With Oscar nomination balloting beginning Jan. 12, the prejudice against sequels could lift — even as the gold standard for sequel success remains 1975’s The Godfather Part II, which collected 11 noms and went on to win six trophies, including best picture, besting 1972’s The Godfather, with its 11 noms and three wins. Of course, The Godfather Part II was sui generis, since it functions as both a prequel and a sequel, tracing the rise of the young Vito Corleone, as played by Robert De Niro, and the gradual corruption of Vito’s son Michael, portrayed by Al Pacino.
None of this year’s sequels is quite so narratively ambitious. But with 10 best picture slots to fill, there is room for one or more of them to squeeze in.
At the moment, the best positioned appears to be Top Gun: Maverick, which supercharged the box office last summer and was consequently hailed as much for resuscitating moviegoing as for its tale of heroic flyboys. Though the original 1986 Top Gun was not itself a best picture contender — it received four crafts noms, winning best song for its anthem “Take My Breath Away” by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock — its sequel is showing more strength, already attracting six Critics Choice nominations. …
Like Maverick, the sequels Avatar: The Way of Water, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery have all received six Critics Choice noms each, so they are also in the mix for Academy consideration.
[Eventually, the Academy won’t have much choice. All Hollywood produces these days are tentpole franchises with innumerable sequels and rehashes of previous movies and TV shows. Their actual Oscar choices have grown so esoteric that they have become emblematic of Hollywood’s disconnect from its consumers. — Ed]
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