Producers Guild Preview — Announcing Monday

The Producers Guild matched the Oscars last year, when No Country for Old Men was sweeping nearly every award for which it was nominated. But before that, the last time they matched was when Return of the King was sweeping everything. We don’t yet know if we are in the midst of a sweeps year (Slumdog wins everything) or a mixed bag year where one movie wins this, another movie wins that. But before we get to the winners, let’s talk about the nominees.

Now that the PGA has its own category for animated films, it remains to be seen where Wall-E will jump the tracks and land in the Best Picture slot. The PGA seems inclined to honor both the blockbuster and the artistically brave, like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly last year.¬† They honored Little Miss Sunshine (and indie darling) over the mainstream blockbuster, The Departed, which shows their inclination towards honoring producers who aren’t necessarily nested within the studios.

There seem to be three films that are destined to be nominated for this: The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon.¬† Brian Grazer and Ron Howard (with others) ensures Frost/Nixon’s placement. The money and critical acclaim takes Dark Knight there and Slumdog is the current, and well deserved, prom king. That leaves two slots open. If you look at it from the perspective of which producer is doing such great work he, or she, deserves recognition? We know that Scott Rudin is one. This year, he has his name on Doubt and Revolutionary Road. Harvey Weinstein is back with The Reader (as exec producer).¬† And then, of course, you have Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall (with Cean Chaffin) and how can they miss? Then there is Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen and Michael London on Milk.

I suppose if I had to choose, I’d go with:

Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk OR Doubt

The Wrestler is also a possibility, as is Wall-E.

Won PGA | Won Oscar

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

EXACT MATCH

1993

EXACT MATCH

1992

1991

1990

1989