Out of respect for the weekend crowd, we’re keeping this shorter than Better Man’s box office run. Besides, we need not contort ourselves into resembling the Xenomorph-human hybrid creature from Alien: Romulus to say that this race is one film’s to lose. There’s sentiment around Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, as the franchise has yet to win an Oscar for its visual effects. But this is a category that significantly favors best picture nominees. We have two of those in the mix this year, and while a vote split might result in a welcome win for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, let’s not kid ourselves into pretending that Wicked’s flying monkeys hold a candle to the awe-inspiring grandeur of Dune: Part Two’s sandworms.
Will Win: Dune: Part Two
Could Win: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Should Win: Dune: Part Two
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The original “Planet of the Apes” (1968) won a special Oscar for makeup.