Apr 11, 2025 10:48 PM IST
Fans express outrage over the Academy’s decision to introduce a Best Stunts category only after Jackie Chan’s retirement from action films.
Oscars is finally adding a best stunts category. The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their decision to create a new category to honour stunt performers in a statement released Thursday. Titled the Achievement in Stunt Design, the award will be introduced at the 100th Academy Awards for films released in 2027.
Netizens urge Academy Awards to give Jackie Chan honorary Oscar for his stunts
“Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in the news release published on the Academy’s official website. “We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion.”
However, the long-awaited category has everyone saying the same thing—to give Jackie Chan a “lifetime achievement award” for his decades-long career. Over sixty years in the film industry, the 71-year-old appeared in more than 150 movies. The Police Story star has been a prominent figure in the world of cinema, where he performed his own stunts.
In the 1980s, Chan fractured his skull and impaired his hearing while performing a dangerous stunt on the set of Lung hing foo dai (Armour of God). His numerous injuries and on-set accidents include, falling from a clock tower in the 1983 film Project A and sliding down a pole covered in lights in the 1985 film Police Story. The stunt caused him to suffer broken bones and burns.
The Academy’s decision to announce the best stunts category after Chan’s retirement from action movies has drawn mixed reactions from netizens. While some said that the award was a long time coming, others criticised the board for not introducing the category sooner. The Hollywood veteran’s fans urged the Oscars to give the first stunts honour to the Karate Kid star.
“Can we just give Jackie Chan a lifetime achievement Academy Award for Best Stunt Design? This is insane,” one fan wrote on X, sharing a clip of a dangerous stunt performed by Chan. “Can you imagine how many OSCARS Jackie Chan could’ve WON if this category was around back in the day,” another wrote.
One more fan raged, “Doing this after Jackie Chan not in his prime no more is diabolical.” “Jackie chan just lost 50 oscars or more !” yet another wrote. “They’re gonna have to start the ceremony by giving Jackie Chan & Tom cruise 25 Oscar’s each just to make up for the times they weren’t acknowledged,” a fan said.
