes of Frankenweenie, ParaNorman and Hotel Transylvania might lead to a situation where all three are overlooked. With their current release schedules being compressed within a two month time frame, it will be that much more difficult for one of them to emerge as the clear front-runner.



1. Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman for Brave (previous rank 2)
2. Hiromasa Yonebayashi for The Secret World Of Arrietty (Kari-Gurashi No Arietti) (previous rank 1)
3. Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt for The Pirates! Band Of Misfits (previous rank 14)
4. Peter Ramsay for Rise Of The Guardians (previous rank 4)
5. Richard Goldgewicht for Pablo (previously listed in 84th Oscar race, rank 21)



Alternates:
6. Tim Burton for Frankenweenie (previous rank 7)
7. Chris Butler and Sam Fell for ParaNorman (New)
8. Ken Daurio and Kyle Balda for Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (previous rank 3)
9. Will Finn and Dan St. Pierre for Dorothy Of Oz (previous rank 19)
10. Antoine Delesvaux and Joann Sfar for The Rabbi’s Cat (Le Chat Du Rabbin) (previously listed in 84th Oscar race, rank 2)
11. Patrice Leconte for The Suicide Shop (Le Magasin Des Suicides) (previous rank 15)
12. Genndy Tartakovsky for Hotel Transylvania (New)
13. Jairo Eduardo Carrillo and Oscar Andrade for Little Voices (Pequenas Voces) (New)
14. Alex Williams for The Wild Bunch (previous rank 11)
15. Rich Moore for Wreck-It Ralph (previous rank 8)
16. Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier for Ice Age: Continental Drift (previous rank 13)
17. Bibo Bergeron for A Monster In Paris (Un Monstre A Paris) (previously listed in 84th Oscar race, rank 24)
18. Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Conrad Vernon for Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (previous rank 5)
19. Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie for Aya Of Yop City (Aya De Yopougon) (New)
20. Anca Damian for Crulic: The Path To Beyond (Crulic: Drumul Spre Dincolo) (New)
21. Yoshimi Itazu and Satoshi Kon for The Dreaming Machine (Yomemiru Kikai) (previously listed in 84th Oscar race, rank 8)
22. Michel Ocelot for Tales Of The Night (Les Contes De La Nuit) (previously listed in 84th Oscar race, rank 12)
23. Antoine Charreyron for The Prodigies (La Nuit Des Enfants Rois) (previously listed in 84th Oscar race, rank 6)
24. Zack Keller and Ed Skudder for The Inventors (previous rank 27)
25. Hiroyuki Okiura  for A Letter To Momo (Momo E No Tegami) (New)

26. Seong-yun Oh for Leafie: A Hen Into The Wild (Madangeul Naon Amtak) (New)
27. Chris Sullivan for Consuming Spirits (New)
28. Luis Mandoki for Banking On Mr. Toad (previously listed in 84th Oscar race, rank 23)
29. Martin Clapp, Dorota Kobiela and Geoff Lindsey for The Flying Machine (New)
30. Terence Nance for An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty (New)
31. Eduardo Schuldt for Los Ilusionautas (New)
32. Remi Bezancon and Jean-Christopher Lie for Zarafa (New)
33. Barrett Esposito for Henry & Me (New)
34. Juan Jose Campanella for Metegol (Foosbal) (previous rank 22)
35. Wayne Thornley for Zambezia (New)
36. Jean-Francois Laguionie for Le Tableau (The Table) (New)
37. Kresten Vestbjerg Anderson, Thorbjorn Christoffersen and Phillip Einstein Lipski for Ronal The Barbarian (Roanl Barbaren) (New)
38. Kory Juul for White Tiger Legend (previous rank 17)
39. Saranne Bensusan for The Hunting Of The Snark (New)
40. Renato Barreto for Ivete Stellar Stone And Light (Ivete Stellar E A Pedra Da Luz) (New)
41. Stephane Berla and Mathias Malzieu for The Boy With The Cuckoo-Clock Heart (Le Mecanique Du Coeur) (New)
42. Tony Tang for Sky Force (New)
43. Anthony Bell for Norm Of The North (previous rank 6)
44. Ben Stassen for Sammy’s Adventures: The Secret Passage (A Turtle’s Tale) (Sammy’s Avonturen: De Geheime Doorgang) (previously listd in 84th Oscar race, rank 16)
45. Tom Walsh for Dwegons (New)
46. Deryck Broom and Roger Hawkins for The Lion Of Judah (previously listed in 84th Oscar race, rank 15)
47. Kevin Lima for Monkeys Of Mumbai (New)
48. Bill Boyce and John Stronach for Noah’s Ark: The New Beginning (New)
49. Keiichi Hara for Colorful (Karafuru) (New)
50. Leon Joosen for Saving Santa 2012 (New)


As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories!   
See Animated Feature predictions for other years HERE.
If you’re really into animation, check out the Animated Shorts also.
See predictions for other categories at the 85th Oscars HERE.
Switch to another year: 84th,  85th,  86th,  87th,  88th,  89th  
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