The Dark Knight should've been nominated for Best Picture, says Steven Spielberg

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that The Dark Knight is the greatest DC film of all-time. It’s not just an incredible superhero film, it’s an incredible film full stop. In fact, I wrote several thousand words at uni about how The Dark Knight is the perfect modern example of film noir, but I won’t bore you with details of that. It’s true though.

Unlike many superhero films, The Dark Knight was both a critical and commercial success - and ended up nabbing eight nominations at the 2009 Academy Awards: best supporting actor, best art direction, best cinematography, best film editing, best make-up, best sound editing, best sound mixing, and best visual effects. Steven Spielberg has recently gone on record to say that The Dark Knight should’ve been nominated for best picture too.

Avatar: The Way of Water is up for best picture at this year’s Oscars. Take a look at the trailer below.

Back in 2009, The Dark Knight only ended up taking home two awards. Heath Ledger, of course, posthumously won best supporting actor and the film also won best visual effects. In an interview with Deadline, Steven Spielberg was talking about the success of recent blockbuster hits like Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick which both gained best picture noms, explaining that it’s about time blockbuster films were appreciated alongside indie darlings.

“I’m really encouraged by that. It came late for the film that should have been nominated a number of years ago, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight,” said Spielberg. “That movie would have definitely garnered a best picture nomination today, so having these two blockbusters solidly presented on the top ten list is something we should all be celebrating.”

In case you missed it, wholesome favourite Brendan Fraser has received his first nomination for his leading role in The Whale. Reacting to the news, Brendan called the nomination (Via People) “a gift I certainly didn't see coming, but it's one that has profoundly changed my life.”