Oscars to feature 10 Best Picture nominees

source: oscars.org

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science have announced that the 2010 Oscar Ceremony will feature ten Best Picture nominees as opposed to the traditional five.

Academy President Sid Ganis said the move is intended to be a tribute to the ceremony’s earlier roots.

The last ceremony to feature 10 nominees in the Best Picture field was the 16th Academy Awards in 1943, when Casablanca claimed the top prize.

This announcement ties in with the revamping of the Oscars that began with this year’s Hugh Jackman hosted ceremony. The Jackman-ed Oscars drew the biggest audience in several years, after ratings hit an all time low in 2007.

The highest rating Oscar telecast was in 1998, when mega-blockbuster Titanic claimed the major prizes.

With the field of Best Picture nominees doubling in number, the Academy will be able to make room for some critically acclaimed money-makers in the prestigious category.

For instance, two of the most beloved films of 2008 (WALL-E and The Dark Knight) missed out on Best Picture nominations despite critical adoration and earth-shattering grosses. Imagine the ratings for this year’s ceremony had there been a possibility of either of these films taking home the top prize.

Personally, I’m all for the move. My three favourite films of 2008 all missed out on BP nominations this year (the aforementioned WALL-E, The Dark Knight and The Wrestler). An expanded field will allow more room for big budget crowd-pleasers and smaller indie films alike.

The nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards will be announced February 2nd, 2010. The awards will be presented March 7th, 2010.

Discuss: Your thoughts? If 2008 had 10 Best Picture nominees, what flicks would you have liked to see get a nod? Or, what blockbusters from this year would you like to see get a nod in 2010?