Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Planet of the Apes are all franchises that deserved acting Oscar nominations for non-live-action roles, but never got them. Now, in a landmark move, next year’s acting category will consider puppeteer James Ortiz for bringing Project Hail Mary’s rock alien to life.
The sci-fi drama, released last month, stars Ryan Gosling as science teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace. It was a critical and box office smash hit, with most of the praise being directed at the lead character’s friendship with Rocky, a creature he meets in outer space.
