What happened in this Culture story?

The Best Animated Feature Oscar race is undergoing a transformation, with adult-oriented, critically acclaimed films like 'Wildwood' and 'Tangles' challenging the dominance of traditional family-friendly fare and signaling a broader shift in how animated films are perceived and categorized.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Laika** released 'Wildwood,' its first PG-13 film and the longest English-language animated feature at 130 minutes, marking a bold departure from its established style and positioning it as a frontrunner in the Oscar race.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Travis Knight** directed 'Wildwood' and participated in Variety’s Pixels and Pencils panel, reinforcing his status as a leading animation filmmaker following his prior Oscar nomination for 'Kubo and the Two Strings'.

Animated Oscars Race Heats Up With Adult-Focused Films — SkimNews

By Variety · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-11-03

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Laika released 'Wildwood,' its first PG-13 film and the longest English-language animated feature at 130 minutes, marking a bold departure from its established style and positioning it as a frontrunner in the Oscar race.
Travis Knight directed 'Wildwood' and participated in Variety’s Pixels and Pencils panel, reinforcing his status as a leading animation filmmaker following his prior Oscar nomination for 'Kubo and the Two Strings'.
Leah Nelson made her feature directorial debut with 'Tangles,' an animated drama based on Sarah Leavitt’s graphic memoir about Alzheimer’s, co-produced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Seth Rogen, and Lauren Miller Rogen.
'Tangles' and 'Wildwood' are being submitted in drama categories at the Golden Globes, a strategic move that challenges the long-standing assumption that animated films belong only in comedy or children’s genres.
Since 'Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio' won in 2023, neither Disney nor Pixar has won Best Animated Feature, with recent winners including 'The Boy and the Heron,' 'Flow,' and 'KPop Demon Hunters,' indicating a diversification of the category.
Brad Bird, Daniel Chong, Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado, and Andrew Stanton are among other high-profile directors in the race, with films like 'Ray Gunn,' 'Hoppers,' 'Forgotten Island,' and 'Toy Story 5' contributing to one of the most competitive slates in years.

Why it matters: The shift away from Disney and Pixar’s dominance in Best Animated Feature means independent and adult-focused studios now have a stronger path to recognition, altering funding, distribution, and awards strategy for animated films that aim beyond children’s audiences.