Unlike the past few years, the Visual Effects category has been pre-narrowed to ten films, each of which has an equal chance of gaining one of the five Best Visual Effects nomination slots. Here’s the Academy press release. John Carter and Snow White seem to me the least likely to make it through with Skyfall, Spider-Man and The Avengers next in line to be struck down. Of course, anything could happen and the only ones on the list I see as being assured slots are The Hobbit, Life of Pi and Prometheus with The Dark Knight Rises and Cloud Atlas also possible, though Atlas could just as easily be left off for The Amazing Spider-Man or The Avengers.

10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar® Race

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 85th Academy Awards®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

• The Amazing Spider-Man
• Cloud Atlas
• The Dark Knight Rises
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• John Carter
• Life of Pi
• Marvel’s The Avengers
• Prometheus
• Skyfall
• Snow White and the Hunts

All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the 10 shortlisted films on Thursday, January 3. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.