Spider-Man's long shot Best Picture nomination now looks much less likely

Can Spider-Man do whatever an awards season favorite can?
Pundits have been wondering that since the debut of Spider-Man: No Way Home, floating the idea, as unlikely as it might sound, that the Marvel blockbuster could actually be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. In December, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the team behind the film planned to push it for a nomination, and a Variety column argued it should be in contention, in part because the Oscars "need mainstream cred" after last year's disastrous ratings.
But on Thursday, the nominations for the Producers Guild of America Awards, a key Oscars precursor, were revealed, and No Way Home wasn't nominated in the top category. Instead, the nominees were Being the Ricardos, Belfast, CODA, Don't Look Up, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, The Power of the Dog, tick, tick…BOOM!, and West Side Story. There's traditionally a good amount of overlap between the PGAs and the Academy Awards, so the Oscars' Best Picture line-up may look quite similar.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
No Way Home's absence was particularly detrimental because, as The New York Times' Kyle Buchanan pointed out, the PGAs are even more open to recognizing blockbusters than the Oscars, having previously nominated movies like A Quiet Place, Wonder Woman, Deadpool, and Skyfall. So if No Way Home can't even earn recognition from the PGAs, the Oscars almost certainly won't recognize it for Best Picture either. The same can be said about No Time to Die and House of Gucci, both Best Picture hopefuls that the PGAs snubbed.
On the flip side, the PGAs provided more momentum to Being the Ricardos, a film whose star Nicole Kidman is a Best Actress frontrunner but that pundits haven't been certain would also be nominated for Best Picture. We'll find out which of these contenders can repeat their success, and which dark horses could sneak in, when the Oscar nominations are unveiled on Feb. 8.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Rep. Sylvester Turner dies, weeks after joining House
Speed Read The former Houston mayor and longtime state legislator left behind a final message for Trump: 'Don't mess with Medicaid'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses Ukraine intelligence sharing
Speed Read The decision is intended to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into peace negotiations with Vladimir Putin
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rules against Trump on aid freeze
Speed Read The court rejected the president's request to freeze nearly $2 billion in payments for foreign humanitarian work
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published