The Oscars race continues to heat up and there are some clear frontrunners, like Natalie Portman’s performance in Jackie, Barry JenkinsMoonlight, and Damian Chazelle’s La La Land. Then there are the not so obvious contenders who are still vying for top marks, perhaps the most unexpected being Seth Rogen’s R-rated animated comedy Sausage Party.

According to THR, Sony is going all out in submitting the film for Oscars consideration. It’s not such a farfetched idea that the film is vying for the Best Animated Feature category, but that’s not the only one the studio is hoping to nab. Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures’ chief, told the trade:

Academy members are way smarter and more forward thinking than people realize. They want to recognize bold, original, risky breakthroughs, and that’s what Sausage Party is, however subversive. Plus, it’s just plain cool.

Rogen, who voiced a character in the film and developed the concept with Evan Goldberg and Jonah Hill, also said:

We've never been this passionate about a film and we're thrilled to enter uncharted territory. It's rare you really get to break new ground, and we hope that people view it as a good thing for the medium.

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Image via Sony Pictures

Sausage Party earned a worldwide gross of $135.3 million on a budget of $19 million. The film, about grocery store items who discover the horrible truth about what happens to them when customers purchase them, also received a lot of critical praise, so is it that crazy that a film like this would have a chance in the Oscar race?

While it may have a shot in the Best Animated Feature category, I think it’ll have a problem remaining in the conversation as a viable contender when Oscar voters may be more drawn to films like Arrival, Nocturnal Animals, and Birth of a Nation. However, 2016 hasn’t been a great year for high-caliber films. When you factor in the new rules bringing more diversity to the Academy’s body of voters, maybe — just maybe — there’s a slim chance it could prove itself to be more than just a foulmouthed raunch fest.

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Image via Sony Pictures
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Image via Sony
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Image via Sony