Oscars 2013: Best Visual Effects shortlist released

Some early Oscars news. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the shortlist for Best Visual Effects.

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Standouts on the list include ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and as-yet-unseen efforts ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ and Ang Lee’s ‘The Life of Pie’.

Amongst the underdogs in the category are big budget flop ‘Cloud Atlas’ and Disney’s dire ‘John Carter’. The beautiful, but questionable ‘Prometheus’ is also staking a claim to the award.

The shortlist of ten movies will be cut down to a final five in early January once members of the Academy have cast a critical glance over a ten minute sequence from each.

A Best Visual Effects gong is often the Academy’s way of rewarding blockbuster fare that doesn’t get a look-in for the more prestigious categories. 

The full list of nominees is below:

'The Amazing Spider-Man'
'Cloud Atlas'
'The Dark Knight Rises'
'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'
'John Carter'
'Life of Pi'
'Marvel’s The Avengers'
'Prometheus'
'Skyfall'
'Snow White and the Huntsman'