Every year, the Oscars generate significant excitement, and one of the highly anticipated categories is the award for Best Animated Feature. These films often face misconceptions of being solely for children, making their recognition at the prestigious ceremony a crucial opportunity to stand alongside live-action movies.

While Disney has historically dominated this category, their recent challenges suggest a less favorable outcome for them this year. As a result, two standout contenders are vying for the Best Animated Feature award: Sony's Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse and Studio Ghibli's The Boy and The Heron.

Understanding the Best Animated Feature Category

The establishment of the Best Animated Feature Oscar has sparked debate. Some argue that a separate category for animation diminishes their legitimacy compared to live-action movies. However, others contend that without this category, animated films might not receive recognition from the Academy at all.

Prior to this category's creation, animated movies were largely excluded from the Oscars, with only one nomination for Best Picture, which was Disney's Beauty and the Beast in 1991. As more animation studios rivaled Disney, the volume of animated films in the market increased, leading to greater difficulty in ignoring them. This culminated in the inception of the Best Animated Feature award, with Shrek becoming the inaugural winner in 2001.

Despite Disney's historic dominance, their recent underwhelming releases, such as 2023's Wish, have dimmed their prospects for this year's award.

Across the Spiderverse vs The Boy and The Heron: A Face-off

With Disney's subdued presence, the leading contenders for the award are Studio Ghibli's The Boy and The Heron and Sony Animation's Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse. Both films enjoyed commercial success and garnered critical acclaim as some of the year's best movies.

Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse is a sequel to the groundbreaking Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, introducing innovative animation styles. The Boy and The Heron represents a poignant addition to Studio Ghibli's repertoire, offering a deeply personal narrative from the legendary director.

Both studios have a history of winning Best Animated Feature. While Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse secured the award in 2018, Spirited Away from Studio Ghibli claimed the victory in 2002.

Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse boasts broader appeal and innovative animation, making it enjoyable for both children and adults. In contrast, The Boy and The Heron delves into intricate themes, catering to a more mature audience. Its focus on ideas such as war, death, and loss sets it apart as a reflective and nuanced work.

While Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse wows with its accessibility and visually striking animation, The Boy and The Heron sets itself apart with its depth and maturity. Notably, The Boy and The Heron clinched the 2023 Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film, potentially influencing its standing for the upcoming Oscars.

Currently, The Boy and The Heron holds a slight advantage over Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse. However, the outcome will remain uncertain until the 2023 Oscars reveal the Best Animated Feature winner.