We had one film release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations.

How to Train Your Dragon 2

In spite of being DreamWorks’ crowning achievement, the original How to Train Your Dragon had the misfortune of opening against Oscar juggernaut Toy Story 3 back in 2010. With Pixar out of the way, the sequel could be a force with which to be reckoned this year.

Dean DeBlois’ original film is often considered one of the key films in DreamWorks’ rise to power against the might of Pixar. Although Disney’s purchase of Pixar has diminished that studio’s quality, it remains a powerful force in the realm of the Academy Awards. Other than the poorly received Cars franchise and the most recent Monsters University, Pixar continues to secure frequent Oscar nominations and has racked up an impressive slate of seven Oscar wins.

This year, Pixar is entirely out of the picture, which could give DreamWorks the chance to shine and judging by the reaction of audiences and critics, it could easily make a run at the Best Animated Feature this year, though don’t count out the latest from Disney and a slate of well regarded releases slated for the end of the year. The Academy also doesn’t seem to be that excited about sequels, so that bias could be at play here as well.