‘The Jungle Book,’ ‘Rogue One’ Advance in Visual Effects Oscar Race

The Jungle Book, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Kubo and the Two Strings are among the 20 films that will advance in the Oscar race for best visual effects, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Friday.

Laika’s Kubo — a “hybrid” stop-motion movie combined with digital effects — is notable, as it’s highly unusual for an animated film to make the cut in the VFX category. The stop-motion The Nightmare Before Christmas from 1993 earned a VFX Oscar nomination.

The Academy’s VFX branch’s executive committee selected the preliminary shortlist. Later this month, it will narrow the list to the 10 films that will advance to nominations voting.

The complete list of films that will advance in the VFX Oscar competition are:

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Arrival

The BFG

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Captain America: Civil War

Deadpool

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Independence Day: Resurgence

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Passengers

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

Sully

Warcraft

X-Men: Apocalypse