The Academy Awards, commonly known as The Oscars, have rewarded the best films since 1929. Movies certainly do not have to be part of a franchise for them to receive honor and recognition. However, it does not come as a surprise that certain franchises over the years have had multiple films nominated for Best Picture.
In this article, we will take a trip down memory lane by looking at all of the films that were sequels and were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
Classics That Paved The Way
The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II is an iconic scene that is often thought of first when talking about an Academy Award-winning sequel. Released in 1974, it was directed and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie is the highly celebrated sequel to the 1972 classic The Godfather, and it continues the story of the Corleone crime family, with Robert De Niro joining the cast as a young Vito Corleone, who was played in the first movie by Marlon Brando. The Godfather Part II won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
The Godfather Part II is often seen as the paradigm for film sequels, and with the exception of one film, it still holds the distinction of being the only sequel to have ever won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Franchises With Multiple Nominations
Star Wars
The Star Wars franchise has become a iconic series over the years, with fans all over the globe enjoying the films. The first installment in the saga, Star Wars: A New Hope, was released in 1977 and was an instant box office success. It went on to be nominated for eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won seven of them.
The other two films in the original trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, were also nominated for Best Picture. While they did not end up winning the award, they were both met with critical acclaim.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson, is considered one of the best trilogies of all time. The first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, received 13 nominations at the 2002 Academy Awards, and it won four, including Best Picture.
The following two films in the trilogy, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, also received numerous nominations and ended up winning 11 Academy Awards each. The Return of the King also won a Best Picture Oscar, making it one of the only sequels ever to receive the honor.
Recent Stand-Outs
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3, released in 2010, was the first animated sequel to be nominated for Best Picture. Directed by Lee Unkrich, the movie follows the story of all the toys, voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, as they go on a mission to rescue their owner Andy, played by John Morris, before he leaves for college.
Toy Story 3 was met with rave reviews and remains the only animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture. It went on to win two Academy Awards.
The Dark Knight
2008’s The Dark Knight is the most recent sequel to receive a Best Picture nomination. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the movie followed the story of Batman and The Joker, played by Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, as they battle it out in a world of moral ambiguity.
The Dark Knight received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won two of them, Best Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger and Best Sound Editing.
Records Held By Best Picture Nominated Sequels
The Godfather Part II holds the record for the most Academy Award wins for a Best Picture-nominated sequel with six Oscars.
Star Wars holds the record for the most nominations for a Best Picture-nominated sequel with eleven.
The Return of the King holds the record for the most Oscars won by a Best Picture-nominated sequel with eleven.
The Dark Knight is the most recently nominated Best Picture-nominated sequel, nominated in 2008.
Toy Story 3 remains the only animated feature to have been nominated for Best Picture.
The Academy Awards are the most prestigious awards in film and it is certainly no surprise that sequels have been met with such success over the years. While there have only been four sequels to have been nominated for Best Picture, they have all gone on to become classics that are celebrated by fans around the world.
