The Producers Guild nominations were announced today—and the Best Picture field for the Oscars just might have been set.
So, get ready to count in Bridesmaids.
Maybe.
The indisputable good news for Kristen Wiig's Bridesmaids is that it's one of 10 PGA nominees for film of the year.
Its competition is made up of George Clooney films and the other now-usual suspects: The Artist, The Descendants, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo, The Ides of March, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball and War Horse.
All but Dragon Tattoo, the closest thing to a mild surprise here, are up for the top awards at the Golden Globes.
Notably absent from the PGA Awards' field are some heavyweights that have made it a habit of being notably absent from the season's top races: Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio's J. Edgar; Terrence Malick and Brad Pitt's The Tree of Life; Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; and, Gary Oldman's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
And, no, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 didn't get nominated, either, so that's pretty much the end of that film's dream.
Last year, a PGA nomination just about guaranteed a berth at the Oscars, with nine of the 10 PGA films going on to compete for the top prize at the Kodak Theatre.
But here's the problem for Bridesmaids, which would now seem poised to finally bring honor to puke-accented, R-rated comedies: The Oscars may not nominate 10 films this year.
There's always something, isn't there?
Elsewhere, the critically trashed Cars 2 will compete for top toon honors against The Adventures of Tintin, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots and Rango.
Mildred Pierce and The Kennedys are up for the TV-movie/miniseries prize opposite Cinema Verite, Downton Abbey and Too Big to Fail.
The PGA earlier announced its slate of TV series nominees.
The 23rd Annual Producers Guild of America Awards are set to be presented Jan. 21.