Universal Leads Saturn Award Sci-Fi Noms with Renfield, M3GAN, Chucky, The Ark, Oppenheimer & More!

It's been an impressive year of genre storytelling for Universal Pictures and the Saturn Awards have taken notice.

The studio will be well represented at the 51st annual ceremony with a total of 23 nominations for Oppenheimer, M3GAN, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Fast X (now streaming exclusively on Peacock), Renfield, and Knock at the Cabin. Christopher Nolan's 3-hour exploration of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer — aka the "father of the atomic bomb" — leads the bunch with 11 nods, including Best Thriller Film and Best Film Director. 

RELATED: Why Christopher Nolan is "Especially Honored" By Oppenheimer's Latest Award Win

In addition, Nolan will receive the esteemed Visionary Award, presented by Oppenheimer cast member Emily Blunt (who played the role of Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer). Previous recipients of the prize include DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige, and trailblazing filmmaker James Cameron. 

"Mr. Nolan’s exceptional and groundbreaking work has not only entertained and enlightened audiences for years, but most recently with the seminal Oppenheimer, he continues to contribute to the art of cinema by exploring the advent and fallout of the nuclear arms race. We believe this award is truly deserved," Academy President Robert Holguin and Saturn Awards producers Bradley and Kevin Marcus said in a joint statement.

On the television side of things, SYFY landed nods for The Ark and Chucky.

Other contenders are Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Avatar: The Way of Water, Barbie, Talk To Me, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Menu, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Andor, The Mandalorian, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Silo, and more.

Universal Pictures lands 23 Saturn Award nominations

Oppenheimer

• Best Thriller Film
• Best Actor in a Film (Cillian Murphy)
• Best Supporting Actor in a Film (Robert Downey Jr.)
• Best Supporting Actress in a Film (Emily Blunt)
• Best Film Director (Christopher Nolan)
• Best Film Screenwriting (Christopher Nolan)
• Best Film Makeup (Luisa Abel, Jason Hamer)
• Best Film Editing (Jennifer Lane)
• Best Film Production Design (Ruth De Jong)
• Best Film Costume (Ellen Mirojnick)
• Best Film Visual Effects (Andrew Jackson, Giacomo Mineo, Scott Fisher, Dave Drzewiecki)

M3GAN

• Best Science Fiction Film
• Best Younger Performer in a Film (Violet McGraw)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

• Best Animated Film

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

• Best Animated Film

Fast X

• Best Action/Adventure Film 
• Best Film Editing (Dylan Highsmith, Kelly Matsumoto, Corbin Mehl, Laura Yanovich)

Renfield

• Best Horror Film
• Best Supporting Actor in a Film (Nicolas Cage)
• Best Film Music (Marco Beltrami)
• Best Film Makeup (Christien Tinsley)
• Best Film Production Design (Alec Hammond)

Knock at the Cabin

• Best Thriller Film

SYFY Original Series The Ark

• Best New Genre Television Series

SYFY & USA Network Original Series Chucky

• Best Horror Television Series
• Best Younger Performer in a Television Series (Zackary Arthur)

When will the Saturn Awards be presented?

The 2023 Saturn Awards will be presented on February 2 at the L.A. Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel at 7 p.m. EST. Can't make it to California? No problem! The event is set to be live-streamed via Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment’s ElectricNOW.

Click here for the complete list of the 2023 nominees.

All of the nominated titles are now available to rent and/or purchase from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.