Wildwood and Toy Story 5 shape animated feature race

Independent Stop-Motion and Mature Themes Shape the Field

Independent stop-motion studio Laika enters the race with “Wildwood,” scheduled for release on Oct. 23. Directed by Travis Knight, the film follows a teenager navigating a magical forest to rescue her brother from dark forces. Awards pundits have pegged the film as an early frontrunner in the category. All five of Laika’s previous feature films, including “Coraline” and “Missing Link,” have secured nominations for best animated feature. Industry insiders note that voters often respond to the studio’s status as a rare independent American animation house keeping the labor-intensive stop-motion medium alive. “They should lean into the fact that Laika is the one of the only independent animation studios in America, and is probably losing money,” one awards insider said. “It’s almost charity work — they’re employing so many people and keeping this industry alive, and people want to support that.” With dark imagery and mature themes, “Wildwood” earned a PG-13 rating, signaling a broader industry shift away from the traditional assumption that animation targets young children exclusively.

Studio Sequels and Veteran Directors Enter the Race

Pixar is mounting a heavy campaign for “Toy Story 5,” seeking to continue the franchise’s strong Academy Award history. The two previous installments, “Toy Story 3” and “Toy Story 4,” both won the Oscar for best animated feature. The category itself was established in 2002 following the releases of the first two films in the series. While the studio focuses heavily on its marquee franchise, other Pixar projects have lost momentum in the awards conversation. “Hoppers,” a beaver-centric feature released in March, has largely disappeared from early discussions. Meanwhile, two-time Oscar winner Brad Bird enters the race with his noir detective thriller “Ray Gunn.” Starring Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson, the project releases on Netflix on Dec. 18 alongside an awards-qualifying theatrical run. Bird rejected the notion that animation must pander exclusively to young audiences.

Not every animated film has to be made for five-year-olds. I just reject that.

International Contenders and Aardman Productions

International features are expected to factor heavily into the branching nominations, particularly among British voters. Aardman Animation’s “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom,” directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, enters the race with a strong pedigree. The last two entries in the “Shaun the Sheep” franchise both secured Oscar nominations. An awards source noted that franchise creator Nick Park holds significant acclaim in the UK, pointing out that “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” won the BAFTA in 2024.

You often have foreign film outliers. The animation branch has their favorites. You’ll get the usual suspects, but then they usually recognize a couple more ‘out-there’ titles.