2017 Oscar Predictions: ANIMATED FEATURE (June)

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Is it just me or has the marketing and advertising for Pixar’s Finding Dory been a bit lacking? It almost feels like they’re so comfortable in the sequel being such a massive hit that they don’t really need to push it. An odd choice considering the film comes out just over a week from now. It may explain why the film finds itself in 4th place on the first Gold Rush Gang chart for the Animated Feature Oscar.

Ahead of Finding Dory we have the huge Cannes hit The Red Turtle, which was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, Zootopia from Disney, which just crossed the $1 billion mark last week and then, at #1 is Moana (also from Disney). Interesting, since we only have a few official stills of that film and no trailer to go from. What we do have is that Tony, Grammy, Emmy and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) is writing original songs for the film. That news alone would be enough to earn the film the top spot but it’s also that it will be the first representation of the Māori people from New Zealand in a Disney film.

Elsewhere, smaller titles like Kubo and the Two Strings, Loving Vincent and April and the Extraordinary World find a place on the chart while bigger Hollywood fare like Kung Fu Panda 3, Angry Birds and a new Ice Age movie languish in the ‘Other Contenders’ section. Also there, but that could surprise, would be the hard R-rated Sausage Party or Netflix’s The Little Prince. We’ll keep an eye on both of those to possibly find themselves charting as the year goes on.

Here are the predictions for Animated Feature from The Gold Rush Gang:

OTHER CONTENDERS
Angry Birds
Henchmen
Ice Age: Collision Course
Kung Fu Panda 3
Phantom Boy
Sausage Party
Sing
Storks
The Breadwinner
The Little Prince
The Secret Life of Pets
Trolls

Follow the updated Gold Rush Gang predictions in other Oscar categories here:

BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BEST FILM EDITING
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING