Oscar nominations were announced this morning, and while there are some small victories for people who wouldn't usually be celebrated, there is one film with a very strong fanbase that many believe was snubbed. For only the second time in ten years, no big comic book movies were nominated and fans are most notably angry that Warner Bros.' Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) seems to have been overlooked.
Birds of Prey had a wide release in early 2020, falling short of breaking even on its $250 million budget before being put on VOD earlier than expected due to theatres closing during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first DCEU film to receive an R-rating and while Birds of Prey didn't earn amazing reviews, it was received generally well by critics, certainly one of the better receptions of the DCEU franchise.
Even though Birds of Prey didn't receive the best reviews of all time from critics, it inspired an incredibly intense fanbase who fell in love with the film's aesthetics and characters. The film follows the character of Harley Quinn, portrayed by Margot Robbie, who was first seen in Warner Bros. and DC's Suicide Squad. After splitting from the Joker, Quinn joins forces with another group of female superheroes to save a young girl from a very evil mob leader. Fans have been obsessed with Robbie's portrayal of Harley Quinn since she made her debut, and the addition of new characters in Birds of Prey has given the fandom even more characters to latch onto and identify with.
Given how intense of a following these Birds of Prey characters have, it's not a surprise that there's some outrage over the film not getting any Oscar nominations. Most notably, fans say it deserved some credit for its makeup, hair stylings, and costume design. Others have pointed out that director Cathy Yan deserved a nomination, as well as Robbie's performance.
The Oscars have traditionally snubbed massive blockbuster movies from nominations and awards, usually favoring dramas and biopics, and every year there are a few films that people feel strongly about being shut out. 2019's ceremony offered up a Best Picture nomination for the MCU's Black Panther, making it the first superhero movie to receive the honor, but it didn't end up winning.
After a year where so many movies that were meant to come out ended up being postponed, it's a little strange that one of the year's bigger films didn't get any nominations. However, the Oscars have a history of shutting out more "commercial" films, so it's hard to be surprised that Birds of Prey was snubbed.
The Oscars will air on April 25, 2021, and Birds of Prey is now available on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Trending/Twitter