Don Shanahan
After decades of support and clamoring from cinephiles, film critics, and industry workers alike, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will finally recognize the work of stunt departments at the Oscars. Beginning with the historic 100th Academy Awards in 2028 celebrating the 2027 year of film, an Academy Award will be awarded for Achievement in Stunt Design. Yes, go ahead and say “finally” again because this is one long-overdue addition.
In an official statement accompanying the announcement from the Board of Governors, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang stated, “We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion.”
Eligibility and voting rules have yet to be determined and will be announced at some point in 2027. The award for Achievement in Stunt Design will follow their newest category of an Oscar for Achievement in Casting beginning with this year’s field for the 98th annual show. For an AMPAS that has had its integrity questioned in the past decade with pandering category proposals and selfish cut-off-your-nose-despite-your-face moves focused on attracting more casual public viewers in the face of dwindling television ratings, the addition of a Stunt Design category follows Casting as the second public relations victory in a row.
Kramer and Yang exclaimed in the sentence before the aforementioned statement, “Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking.” In The Academy’s Facebook post on Thursday announcing this new category, they used a similar line, “Stunts have always been part of the magic of movies. Now, they’re part of the Oscars.” While film lovers can celebrate the whole “better late than never” notion, especially with the inclusion of this award arriving 89 years after a mainstay like Best Special/Visual Effects, there’s still a loud ovation of “What took so long?” For many, that “magic” has been clear as day since the days of Buster Keaton and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
The number of indelible images from the history of cinema that have created memorable moments—many of which are the backbones of movie trailers and have made the sizzle reels of the Oscars’ very montages for years—involved premier stunt work. In the created social media image attached to the Academy’s post, three recent examples were highlighted in the form of 2022’s recent Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, the epic Indian action sensation RRR from the same year, and Tom Cruise hanging from the windows of the Burj Khalifa in 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
The spread of that trio is a savvy and respectable introductory start for the Academy. By highlighting a balance between independent films, foreign entries, and the vaunted blockbusters, the Academy is showing the wide range of stunt design and action set pieces audiences have celebrated for years. Ardent cinephiles know one of the best qualities of legitimate stunt work is that it is often done to a fantastic and jaw-dropping level in movies big, small, foreign, and domestic.
Alas, after this category announcement for Stunt Design, there’s bound to be a wary section of fans and critics that will be worried this category could be monopolized by the big-budget tentpoles. This will not and should not be a blockbuster exclusive award. Films like RRR, Everything Everywhere All at Once, the entire DIY resume of Jackie Chan before he crossed the Pacific, and dozens of other examples throughout cinema history have proved that a boatload of money doesn’t always buy or build the best. For example, if this Stunt Design category was open this past year, smaller independent films like Monkey Man and Kill would have given the likes of Dune: Part Two, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Deadpool and Wolverine, and The Fall Guy plenty of competition.
Nevertheless, the development of a possible trend for integrity and equity’s sakes will be up to the incoming rules and the thoroughness of future voters—including the 100+ stunt professionals carrying current AMPAS membership. Let’s hope they have good eyes and open ears to see the best this until-now unrepresented field has to offer. There’s a reason the stunt department is listed almost immediately after the cast list in the scrolling film credits. The actors wouldn’t look good without them. Now, the Oscars will look better too.
