Now here's a piece of long-awaited news that'll have you punching, kicking, barrel rolling, and flying through the air — stuntwork is finally going to be recognised at the Oscars! Yes, with the campaign for the insane antics of stuntmen and women to be given proper awards recognition kicking into overdrive in recent years thanks to movies like The Fall Guy, Tom Cruise's increasingly death-defying Mission: Impossible outings, and the John Wick franchise, of late it's seemed more of a question of when and not if a stunt Oscar would ever come about. Well, per Deadline's reporting, that when is now — and the first Academy Award for Achievement in Stunt Design is set to be handed out at the 100th Oscar ceremony in 2028.
As shared by Deadline, the Academy's Board of Governors announced today that the new stunt gong will go live in 2028, meaning that movies released in 2027 will be eligible for consideration. “Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement marking the landmark announcement. “We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion.”
There's no doubt that an Oscar recognising the stunt community has been a long time coming: it was a major topic of conversation when Empire caught up with Kramer and Yang at Cannes last year, and today’s announcement has been a welcome one for those in the industry’s trenches. “Stunts are essential to every genre of film and rooted deep in our industry’s history — from the groundbreaking work of early pioneers like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Charlie Chaplin, to the inspiring artistry of today’s stunt designers, coordinators, performers, and choreographers,” said The Fall Guy and Bullet Train filmmaker and longtime Stunt Oscar initiative leader David Leitch in reaction to the news. “This has been a long journey for so many of us. Chris O’Hara and I have spent years working to bring this moment to life, standing on the shoulders of the stunt professionals who’ve fought tirelessly for recognition over the decades. We are incredibly grateful. Thank you, Academy”
Now sadly, the introduction of the Stunt Design award not being until 2028 does mean that there'll be no Mission: Impossible Final Reckoning Oscar run to look forward to — but perhaps Cruise and Doug Liman's SpaceX film, or the upcoming Top Gun 3 might be in with a shout. Or, looking ahead to 2027’s other major releases, maybe Gina Prince-Bythewood's Children Of Blood And Bone or The Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Secret Wars will enjoy success in the Oscars' newest category.
As ever with these things, only time will tell. But after years of Hollywood's unsung heroes putting their bodies on the line to push cinema higher, further, faster, and harder than ever before, pulling off the craziest stunts imaginable with the spotlight firmly pointed elsewhere, it sure does feel good to be able to say that the industry's fall guys — and those who make their feats of derring-do possible — are about to fly high on the grandest stage of 'em all. About damn time!