Better late than never...
From Buster Keaton to Tom Cruise's neverending quest to cheat death with every new Mission: Impossible movie via Gareth Evans’ breathtaking The Raid diptych, stunt work and stunt performers have been an integral part of cinema since its inception.
Now, after years of impassioned calls for an Oscar recognizing the art of the stunt, the Academy has decided to give it an official award.
An achievement in stunt design prize will be added starting with the 100th Academy Awards, which will recognize films released in 2027.
“Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a joint statement. “We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion.”
David Leitch, who directed The Fall Guy, which was itself a valentine to stunt performers, helped lead the charge for the new prize.
Leitch began his career as a stuntman for stars like Brad Pitt before transitioning to making stunt-heavy films like John Wick. He and stunt coordinator and designer Chris O’Hara of Stunts Unlimited made presentations to the academy advocating for the addition of a new award.
“Stunts are essential to every genre of film and rooted deep in our industry’s history — from the groundbreaking work of early pioneers like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Charlie Chaplin, to the inspiring artistry of today’s stunt designers, coordinators, performers, and choreographers," Leitch said in a statement. “Chris O’Hara and I have spent years working to bring this moment to life, standing on the shoulders of the stunt professionals who’ve fought tirelessly for recognition over the decades. We are incredibly grateful.”
So are we, even if other awards shows were ahead of the curve in celebrating stunts.
For example, the Emmys honors stunt coordination and stunt performance, while the Screen Actors Guild Awards recognize stunt ensembles in television and film.
Chad Stahelski, who co-directed John Wick and did stunts for Keanu Reeves, said that there's still work to be done.
“The idea of giving an Academy Award for stunt design is awesome – don’t get me wrong,” he said. “Now I would like to know who’s going to decide who gets it, and who actually gets the award? It’s not like it was 100 years ago when there was one person designing it. It’s a collaborative effort.”
Stahelski added: "Stunts is such a collaborative and complicated department, how are we going to determine who this goes to? We’ve spent 100 years getting the award, let’s just make sure it goes to the right people.”
Well, Stahelski, Cruise and the whole team behind Mad Max: Fury Road get our votes for belated gongs. Let's start with those.
