I think the Popular Films category is a great idea. It’s insane to think that Shape of Water was the biggest hit last year among 9 nominees. The Academy needed to somehow represent the movies people actually pay money to watch, not the ones no one cares about except cinephiles and critics. It’s a lot more work to make a Wonder Woman than a Three Billboards, and I’m sure the 1000s it takes to create a good popcorn flick would love to be in contention. Since voters will never acknowledge popular flicks, save for a James Cameron movie, forcing them to vote was the smart decision. I’m a minority though. Elitist voters all hate the idea
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There is a big caveat though. How do you decide what makes a popular movie? What if a popular movie by design flops? Is it still popular?
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