According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Art & Sciences added new members to its elite circle of voting members including actors, cinematographers, directors, writers, producers and executives. The actors' category includes "Sherlock" stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
"The Imitation Game" star may have failed to get an Oscar trophy but the Academy still recognized his talent by adding him, along with several other outstanding actors in its elite circle.
Joining "The Imitation Game" star is co-star Martin Freeman, who gained worldwide recognition for his memorable role as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" trilogy.
Other inductees include this year's Best Actor winner for "The Theory Of Everything", Eddie Redmayne, as well as "Whiplash" star JK Simmons.
"Sherlock" stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are also joined by David Oyelowo ("Selma"), Chris Pine ("Star Trek"), Elizabeth Banks ("The Hunger Games", "Pitch Perfect"), Emma Stone ("Birdman"), Choi Min-Sik ("Lucy"), Rosamund Pike ("Gone Girl") and Daniel Radcliffe ("Harry Potter" franchise).
Kevin Hart, Felicity Jones, Denis O'Hare, Dev Patel, Stephen Lang, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and more also join the elite circle.
The notable directors that were among the inductees include James Gunn ("Guardians Of The Galaxy"), Damien Chazelle ("Whiplash"), Joe Wright ("Atonement") and Korean helmer Bong Joon-ho ("Snowpiercer").
According to Screenrant, the Academy, although one of the most prestigious award-giving body for films, has also been under fire in past years for having a predominantly white, male group of voters. This year, it seems that the organization is trying its best to "address its demographic deficiencies".
Despite the more diverse group of voters, Screenrant still believes that this won't solve the Academy's core problem.
"The problem lies deeper within the Academy's history and probably requires greater structural repairs for meaningful change to occur," the report commented about its diversity problem.
Will the inclusion of "Sherlock" stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman and the rest of the 322 new inductees make a difference during next year's Oscar Awards?
