Aquaman‘s Oscar® run ended prematurely last month when it was not listed among the ten semi-finalists in the visual effects category. Superhero movies are usually strong contenders in the category and fans believe Aquaman was snubbed. Director James Wan agrees.

“You and your department are the unsung heroes of this film,” Wan told visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain on Facebook. “The fact that your VFX peers in the Academy aren’t recognizing or appreciating what we/you’ve all contributed to the film and cinema is a f*cking disgrace.”

The following ten films all made the list of semi-finalists ahead of Aquaman.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther

Christopher Robin

First Man

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Mary Poppins Returns

Ready Player One

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Welcome to Marwen

There are some worthy contenders on that list, but also at least a few that should have fallen behind Aquaman. Solo: A Star Wars Story seems to have snuck in via the legacy of its franchise. Welcome to Marwen made the list right before it bombed at the box office and Christopher Robin is the most perplexing choice of all.

The Oscars® have been defined by the Academy’s snubs almost as often as the organization’s nominees and winners. Aquaman is not the first film to be snubbed by the Academy and it won’t be the last. It is a shame when deserving individuals are not recognized by their peers, but McIlwain and his team can take solace in knowing the audience is seeing and appreciating the brilliance of their ground-breaking work on the big screen.

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