It will come as no surprise to anyone that Pixar’s return to the toy box has caught the attention of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Toy Story 3 is one of fifteen ‘short’listed names released today.

Woody and Co. will be vying for the coveted Animated Film Oscar next year and are lined up against the likes of Dreamworks success story How to Train Your Dragon and the fourth Shrek film.

Sylvain Chomet’s beautiful film The Illusionist also makes the list alongside such dazzlers as Alpha and Omega and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Disney’s retelling of the Rapunzel tale, Tangled, also makes the list.

With fifteen names on this list the Academy rules state that only three nominations will be taken to go forward and compete for the Oscar for Toy Story  3 awar…sorry, the Oscar for Best Animated Film early next year.

The list show off the domination of the CG infused big hitters, though the inclusion of Kitty Galore and Alpha and Omega is a little distracting, and it seems certain that Lee Unkrich’s film will take home the Oscar early next year. Here’s the full list,

  • Toy Story 3
  • How to Train Your Dragon
  • Shrek Forever After
  • Despicable Me
  • Megamind
  • Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
  • Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
  • Alpha and Omega
  • Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole
  • Idiots and Angels
  • Tangled
  • My Dog Tulip
  • The Illusionist
  • The Dreams of Jinsha
  • Summer Wars

The BBC reported this here.