Batman V Superman dominates shortlist for 2017 Razzies

One of the most divisive blockbusters of 2016 is now looking likely to be the most nominated film in the annual ceremony commemorating the worst of Hollywood.

The Golden Raspberry Awards, AKA The Razzies, have released the shortlist – not, we should clarify, the final nominations – for their 2017 name-and-shame ceremony, presented as is their tradition on the night before the Oscars. ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ is the title that pops up most on that shortlist, with eight mentions across six categories.

This list will later be narrowed down and, just to further that Anti-Oscars vibe, the final nominees will be announced on 23 January, the day before the Academy announces the nominees for their 2017 awards.

Just how heavily ‘Batman V Superman’ will feature in the Razzies remains to be seen, then, but at present it’s shortlisted for Worst Picture, Worst Director (Zack Snyder), Worst Actor (both Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill), Worst Supporting Actor (Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Irons), Worst Screenplay, and Worst Prequel, Remake, Ripoff or Sequel.

Curiously, equally panned Warner Bros/DC effort ‘Suicide Squad’ only pops up three times, in the shortlists for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actor for Jared Leto. Other condemned films included ‘Independence Day: Resurgence,’ shortlisted in seven categories; ‘Assassin’s Creed,’ listed five times; and ‘Dirty Grandpa,’ also five.

Does this list really represent the absolute worst of film in 2016? Unlikely. As anarchic as they may be in intent, The Razzies do have something of a tendency to play it safe with their targets, rarely deviating far from critical consensus (one suspects some readers may be taken aback to see no mention whatsoever of ‘Ghostbusters’). Without a doubt they often go after people who don’t really deserve it, simply by association; for example, whilst I wouldn’t dispute that ‘Dirty Grandpa’ is a pretty poor film, I don’t think Aubrey Plaza’s performance deserves to be listed in Worst Supporting Actress.

Oh well; just as with any end-of-year best of/worst of list, the Razzies are just the opinions of one select group, and however much credibility they should be granted is in the eye of the beholder. Scroll on down for the full shortlist, and look out for the final nomimations on 23 January, if you’re so inclined.

Worst Picture
Assassin’s Creed
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Collateral Beauty
The Darkness
Dirty Grandpa
The Divergent Series: Allegiant
Fifty Shades of Black
Gods of Egypt
Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
Independence Day: Resurgence
London Has Fallen
Mother’s Day
Suicide Squad
Zoolander 2

Worst Director
Dinesh D’Souza – Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
Roland Emmerich – Independence Day: Resurgence
Justin Kurzel – Assassin’s Creed
Dan Mazer – Dirty Grandpa
Greg McLean – The Darkness
Babak Najafi – London Has Fallen
Tyler Perry – Boo! A Madea Halloween
Alex Proyas – Gods of Egypt
Zack Snyder – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Ben Stiller – Zoolander 2
Michael Tiddes – Fifty Shades of Black

Worst Actress
Jennifer Aniston – Mother’s Day / Office Christmas Party
Marion Cotillard – Allied / Assassin’s Creed
Megan Fox – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Radha Mitchell – The Darkness
Tyler Perry (as Madea) – Boo! A Madea Halloween
Margot Robbie – The Legend of Tarzan / Suicide Squad
Julia Roberts – Mother’s Day
Becky Turner (as Hillary Clinton) – Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
Naomi Watts – The Divergent Series: Allegiant / Shut In
Shailene Woodley – The Divergent Series: Allegiant

Worst Actor
Ben Affleck – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Kevin Bacon – The Darkness
Gerard Butler – Gods of Egypt / London Has Fallen
Henry Cavill – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Dinesh D’Souza (as himself) – Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
Robert De Niro – Dirty Grandpa
Zac Efron – Dirty Grandpa / Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
Liam Hemsworth – Independence Day: Resurgence
Brad Pitt – Allied
Will Smith – Collateral Beauty / Suicide Squad
Ben Stiller – Zoolander 2
Marlon Wayans – Fifty Shades of Black

Worst Supporting Actress
Cassi Davis – Boo! A Madea Halloween
Julianne Hough – Dirty Grandpa
Kate Hudson – Mother’s Day
Keira Knightley – Collateral Beauty
Helen Mirren – Collateral Beauty
Aubrey Plaza – Dirty Grandpa
Jane Seymour – Fifty Shades of Black
Octavia Spencer – The Divergent Series: Allegiant
Sela Ward – Independence Day: Resurgence
Kristen Wiig – Masterminds / Zoolander 2
Kate Winslet – Collateral Beauty

Worst Supporting Actor
Nicolas Cage – Snowden
Benedict Cumberbatch – Zoolander 2
Johnny Depp – Alice Through the Looking Glass
Jesse Eisenberg – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Will Ferrell – Zoolander 2
Jeff Goldblum – Independence Day: Resurgence
Jeremy Irons – Assassin’s Creed / Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Jared Leto – Suicide Squad
T.J. Miller – Office Christmas Party
Geoffrey Rush – Gods of Egypt
Brenton Thwaites – Gods of Egypt
Owen Wilson – Masterminds / Zoolander 2

Worst Screenplay
Assassin’s Creed
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Dirty Grandpa
The Divergent Series: Allegiant
Fifty Shades of Black
Ghostbusters
Gods of Egypt
Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
Independence Day: Resurgence
Mother’s Day
Suicide Squad
Zoolander 2

Worst Prequel, Remake, Ripoff or Sequel
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Blair Witch
The Divergent Series: Allegiant
Fifty Shades of Black (rip-off of Fifty Shades of Grey)
Independence Day: Resurgence
The Legend of Tarzan
London Has Fallen
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
Ride Along 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Zoolander 2

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