blade runner 2049

Warner Brothers is throwing its support behind ‘Blade Runner 2049’ and mounting an extensive ‘For your consideration’ campaign in hopes that the visionary science fiction film could take home some golden appreciation come awards season.  While obviously, the highest honor in the film industry is the Academy Awards, nicknamed the Oscars, bestowed by the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences, there are other big name honors that surely WB and those involved with the film would love to take home.  Arguably, the second highest accolade is the Golden Globe Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.  These awards are given before the Oscars and can sometimes predict the later winners.

Unlike ‘Wonder Woman’, which Warner Brothers is also campaigning for, ‘Blade Runner 2049’ is seen as a more artistic and cerebral film which could give it the edge on what some still view as a “popcorn flick.”

As such, obviously, WB is pushing for the highest honors, including Best Picture and Best Director for Denis Villenueve, as well as Best Adapted Screenplay for Hampton Fancher and Michael Green.  Though they may have less of a chance in the acting categories, WB is also suggesting Ryan Gosling for Best Actor, both Harrison Ford and Jared Leto for Best Supporting Actor, plus Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis and Carla Juri for Best Supporting Actress.  (WB is also pushing for Wright in the same category for ‘Wonder Woman’.)

Science fiction epics have a much better shot in the technical categories and WB is promoting ‘Blade Runner 2049’ in plenty of those.

Here is a rundown:

    • BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

      ROGER A. DEAKINS, ASC, BSC

    • BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

      Production Designer

      DENNIS GASSNER

      Set Decorator

      ALESSANDRA QUERZOLA

    • BEST FILM EDITING

      JOE WALKER, ACE

    • BEST COSTUME DESIGN

      RENÉE APRIL

    • BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

      Visual Effects Supervisors

      JOHN NELSON

      PAUL LAMBERT

      RICHARD R. HOOVER

      Special Effects Supervisor

      GERD NEFZER

    • BEST SOUND MIXING

      Production Sound Mixer

      MAC RUTH

      Re-Recording Mixers

      RON BARTLETT

      DOUG HEMPHILL

    • BEST SOUND EDITING

      Supervising Sound Editor

      MARK MANGINI

      Sound Designer

      THEO GREEN

    • BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

      Head of Department Make-Up Designer

      DONALD MOWAT

      Hair Designer

      KERRY WARN

    • BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

      BENJAMIN WALLFISCH

      HANS ZIMMER

In addition to ‘Blade Runner 2049’ and ‘Wonder Woman’, WB is also mounting campaigns for ‘Dunkirk’ and ‘The LEGO Batman’ movie.

Gosling was nominated last year for Best Actor for ‘La La Land’ and was previously nominated for ‘Half Nelson’.  Villeneuve was also nominated last year for ‘The Arrival‘.  Ford, for as long and illustrious a career he’s had, has only ever been nominated once, way back in 1986 for ‘Witness’.

Some may point out ‘Blade Runner 2049”s disappointing box office as working against it, but financial numbers have nothing to do with these types of nominations.  Most major award films have tiny budgets and weak box office until their nominations.

Do you think ‘Blade Runner 2049’ deserves big name recognition this awards season?  Can it stand up against the more grounded fare that normally dominate?

Source: Warner Brothers