Not 'Spider-Man', 'Cinderella' is leading the Oscar's fan-favourite category

Critically-panned musical has been propelled to the top by social media users

After it was announced that this year's Oscars will include a new "fan favourite" prize for the year's most popular film as voted for by Twitter users, things haven't gone exactly according to the Academy's plan. With the category introduced to raise ratings and draw in fans of the year's biggest blockbusters such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and James Bond spy-thriller No Time to Die, an unlikely name has emerged on top of the scoreboard so far: Camila Cabello's critically-panned live-action Cinderella. 

The #OscarsFanFavorite poll has been up and running on social media, with the only requirement for nominating films being that they have a release date between March 1 and December 31, 2021. In a report initially published by Deadline, the cringe-inducing musical reimagining of the classic fairytale is currently in first place, with other contenders including Zack Snyder's director's cut of Justice League and Army of the Dead. 

Television ratings for the Oscars have dramatically declined in recent years. Last year's edition, which honored mainly smaller, arthouse movies such as best picture winner Nomadland, was watched by just over 10 million viewers - a 56% decline from 2020, which was already a record low.

As Oscars voters have increasingly drifted away from more mainstream fare, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has toyed with various reforms to boost the ceremony's popularity.

In 2018, organisers proposed a "popular film" Oscar to honor blockbuster movies such as Star Wars films or Marvel superhero films that rake in millions at the box office. But it swiftly shelved those plans after critics ridiculed the move, and the new "fan favourite" award will not be a formal Oscar category.