Best Popular Film Oscar: 10 Most Likely Nominees
3. Black Panther
Though it's not quite the highest-grossing film of 2018, Black Panther has most certainly been the social phenomenon movie of the year.
As both a terrifically entertaining superhero movie and a welcome example of ferocious inclusion in blockbuster cinema, the Marvel solo flick scored some of the MCU's best reviews ever and raked in a mind-boggling $1.347 billion worldwide. Who could've ever seen that coming?
There have been passionate calls all year for Black Panther to receive major year-end awards consideration, and while the announcement of this new award probably diminishes its potential to scoop an actual Best Picture nod, it's an absolute lock for a Best Popular Film nomination.
Chances Of Winning: Pretty damn strong. It feels like the film that best embodies what the spirit of the award might be: it's an insanely successful surprise smash hit that's got a great message and is just a generally terrific piece of entertainment.
It's a front-runner to take the award home, for sure.