Producers' Guild Gives Sci-Fi A Chance at an Oscar

By our guest blogger, Matt Jussim

For fans hoping that 2009’s science- fiction blockbusters will score Oscar success in 2010, the Producer’s Guild of America just gave them a boost. The Guild announced that among its 10 nominees for Producer of the Year are "Avatar," "District 9" and "Star Trek."

The other seven nominees joining the sci-fi trio are "An Education," "The Hurt Locker," " Inglourious Basterds," "Invictus," "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," "Up" and "Up in the Air."

This year, the PGA has followed in the footsteps of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' decision to expand the best-film nomination list from five to 10 movies.

The PGA's Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year film award can be a reliable barometer for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Last year's PGA winner, "Slumdog Millionaire," went on to capture Oscar's top prize. In fact, 13 PGA winners over the last two decades have gone on to win the Academy Award for best picture.

Although the nominations are a step in the right direction for the aforementioned science-fiction films, Cinematical says that “over the last decade, the PGA is only sporting a 69% success rate with its nominees.” They also added that just 36 of the last 52 Producer's Guild nominees were in contention for the big prize and only twice in their history did they produce an exact match (1993 & 1994).

Notable movies that failed to make the cut include female-driven pictures "Julie & Julia" and "It's Complicated," the musical "Nine" and specialty films like "A Serious Man," "A Single Man" and "Crazy Heart."

I’m thrilled that the three science-fiction films were nominated. In my opinion, “Star Trek” and “District 9” were two of the best films of the year and I’m happy that they finally are getting some awards love. Even if neither of them wins the award, their chances at scoring an Oscar nomination just got a little better.

The awards will be handed out January 24, 2010 during a ceremony at the Hollywood Palladium.