According to Deadline, 20th Century Fox has launched an organized campaign to position War for the Planet of the Apes — the studio’s latest and, reportedly, final instalment in its modern Planet of the Apes series — as a contender for Best Picture at the 2018 Academy Awards. The move signals Fox’s intention to pursue top-tier recognition for a big-budget genre film that combines character-driven drama with large-scale visual storytelling.
Sources say Fox has already retained two high-profile awards consultants to devise a strategic plan aimed at placing the film prominently in the minds of Academy voters. The strategy, as described by studio representatives, focuses on securing a strong slate of technical nominations — visual effects, sound, editing, production design and makeup and hairstyling among them — as a platform from which to amplify the film’s broader Best Picture prospects. The studio apparently views technical acclaim as a practical entry point to wider recognition.
Producer Peter Chernin spoke about the possibility of an Oscars push for the film, emphasizing the team’s creative ambitions:
“I’m incredibly proud of this movie, and I do believe that on almost any level of storytelling, character development, narrative thrusts, or epic-ness, this is an extraordinary movie. In the past people probably have tended to sort of genre-ize it and sort of look at it, well, as if it is a genre movie and not take it as seriously as they should, and I think that you know our view is that this movie deserves serious consideration. Certainly it’s been made with a level of ambition, care, and attention that’s as meaningful as anything I’ve ever worked on.”
There have also been unconfirmed reports that Fox may push for special recognition of Andy Serkis for his motion-capture performance in War for the Planet of the Apes. While those reports remain speculative, they reflect a broader conversation in awards circles about how to recognize groundbreaking performance techniques and whether existing award categories adequately reflect evolving production methods.
Industry observers have noted that Fox’s effort comes amid a wider trend: major studios are increasingly mounting aggressive awards campaigns for high-profile genre films. For example, Warner Bros. has reportedly been promoting Wonder Woman for Best Picture consideration as well, which underscores a shift in how studios perceive the Academy’s receptiveness to genre work. That shift has been attributed in part to changes in Academy membership and a growing willingness among voters to embrace films that blend spectacle with substantive storytelling.
If War for the Planet of the Apes were to secure a Best Picture nomination, it would join other successful science-fiction and genre titles that have broken through to the Academy’s top category in recent years, such as The Martian and Arrival. Meanwhile, a Best Picture nod for Wonder Woman would represent a historic moment for comic-book adaptations, potentially becoming the first time a superhero film has been recognized in that specific category — a development that would further broaden the scope of films considered viable Best Picture candidates.
The studios’ tactics reflect a pragmatic understanding of awards dynamics: technical categories can raise a film’s profile among voters and create momentum for broader consideration. For effects-driven films, visual effects and sound nominations not only celebrate craft but also signal to Academy members that the film’s storytelling achievements are underpinned by world-class technical work. Similarly, highlighting production design, makeup, and editing emphasizes the collaborative artistry that shapes a film’s narrative and emotional impact.
Beyond strategy, these campaigns illustrate an ongoing debate about category definitions and how performance and craft are evaluated in the digital era. Motion-capture acting, for example, challenges traditional notions of on-screen performance and raises questions about how credit is allocated between actors, animators and visual effects teams. Whether the Academy will adapt its recognition practices in response remains an open question, but studio campaigns like Fox’s make clear that major productions are increasingly prepared to press for those conversations to happen during awards season.
Ultimately, Fox’s push for War for the Planet of the Apes is both a bid for trophies and a statement about the creative ambitions of contemporary franchise filmmaking: that spectacle and technical mastery can coexist with rigorous storytelling and character depth, and that such films deserve to be evaluated on the full range of their achievements.
Recommended for you: Planet of the Apes Movies Ranked