Furiosa: A Mad Max SagaandJoker: Folie à Deuxhave joined a rareOscarsclub that only two other blockbuster sequels and franchise expansions are a part of. With the 97th Oscars set for August 10, 2025, bothFuriosaandJoker 2are notably not in contention for any Academy Awards despite being two of themost highly-anticipated films of 2024. Rather than being two of the biggest 2025 Oscar contenders,FuriosaandJoker 2ended up being two of thebiggest 2024 box-office flops.
Furiosa’sunderwhelming box office was more of a surprise thanJoker 2’sdue to the latter’s divisive critical reception. Earning a score of just 31% onRotten Tomatoesin both critic and audience scores,Joker: Folie à Deuxwas a stunning disappointmentconsidering its Oscar-winning 2019 predecessor, which earned Joaquin Phoenix his first Best Actor award. On the other hand,Furiosawas one of thehighest-rated films of 2024, earning a Certified FreshRotten Tomatoesscore of 90% and having nothing to show for it at the 2025 Oscars.
Furiosa & Joker 2 Both Failed To Get Any Oscar Nominations Despite Being Sequels To Movies With 10+ Nominations
Joker 2 Sunk The Todd Phillips Franchise While Furiosa Was Strong But Overlooked
Furiosa: A Mad Max SagaandJoker: Folie à Deuxare the latest members of an unfortunate yet exclusive Oscars club of unacknowledged sequels.Mad Max: Fury RoadandJokerboth earned over 10 Oscar nominations in their respective years, including Best Picture.Jokerwon two Academy Awards, whileFury Roadwon six, mostly in technical categories such as Production Design, Costume Design, and Film Editing. Given their success, the next installments of each franchise were also expected to be Oscar contenders, if not winners.
It’s not mindblowing that a prequel likeFuriosa– which notably did not featureFury Road’sleading duo of Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron – did not make the Oscars cut.Joker 2’slack of Oscar consideration was a surprise to nobody once the reviews and the film made its theatrical release. Thefull list of 2025 Oscar nominationstends to favor a shortlist of hand-selected films, such asWicked,Emilia Pérez, andThe Brutalist.Furiosacould have snuck in for categories such as Editing and Visual Effectsbut its underwhelming box office may have worked against it.
Only Two Other Movies Are Part Of Furiosa & Joker 2’s Oscars Club
Rocky II & The Exorcist II Shared A Similar Oscars Fate
BeforeFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaandJoker: Folie à Deux, only two franchise sequels ever received0 Oscar nominations after the prior film got 10+:Rocky II(1979)andExorcist II: The Heretic(1977).Rockymade history by becoming the first sports movie to win Best Picture, one of three to have ever done it, along withChariots of FireandMillion Dollar Baby.
BothRockyandThe Exorcist’sdirect sequels live in the shadow of their Oscar-winning predecessors, and nowJoker 2andFuriosaare part of that unlucky group.
The Exorcistmade history by becoming the first horror movie to receive a Best Picture nomination. BothRockyandThe Exorcist’sdirect sequels live in the shadow of theirOscar-winning predecessors, and nowJoker 2andFuriosaare part of that unlucky group.
The Oscars
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The Oscars, first held in 1929, is an annual American awards ceremony honoring achievements in the film industry. Winners across multiple categories receive a statuette officially named the Academy Award of Merit, commonly known as the Oscar.
