Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Planet of the Apes are all franchises that deserved acting Oscar nominations for non-live-action roles, but never got them.
Now, in a landmark move, next year’s acting category will consider puppeteer James Ortiz for bringing Project Hail Mary’s rock alien to life.
The sci-fi drama, released last month, stars Ryan Gosling as science teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace.
It was a critical and box office smash hit, with most of the praise being directed at the lead character’s friendship with Rocky, a creature he meets in outer space.
As Amazon MGM Studios prepares its awards campaign for the Andy Weir book adaptation, it’s been revealed that Ortiz will be submitted for consideration in the Best Supporting Actor category at the 99th Academy Awards.
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