<\/p>\n
\u201cArco,\u201d boasting a starry cast and an Oscar-winning producer (Natalie Portman), is the second and final consensus pick in the first round of the BuzzMeter. It has nearly twice as many points as runner-up \u201cElio,\u201d yet the panel doesn\u2019t describe it as a dominant front-runner.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere’s no big dog in this year’s animation race,\u201d says Amy Nicholson. \u201cSo there’s room for this colorful French-made time-travel cartoon (\u2018Arco\u2019) to steal a win.\u201d Dave Karger writes, \u201cWithout a true critical and commercial smash from a major studio so far, this race seems ripe for the inclusion of films by smaller distributors or foreign countries, notably \u2018Arco.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
But the buzziest contender, at least in terms of a ubiquitous pop-culture moment, has to be \u201cKPop Demon Hunters,\u201d which made $18 million in a two-day limited theatrical release of its sing-along version, scored four Top 10 singles and is currently Netflix\u2019s most-watched original title ever (266 million views, according to the streamer).<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no way the academy could miss the \u2018KPop Demon Hunters\u2019 moment,\u201d says Katie Walsh.<\/p>\n
By the way, the Chinese \u201cNe Zha 2\u201d is, by far, the highest-grossing animated feature ever, with more than $2.2 billion in worldwide receipts, though it has made only $23 million stateside.<\/p>\n
Best picture<\/a> | Best director<\/a> | Best international feature<\/a><\/p>\n 1. \u201cArco\u201d<\/b>
2. \u201cElio\u201d<\/b>
3. \u201cIn Your Dreams\u201d<\/b>
4. \u201cZootopia 2\u201d<\/b>
5. \u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d<\/b>
6. \u201cNe Zha 2\u201d
7. \u201cLittle Am\u00e9lie or the Character of Rain\u201d
T8. \u201cYour Letter\u201d
T8. \u201cScarlet\u201d<\/p>\n