Official 2026 Oscar Visual Effects Shortlist: The Top 20 Finalists

The Academy has revealed the 20 films still in contention for the Best Visual Effects Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards. This year’s list includes a wide variety of movies – from big superhero and science fiction films to realistic disaster stories and historical adventures with creatures. Studios like Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal are leading the pack, with several films showcasing impressive digital effects and traditional filmmaking techniques. The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch chose these finalists because of their artistic quality and technical skill in bringing believable worlds and characters to life.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ (2025)

James Cameron revisits the world of Pandora in the latest installment of the hugely popular Avatar series. The film introduces a new Na’vi tribe, the Ash People, and showcases the alien moon’s incredible variety of life in stunning detail thanks to the work of the visual effects team at Weta FX. Using cutting-edge technology, like high-frame-rate underwater filming and advanced performance capture, the Na’vi and their surroundings look incredibly realistic. Building on the impressive water effects of the previous film, this installment also features complex and realistic fire and volcanic landscapes.

‘Captain America: Brave New World’ (2025)

In this action-packed political thriller, Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, must confront a worldwide crisis that pushes his skills to the limit. The movie showcases impressive visual effects, especially during intense aerial battles and the introduction of powerful new villains. Digital artists built detailed sets and blended real-life stunts with computer graphics to create the film’s massive action sequences. A key part of the visual effects work was bringing the powerful character of Red Hulk to life with detailed animation.

‘The Electric State’ (2025)

Okay, so I just watched ‘The Electric State,’ and wow, the visuals! The Russo Brothers really nailed this retro-future vibe. It’s set in a kind of broken-down America, but with these massive, incredible battle drones everywhere. What’s really cool is how the effects team mixed that 90s aesthetic – think a bit grainy and analog – with super-advanced robots and a totally bleak, dystopian world. They did a lot of work animating those robots, giving them real personality as they travel with the main characters. And the world itself? It’s a great blend of actual locations and digital environments, creating this really unique, alternate history feel. It’s a visually stunning movie, honestly.

‘F1’ (2025)

This fast-paced sports movie features Brad Pitt as a retired driver making a comeback to Formula 1 racing. To make it feel incredibly real, the filmmakers shot during actual races and used unique cameras attached to the cars themselves. Visual effects were then added to blend the actors into the real race footage and to make the speed feel even more intense. The film shows how subtle effects can work with real-life footage to create a truly immersive and authentic experience for viewers.

‘The Fantastic 4: First Steps’ (2025)

Marvel’s newest film introduces the Fantastic Four, set in a visually striking world inspired by the 1960s. Creating the movie was challenging, as artists needed to realistically show each member’s unique abilities – like stretching, becoming invisible, controlling fire, and having super strength. They also designed a unique version of New York City to fit the film’s retro style, and built huge, otherworldly environments to showcase the team’s alien enemies in ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’.

‘Frankenstein’ (2025)

Guillermo del Toro’s version of ‘Frankenstein’ is a visually stunning and haunting take on the classic story. The film combines impressive practical effects – like detailed makeup and creature design – with digital enhancements to create a believable and unsettling world. These digital tools were used to build expansive, gothic sets and create a consistently gloomy atmosphere, ensuring the horror feels grounded and real.

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025)

As a huge fan of the original animated film, I was really excited to see ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ brought to life with real actors and dragons! The team did an amazing job making those fantastical creatures look truly believable, and it wasn’t easy – they had to completely rethink the dragons’ designs to make them photorealistic. And the flying? Forget about it! They spent ages simulating wind and atmosphere to make it feel like dragon riding could actually happen. They really wanted to keep the heart and charm of the original, but use all the latest visual effects to create a fantasy world that felt, well, real.

‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ (2025)

As a huge dinosaur movie fan, I was really impressed with the latest installment! It doesn’t just bring back the thrills, it introduces a whole bunch of new dinosaurs and takes us to some incredible locations around the world. The special effects, thanks to the legendary Industrial Light & Magic, are phenomenal – they’ve blended practical animatronics with the latest CGI to create creatures that feel incredibly real. What really stood out to me was how the movie showed the interaction between humans and these dinosaurs in so many different settings, from dense jungles to even cityscapes! They’ve seriously upped their game with the details – the skin textures and muscle movements on these creatures make them feel heavier, more powerful, and genuinely terrifying. It’s a visual feast!

‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2025)

Disney’s new live-action film brings the mischievous but endearing Stitch to life in Hawaii. A major challenge for the visual effects team was creating a computer-generated Stitch who could convincingly interact with the human actors and express a wide range of feelings. They also designed the alien bounty hunters and spaceships that appear in the movie. The film successfully blends the cartoonish energy of the original ‘Lilo and Stitch’ with the realistic look and feel of a live-action environment.

‘The Lost Bus’ (2025)

Paul Greengrass’s film is a gripping drama inspired by the real Camp Fire tragedy in Paradise, California. Because filming a wildfire of that magnitude is too dangerous, the filmmakers relied heavily on visual effects to realistically portray the fire’s terrifying size and movement. Detailed computer-generated smoke, flying embers, and advancing flames were created to immerse the audience and heighten the tension as characters attempt to escape on a bus. ‘The Lost Bus’ uses these effects to make the disaster feel incredibly real and frightening.

‘Mickey 17’ (2025)

Bong Joon-ho’s new science fiction movie centers on a disposable worker tasked with settling a frozen planet. The filmmakers created a stunning, icy alien world and believable cloning technology using visual effects. They relied heavily on digital copies of the main character and smooth transitions to show multiple versions of him on screen. ‘Mickey 17’ blends a realistic, industrial look with the strange and imaginative ideas at its core.

‘A Minecraft Movie’ (2025)

Bringing the world’s most popular video game to the big screen meant finding a new way to show its distinctive, block-like style. The filmmakers decided to combine real actors with a completely digital world built from cubes. To make these blocky environments feel realistic, visual effects artists paid close attention to lighting and texture. The movie also includes creatures with a square design, and the filmmakers worked hard to make their movements and expressions match the way they behave in the game.

‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ (2025)

Tom Cruise is back with another thrilling, action-packed adventure around the world, packed with incredibly dangerous stunts. The ‘Mission: Impossible’ films are famous for doing as much as possible with real action, but visual effects are essential for making those stunts safe and expanding the settings. For this new film, the team used effects to make exciting aerial and underwater scenes even bigger and more intense. ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ blends digital technology with the real stunts to create a seamless and believable experience.

‘Predator: Badlands’ (2025)

Dan Trachtenberg’s new film builds on the story of the Predator, delivering a thrilling sci-fi experience. Creating the movie demanded impressive special effects to show off the Predator’s ability to become invisible and its high-tech weapons. Artists worked closely with performers in suits, using digital tools to make the alien’s movements and expressions more realistic. The film also uses computer-generated landscapes to create a lonely and dangerous hunting ground.

‘The Running Man’ (2025)

Edgar Wright’s film, based on Stephen King’s novel, depicts a frightening future where reality TV has become a life-or-death competition. The filmmakers created a detailed, high-tech city and the arenas where the deadly game show takes place using visual effects. Holographic displays and energy weapons were designed to match the film’s blend of dark humor and serious themes. Visual effects are central to ‘The Running Man,’ bringing the exciting chase sequences to life while also portraying the bleakness of a crumbling society.

‘Sinners’ (2025)

As a huge fan of both Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, I’m really excited about their new film. It’s a spooky, historical thriller set in the Jim Crow South, and from what I’ve heard, the visual effects are incredible. They’ve created some truly terrifying vampires and really brought their powers to life on screen. But it’s not just about the monsters – they’ve used things like fog and shadows, digitally enhanced, to build a genuinely unsettling atmosphere. It sounds like ‘Sinners’ isn’t just a horror film, but one that really grounds its fantastical elements in a very real and authentic historical setting.

‘Superman’ (2025)

James Gunn is kicking off the new DC Universe with his reimagining of Superman. The movie relies heavily on visual effects to realistically portray Superman’s powers – like flying, heat vision, and super strength – using modern physics. Artists digitally built the impressive city of Metropolis and the otherworldly environments of Krypton. ‘Superman’ strives to capture the vibrant look of the comics while still feeling like a grand, live-action movie.

‘Thunderbolts*’ (2025)

This Marvel Studios movie features a team of unlikely heroes – characters who are either anti-heroes or villains trying to turn over a new leaf. The film showcases a wide range of impressive visual effects, from the Ghost’s ability to become intangible to the powerful energy blasts of the Sentry. Creating the film’s big battles and action scenes required incredibly detailed simulations of destruction. ‘Thunderbolts*’ successfully combines these different powers and visual styles into one exciting action-adventure.

‘Tron: Ares’ (2025)

The latest ‘Tron’ film revisits the digital world with a fresh, updated look that builds on the series’ famous neon style. Artists created new and innovative light cycles, visual cues, and digital environments, using cutting-edge computer graphics. The story blurs the line between the digital and real worlds, demanding a smooth transition between them. ‘Tron: Ares’ stays true to the series’ history of groundbreaking visual effects and unique artistic vision.

‘Wicked: For Good’ (2025)

The second half of the movie finishes the story of Elphaba and Glinda in Oz. It uses a lot of special effects to create the magical world, including creatures, flying monkeys, and the Emerald City. The film features impressive visual effects – like magical particles and expanded sets – to make the fantasy feel real and match the scale of the musical’s songs and the powerful ending.

Share your predictions for which films will make the final five nominations in the comments.

2025-11-30 01:49