Disney Pushing ALICE IN WONDERLAND for Best Picture Oscar Nod

Disney studios is campaigning for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland to not only be noticed in the technical categories at next year's Academy Awards, but in the best picture and director spots as well.

Despite the film receiving mixed reviews from critics, it was a box office success racking in a worldwide billion plus dollars and cementing it in the top 10 moneymakers ranking of all time. The film's producers think this should be enough reason to warrant Oscar consideration now that the Best Picture category acknowledges 10 films from the past year.

“I think it would be terribly disappointing not to make the Top Ten. We’re not just mercenary about that. You can’t make a billion dollar gross unless millions of people are satisfied with a picture. The whole point of the new rule of 10 Best Picture nominees was not to exclude the most popular pictures of the year such as The Dark Knight. It was like pooh-poohing the audience. There should be recognition that you don’t get that business unless there were a lot of repeats and broad-based appeal and true creative accomplishment. That was the point of that discussion," said producer Dick Zanuck.

Alice in Wonderland director Tim Burton has never had a directorial or best picture nod at the Academy Awards for any of his films and although it may seem odd to start now with this film, it may be time to recognize the man whose work has been fascinated over for nearly two decades.

“I find it odd. Because he’s (Burton) one of the only auteurs left, one of the few ever. He won’t admit it , and we don’t talk about it, but I would be surprised if in some way in the back recesses of is mind he wouldn’t feel a little hurt and neglected," said Zanuck.