Oscar animation category will include only three nominees

 

In what is likely a blow to the people behind this year's populist and successful feature-length animated movies, the academy announced today that the animated feature film category will include only three nominees.

The academy has a strange rule when it comes to animated movies. If 16 or more films are submitted over any given year, as was the case last year, then the category will feature five nominees. If there are 15 or fewer, it will showcase only three films. Fifteen films are eligible for consideration, the academy announced today, and as such, there will be only three nominees.

The two most likely nominees will be Pixar's "Toy Story 3" and Dreamworks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon." Now, 13 other movies must vie for the third spot. And this year's list has some strong contenders fighting for it. The most visible include Universal's "Despicable Me," DreamWorks' "Megamind," Disney's upcoming "Tangled" and Warner Bros.' "Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole."

--Nicole Sperling

Photo: "How to Train Your Dragon"; credit: DreamWorks Animation

'Tangled': Mandy Moore, Alan Menken unravel some of the back story

 

Disney's "Tangled" turns the damsel-in-distress story of Rapunzel on its head. In this version of the classic fairy tale, the princess does most of the rescuing, all with the help of her 70 feet of hair.

At a recent screening for The Envelope, and in the video above, Mandy Moore, the voice of Rapunzel, and "Tangled" composer Alan Menken talked about updating the Rapunzel story for modern audiences.

--Rebecca Keegan

 

Oscar voters get 'How to Train Your Dragon' DVD

Over the last few days, Oscar voters received DVD screeners of "How to Train Your Dragon" and "The Karate Kid." So far, they've received these DVDs:

Oct. 28 —  "Alice in Wonderland"

Oct. 22 — "Winter's Bone"

Oct. 15 — "City Island," "Solitary Man," "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger," "Please Give"

Sept. 29 — "Mother and Child," "Animal Kingdom"

-- Tom O'Neil

Photo:  A scene from "How to Train Your Dragon." Credit DreamWorks / Paramount