Mark Wahlberg Is Very Into the Oscars New Popular Film Award

Mark Wahlberg Is Very Into the Oscars New Popular Film Award

Earlier this week, the Academy announced a few big changes to the Oscars. Along with a new directive..

Earlier this week, the Academy announced a few big changes to the Oscars. Along with a new directive to cut the broadcast to three hours (which will mean relegating some technical awards presentations to the commercial breaks), the organization announced a new award designed to benefit the kinds of blockbusters that are often overlooked by major honors like best picture. While the new award has already attracted plenty of detractors in Hollywood and in the critical community, Mark Wahlberg, who has been making the kinds of movies that would be eligible for the outstanding achievement in popular film category for nearly his entire career, sees it as a good thing.

“Maybe if theyd had the category before, wed have won a couple of them,” Wahlberg told Variety at the Thursday night premiere of his new action-drama Mile 22. “Weve had some really commercially successful films that we think certainly warranted that kind of notoriety. We make films that we want people to enjoy, and if we get those kind of accolades, fantastic. If not, we make the movies for audiences to enjoy. There are a lot of great films out there that happen to be very popular and havent been recognized that probably deserve the recognition.”

“Finally, Im in the running for an Academy Award,” his co-star Ronda Rousey said on the red carpet. “Im gunning for the outstanding achievement in popular film [award]. You heard it now. Vote for me.” Australian actor Nikolai Nikolaeff who plays a Russian agent in the movie, was also into the idea. “There has to be some kind of pat on the back for overall awesomeness,” he said. “Star Wars is one. You wonder, how did they get overlooked? Its almost like theyre too successful, so its really something to celebrate.”

Given the popularity of movies like Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Black Panther, which usually receive plenty of technical accolades but are generally shut out of higher categories in favor of non-genre movies, it stands to reason that a popular film award would appeal to those involved. The Last Jedi actually campaigned for categories like best picture last year, as did Warner Bros. Wonder Woman, and Disney was planning a big campaign for Black Panther this year, whose chances at Oscar recognition were already being discussed before the movie had hit theaters. Many of any given years top grossers dont get much of a chance once awards season rolls around, though many would argue, as Don Draper once said, that thats what the money is for.

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