Many people are predicting Lord of the Rings will be the first Fantasy/SF movie that wins the Academy Award for Best Picture.

If revised to “First Fantasy Movie”, it’s an accurate statement.

but there is one SF movie that wasn’t overlooked. Well, at least kind of. 1956’s Best Picture, Around the World in 80 Days, was based on a Jules Verne novel. But that’s the only one. It’s been slim pickins.