‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Earns Just One Oscar Nomination, and Not for Best Picture. That Shouldn’t Be Surprising

variety.com:

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterIt should not be shocking in the least that “Spider-Man: No Way Home” failed to earn an Academy Award nomination for best picture.

Only two other comic book adaptations — “Joker” (2019) and “Black Panther” (2018) — have ever earned that honor. Unlike those movies, “No Way Home” failed to earn nominations from any of the top guild awards, and it only earned one other Oscar nomination, for visual effects (as opposed to the 11 total nominations for “Joker” and seven for “Black Panther”).And yet, in the wake of “No Way Home’s” astronomic financial success — to date, it’s earned over $1.7 billion worldwide, making it the sixth highest-grossing film of all time amid a global pandemic — the movie became something of a cause célèbre for those who believe the Oscars desperately need more popular nominees to remain relevant.

Indeed, this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences permanently expanded the best picture category to 10 nominees in part to increase the chances that blockbusters like “No Way Home” would make the cut.

Instead, “Dune” is the sole major box office hit to earn a best picture nomination this year, having grossed $107.6 million domestically and $399 million worldwide — despite its day-and-date release on HBO Max.