Boom. After years of near-misses, tireless campaigning, and literal broken bones, the Academy has finally caved: a Best Stunt Oscar is coming. But like a Hollywood climax where the hero limps to victory, there's a twist. The category won't debut until the 2027 Oscars—meaning stunt teams must dodge explosions, outrun avalanches, and still wait two more years for recognition.
The Good, the Bad, and the Baffling
Let's applaud the milestone: Stunt work—the backbone of action cinema—will no longer be the Oscars' invisible art. From Mad Max: Fury Road's vehicular ballet to John Wick's precision gun-fu, these performers risk life and limb while A-listers take the credit. Yet the delay feels like a studio note: “Great idea! Let's table it for a ‘more strategic' moment.”
Why 2027? The Academy's centennial is a shiny backdrop, but fans aren't buying it. “It's like telling a stuntman who just jumped off a building, ‘Amazing! Now do it again in slow motion,'” gripes @FilmTwitter.
The Stunt Snub: A History of Near-Misses
- 1991: Stunt coordinators pushed for a category. The Academy said no.
- 2007: The Bourne Ultimatum won Best Editing—partly for its stunts—but no trophy for the team.
- 2022: Everything Everywhere All At Once's jaw-dropping fights lost to… Top Gun: Maverick's sound mixing.
Hollywood's hypocrisy? It worships practical effects (see: Mission: Impossible) yet treats stunt pros like background code. Even the Emmys and SAG Awards have had stunt categories for years.
What's Next?
The 2027 race could be legendary: Mission: Impossible 8, Deadpool & Wolverine's reshoots, and whatever Keanu Reeves does next. But until then, stunt crews will keep crashing cars, setting themselves on fire, and praying the Academy remembers them by then.
Your move, Oscars. Don't make them chase you for this trophy too.
