The Oscars generally don’t nominate massive Hollywood blockbusters for Best Picture, or at least that’s the impression many people have (including fans of Spider-Man: No Way Home). But the Oscars have a long history of recognizing blockbusters, including Dune, which has an impressive showing at the 2021 Academy Awards, including a nomination for Best Picture.
Though Dune’s status as a blockbuster is relative compared to other highly successful Best Picture nominees from the past, it remains a highly popular movie with tons of critical accolades and could win given the support it seems to have. Huge Hollywood blockbusters don’t always win at the Oscars, but they have in the past, including some of the biggest movies of all time.
Dune (2021)
Dune has made almost $700 million worldwide to date, an impressive number in any era. It’s also accumulated a bounty of Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture. The movie has eleven nominations in total, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and more.
Dune’s performance so far is typical of a certain kind of critically acclaimed blockbuster in that it achieves a high number of nominations in technical categories, but usually not in major ones like Best Director, Best Actor, or Best Actress.
Titanic (1997)
Titanic was once the highest-grossing movie of all time and is one of the most successful blockbusters at the Oscars. Written and directed by James Cameron, the movie won most of its fourteen nominations at the 1997 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
James Cameron won for Best Director, and also took home trophies as a producer for Best Picture and for Best Film Editing. James Horner won for Best Original Score, and Titanic helped make him one of the best movie composers with the most nominations.
Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther is one of the highest-grossing movies of all time and was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. It lost to Green Book, but the movie had a very good night, with wins in major categories, including Ruth E. Carter for Best Costume Design.
Comic book fans know Black Panther hails from Wakanda, one of the most complex worlds in the Marvel Universe, and that was reflected in its win for Best Production Design, with Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart taking home awards for their work.
The Return Of The King (2003)
The Return Of The King was the triumphant conclusion to the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy directed by Peter Jackson in the early 2000s, and the Oscars recognized the success and value of the entire trilogy with an avalanche of awards, including Best Picture.
The movie won for Best Picture and won all of its eleven nominations, including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and many others in one of the very rare total sweeps by any movie.
Avatar (2009)
Avatar was another massive James Cameron blockbuster and Oscar winner. Until a few years ago it was the highest-grossing movie of all time, and to go along with its historic financial success in 2009, it was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
The movie didn’t win Best Picture, but ultimately took home three Academy Awards including trophies for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is one of the rare movies about peaceful aliens visiting Earth, and it’s one of the rare blockbusters to perform well at the Oscars. Once the highest-grossing movie ever, it was nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture.
The movie didn’t win Best Picture but ultimately won four Oscars at the 55th Academy Awards, including Best Original Score for legendary composer John Williams, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects.
Jaws (1975)
Jaws is one of the first modern summer blockbusters, and the 1975 movie still holds up today in many ways. Like many other nominated hits, it was the highest-grossing movie of all time for two years in the 70s before Star Wars came along and it was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture.
The movie didn’t win in that category, but it was the only one it lost that year. Jaws won Oscars for Best Film Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, again for John Williams, and Best Sound.
Gone With The Wind (1939)
Adjusted for inflation, Gone With The Wind remains the highest-grossing domestic movie of all time according to Box Office Mojo. It’s also one of the most successful movies at the Oscars, with the 1939 movie nominated for a total of thirteen awards including Best Picture.
The movie won for Best Picture and was the first movie made in color to do so. The movie won most of its nominations, taking home Oscars for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Editing.
Inception (2010)
Inception was a massive blockbuster from director Christopher Nolan, nominated for eight Academy Awards in 2010 including Best Picture. Though it won four awards and tied with The King’s Speech in terms of most Oscars won that year, it lost Best Picture.
The movie won for Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects. One of its major nominations was for Best Original Score for Hans Zimmer, adding to his resume as one of the most influential movie composers.
Star Wars (1977)
Star Wars is one of the highest-grossing blockbusters of all time and certainly one of the most influential movies ever. Its tremendous success in 1977 was recognized with ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. It lost to Annie Hall by Woody Allen, but won many others.
The movie won seven Academy Awards overall including Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score once again for John Williams, and Ben Burtt was recognized with a Special Achievement Oscar for his remarkable work in Sound Design.
