When theOscarsannounced that they would be introducing two new fan-voted categories, things were clearly never going to go to plan for the Academy, which seemed to believe the categories would appease those who felt the Oscars snubbed many of the biggest movies of the year likeSpider-Man: No Way Home.After a brief time when Amazon’s much-criticizedCinderellaremake took an early lead in the voting, a different juggernaut fan base made it their mission to see the movies ofZack Snydergain some kind of Oscar recognition this year, and ultimately, what Snyder fans want, Snyder fans get.
As the two social media-voted awards for Fan Favorite movie and Oscars Cheer Moment were revealed, Zack Snyder’s Netflix horror-thrillerArmy of the Deadtook the Fan Favorite Award. At the same time, Zack Snyder’sJustice League, which was not eligible for the former category, picked up Cheer Moment for the scene where The Flash enters the Speed Force and saves the Justice League to allow them to defeat DeSaad. After the issues surrounding the original release ofJustice League, this was some kind of retribution for fans of the director, and he was quick to address their dedication on social media.
While fans celebrated on Twitter, the director posted his simple reaction on Vero, commenting “Awesome” to the Cheer Moment win and, “Literally best fans ever!!!” regarding theArmy of the Deadvictory.
Related:Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead Wins First-Ever Oscars' Fan Favorite Award
The Fan-Voted Categories Didn’t Quite Work Out As Expected Due To Fan Rivalries
While some believed that the fan-favorite category was only introduced to appease Disney and fans ofSpider-Man: No Way Homewho were not impressed that the film was virtually snubbed in all categories, others suggested it was just a way of the Academy attempting to make the Awards more accessible for those who believe that there is a lot of snobbery involved in the selection process, but in the end, both categories ended up being nothing more than a tussle between fans with a point to prove.
By the time the votes were in,Army of The Deadhad ended up being in competition with Amazon Prime’sCinderella, which starred Camila Cabello and Idina Menzel and was roundly torn down by both audiences and critics when it made its debut on the streaming platform. Both sets of fans set up extensive social media campaigns with hashtags and bombarded fan groups to aid their cause, and although it seemed at one point, either group could succeed in getting the most followers to vote in time. The online battle meant that the two films ended ahead of Johnny Depp movieMinamata, which had its own campaign launched to show support for Depp in his ongoing legal battle with Amber Heard,Spider-Man: No Way HomeandTick, Tick…Boom, both of which many believed were more deserving but did not go to the length of creating hashtags to try and beat the other movies gaining massive amounts of attention.
All in all, the announcement of the fan-voted category winners seemed to arrive without fanfare and just left many wondering why the two categories were being given time on the live broadcast when other categories had been dropped. As far as it goes, it turned out to be just one of the moments that will see the 94th Academy Awards be remembered for some bizarre and dubious reasons rather than the big winners it is meant to be celebrating.
