Producers Guild Nominations

If Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows had any chance of some industry/Oscar love, it would've shown up as one of the nominations from the Producers Guild. But when they announced their nominations early today, the boy wizard was nowhere to be found. Instead a tattooed girl and a group of bridesmaids found their way in.

Producer of the Year Award in Films

• The Artist
• Bridesmaids
• The Descendants
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• The Help
• Hugo
• The Ides of March
• Midnight in Paris
• Moneyball
• War Horse

The Oscar front-runners are all accounted for so this announcement didn't really shake up the race as much as it could've. They did snub Cannes-winning critical favorites Tree of Life and Drive, arguably the two films this year championed most online not counting Harry Potter. Speaking of Potter, a non-nomination here pretty much signals its already unlikely Best Picture nomination. No nominations for Extremely Close & Incredible Loud, J. Edgar, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy also lessen their already small chances. The unlikely films which did receive boosts are Bridesmaids and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with both probably wishing the Academy still nominated 10 films for best pictures.

Producer of the Year Award in Animated Films

• The Adventures of Tintin
• Cars 2
• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Puss in Boots
• Rango

Even Pixar's worst film gets in, but that's what you get if you're a respected brand and five nomination slots needed to be filled. Rango has been the outright frontrunner this season and it should be a steamroll to Oscar glory. Its biggest competition is the mo-cap Tintin, but may the technology be too radical for the animated branch? Arthur Christmas and Winnie the Pooh are the notable snubs here especially the former which nabbed Globe and BFCA nods.

Producer of the Year Award in Documentaries

• Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
• Bill Cunningham New York
• Project Nim
• Senna
• The Union

These were announced awhile back, but here they are. I haven't seen any of these so I don't have much to say and I confess that I'm not even sure which ones here are eligible for Oscars attention this year. Project Nim seems to be the front-runner with the critics at the moment though.