“Aquaman” director James Wan has lashed at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for snubbing the superhero film when it was not listed among the 10 semi-finalists in the visual effects category, calling it “a f–king disgrace.”
“You and your department are the unsung heroes of this film,” Wan told visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain in a Facebook comment. “The fact that your VFX peers in the Academy aren’t recognizing or appreciating what we/you’ve all contributed to the film and cinema is a f–king disgrace.”
“I’m with you James,” Mcllwain replied. “It was a complete shock to everyone that we are not in the final 10 films that will be presenting at the Academy VFX Bake-off.”
The following 10 films made the VFX Oscars shortlist:
- “Ant-Man and the Wasp”
- “Avengers: Infinity War”
- “Black Panther”
- “Christopher Robin”
- “First Man”
- “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”
- “Mary Poppins Returns”
- “Ready Player One”
- “Solo: A Star Wars Story”
- “Welcome to Marwen”
“Aquaman” is on its way to becoming Warner Bros’ first billion-dollar release since “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012.
In the second weekend of its domestic run, “Aquaman” has added an estimated $51.5 million, holding on strong this holiday season with just a 24 percent drop from its $67.4 million opening. The film is estimated to pass $900 million by the end of its run, with box office analysts saying that it could cross the $1 billion mark.