Nominations have been announced for the 40th Annual Saturn Awards. The nominees and winners are selected by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, which recognizes achievements in genre films, television and home video. Another way to view them would be an academy that recognizes genre blockbusters and it's the only way Jack the Giant Slayer could get nominated for anything ever. But this year's big nominees were Gravity and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which each racked up eight nominations. To be fair, the Saturn Awards also have the room to take chances such as nominating Scarlett Johansson for Best Supporting Actress for Her…but then they turn right back around and nominate The Lone Ranger for Best Action/Adventure Movie. On the TV side, Breaking Bad, Falling Skies, and Game of Thrones each picked up five nominations.
Hit the jump for the full list of nominees. Winners will be announced in June.
Here's the press release, which contains the full list of nominees:
“Gravity” and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” soar with 8 Saturn Award nominations, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” scores with 7, “Iron Man 3,” “Pacific Rim,” “Star Trek Into Darkness and Thor: The Dark World lead with 5 nominations apiece for the 40th Annual Saturn Awards, while “Breaking Bad,” “Falling Skies,” and “Game of Thrones” lead on TV in an Epic Year for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror
LOS ANGELES – February 26, 2014 – Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug both received 8 nominations as the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today announced nominations for the 40th Annual Saturn Awards, which will be presented in June.
Other major contenders that received major nominations were The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Book Thief, Her, Oz The Great and Powerful and Ron Howard’s Rush. Also making a strong showing was the folk music fable Inside Llewyn Davis from Joel and Ethan Coen highlighting their magnificent and original work. And Scarlett Johansson was the first Best Supporting Actress to be nominated for her captivating vocal performance in Spike Jones’ fantasy romance Her.
For the Saturn’s stellar 40th Anniversary celebration, two new categories have been added to reflect the changing times; Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture will see Warner’s Man of Steel duking it out against Marvel’s Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and The Wolverine! The second new category is Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series – highlighting the most promising young talent working in TV today.
In TV categories, the final season of AMC’s groundbreaking show Breaking Bad, TNT’s Falling Skies and HBO’s Game of Thrones tied with 5 nominations each. Close behind with 4 noms apiece were American Horror Story: Coven (FX), Hannibal (NBC), Under the Dome (CBS), and The Walking Dead (AMC) ... while new breakthrough hits Bates Motel (A&E), Continuum (SyFy), The Americans (FX) , The Blacklist (NBC) and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) jump into the fray as well.
The Academy was founded in 1972 by noted film historian Dr. Donald A. Reed to honor and recognize films often overlooked by mainstream awards. Over the years, the Academy has expanded its reach to include recognizing excellence in television and home entertainment, as well as other genres, including adventure, thriller and action. Robert Holguin, President of the Organization says, “This has been an incredible year for genre entertainment which I affectionately refer to as enhanced or exaggerated reality. The films and shows we honor continue to lead in box-office success showcasing a cadre of great talent helming today’s works of wonder. I’m thrilled to see the organization reach its’ fourth decade of dedication to the most imaginative creations on the silver screen and fantastic visions on the television screen”.
This year’s Saturn Awards will be presented in June in Burbank in California. For a complete list of nominations and more information about the Academy, visit www.saturnawards.org.
Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture:
- Iron Man 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney)
- Man of Steel (Warner Bros.)
- Thor: The Dark World (Marvel/Walt Disney)
- The Wolverine (20th Century Fox)
Best Science Fiction Film:
- Ender’s Game (Summit/Lionsgate)
- Gravity (Warner Bros.)
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lionsgate)
- Pacific Rim (Warner Bros.)
- Riddick (Universal Pictures)
- Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount Pictures)
Best Fantasy Film:
- About Time (Universal Pictures)
- Her (Warner Bros.)
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)
- Jack the Giant Slayer (Warner Bros.)
- Oz The Great and Powerful (Walt Disney Studios)
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (20th Century Fox)
Best Horror Film:
- Carrie (Screen Gems/Sony)
- The Conjuring (Warner Bros.)
- Mama (Universal Pictures)
- The Purge (Universal Pictures)
- This is the End (Sony Pictures)
- Warm Bodies (Summit/Lionsgate)
Best Thriller Film:
- The Call (TriStar Pictures/Sony)
- The East (Fox Searchlight)
- Now You See Me (Summit/Lionsgate)
- The Place Beyond the Pines (Focus Features)
- Prisoners (Warner Bros.)
- World War Z (Paramount Pictures)
Best Action/Adventure Film:
- The Book Thief (20th Century Fox)
- Fast & Furious 6 (Universal Pictures)
- Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Paramount Pictures)
- The Lone Ranger (Walt Disney Studios)
- Lone Survivor (Universal Pictures)
- Rush (Universal Pictures)
Best Actor:
- Robert Downey, Jr. Iron Man 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney)
- Oscar Isaac Inside Llewyn Davis (CBS Films)
- Simon Pegg The World’s End (Focus Features)
- Joaquin Phoenix Her (Warner Bros.)
- Brad Pitt World War Z (Paramount Pictures)
- Ben Stiller The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (20th Century Fox)
Best Actress:
- Halle Barry The Call (TriStar Pictures/Sony)
- Sandra Bullock Gravity (Warner Bros.)
- Martina Gedeck The Wall (Music Box Films)
- Jennifer Lawrence The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lionsgate)
- Emma Thompson Saving Mr. Banks (Walt Disney Studios)
- Mia Wasikowska Stoker (Fox Searchlight)
Best Supporting Actor:
- Daniel Bruhl Rush (Universal Pictures)
- George Clooney Gravity (Warner Bros.)
- Benedict Cumberbatch Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount Pictures)
- Harrison Ford Ender’s Game (Summit/Lionsgate)
- Tom Hiddleston Thor: The Dark World (Marvel/Walt Disney)
- Ben Kingsley Iron Man 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney)
- Bill Nighy About Time (Universal Pictures)
Best Supporting Actress:
- Scarlett Johansson Her (Warner Bros.)
- Nicole Kidman Stoker (Fox Searchlight)
- Melissa Leo Prisoners (Warner Bros.)
- Evangeline Lily The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)
- Jena Malone The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lionsgate)
- Emily Watson The Book Thief (20th Century Fox)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor:
- Asa Butterfield Ender’s Game (Summit/Lionsgate)
- Chloe Grace Moretz Carrie (Screen Gems/Sony)
- Sophie Nelisse The Book Thief (20th Century Fox)
- Saoirse Ronan How I Live Now (Magnolia Pictures)
- Ty Simpkins Iron Man 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney)
- Dylan Sprayberry Man of Steel (Warner Bros.)
Best Director:
- J.J. Abrams Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount Pictures)
- Peter Berg Lone Survivor (Universal Pictures)
- Alfonso Cuaron Gravity (Warner Bros.)
- Peter Jackson The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)
- Francis Lawrence The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lionsgate)
- Guillermo del Toro Pacific Rim (Warner Bros.)
Best Independent Film:
- 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight)
- Great Expectations (Main Street Films)
- Inside Llewyn Davis (CBS Films)
- The Invisible Woman (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Out of the Furnace (Relativity Media)
- Upside Down (Millennium Entertainment)
Best International Film:
- Big Bad Wolves (Magnolia Pictures/Magnet)
- Blancanieves (Cohen Media Group)
- A Hijacking (Magnolia Pictures)
- How I Live Now (Magnolia Pictures)
- Stoker (Fox Searchlight)
- The World’s End (Focus Features)
Best Animated Film:
- Despicable Me 2 (Universal Pictures)
- From Up on Poppy Hill (GKids)
- Frozen (Walt Disney Studios)
- Monsters University (Pixar/Walt Disney Studios)
TELEVISION:
Best Network Television Series Release:
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)
- The Blacklist (NBC)
- The Following (Fox)
- Hannibal (NBC)
- Revolution (NBC)
- Sleepy Hollow (Fox)
- Under the Dome (CBS)
Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series:
- American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
- The Americans (FX)
- Continuum (SyFy)
- Dexter (Showtime)
- Haven (SyFy)
- The Walking Dead (AMC)
Best Television Presentation of a Limited Run Series:
- Bates Motel (A&E)
- Black Sails (Starz)
- Breaking Bad (AMC)
- Falling Skies (TNT)
- Game of Thrones (HBO)
- Vikings (The History Channel)
Best Youth-Oriented Television Series:
- Arrow (The CW)
- Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
- Supernatural (The CW)
- Teen Wolf (MTV)
- The Tomorrow People (The CW)
- The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
Best Actor in a Television Series:
- Kevin Bacon The Following (Fox)
- Bryan Cranston Breaking Bad (AMC)
- Hugh Dancy Hannibal (NBC)
- Freddie Highmore Bates Motel (A&E)
- Mads Mikkelsen Hannibal (NBC)
- James Spader The Blacklist (NBC)
- Noah Wyle Falling Skies (TNT)
Best Actress in a Television Series:
- Jennifer Carpenter Dexter (Showtime)
- Vera Farmiga Bates Motel (A&E)
- Anna Gunn Breaking Bad (AMC)
- Jessica Lange American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
- Rachel Nichols Continuum (SyFy)
- Keri Russell The Americans (FX)
Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series:
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Game of Thrones (HBO)
- Erik Knudsen Continuum (SyFy)
- David Lyons Revolution (NBC)
- Dean Norris Under the Dome (CBS)
- Aaron Paul Breaking Bad (AMC)
- James Purefoy The Following (Fox)
Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series:
- Kathy Bates American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
- Sarah Carter Falling Skies (TNT)
- Gwendoline Christie Game of Thrones (HBO)
- Michelle Fairley Game of Thrones (HBO)
- Melissa McBride The Walking Dead (AMC)
- Elizabeth Mitchell Revolution (NBC)
Best Guest Star in a Television Series:
- Stephen Collins Falling Skies (TNT)
- Robert Forster Breaking Bad (AMC)
- Danny Huston American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
- David Morrissey The Walking Dead (AMC)
- Charlotte Rampling Dexter (Showtime)
- Gina Torres Hannibal (NBC)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series:
- Colin Ford Under the Dome (CBS)
- Jared Gilmore Once Upon a Time (ABC)
- Jack Gleeson Game of Thrones (HBO)
- Connor Jessup Falling Skies (TNT)
- MacKenzie Lintz Under the Dome (CBS)
- Chandler Riggs The Walking Dead (AMC)
Home Entertainment:
Best DVD Release:
- Bad Ass Spider Epic Pictures
- The Brass Teapot Magnolia Home Entertainment
- Curse of Chucky Universal
- Mischief Night RLJ Entertainment
- Solomon Kane Anchor Bay Entertainment
- Twixt Fox Home Entertainment
- You’re Next Lionsgate
Best DVD Collection:
- Bowery Boys Collection: Volumes 2 and 3 Warner Archive
- Chucky: The Complete Collection Universal
- Friday the 13th : The Complete Collection Warner
- James Dean Ultimate Collector’s Edition Warner
- Mad Max Trilogy Warner
- Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Criterion
Best Classic Film Release:
- Fantastic Voyage Fox Home Entertainment
- Halloween (35th Anniversary Edition) Anchor Bay
- The Haunting Warner
- House of Wax Warner
- Nosferatu Kino
- The Wicker Man Lionsgate
Best Television Release:
- The Adventures of Superboy: The Complete Third Season Warner Archive
- Search: The Complete Series Warner Archive
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 3, 4, 5 CBS Paramount
- Under the Dome: Season One CBS Paramount
- The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season Starz / Anchor Bay
- The White Queen: Season One Anchor Bay