Dark Knight Rises: Can It Win The Oscar For 'Best Picture'?

With the release of the latest Batman movie now imminent, industry insiders are starting to ask whether it can become the first comic book movie adaptation to walk away with an Oscar. When 'The Dark Knight' was snubbed at the Oscars in 2008, it caused consternation amongst some of the more forward-thinking Academy-affiliates. 'Dark Knight Rises' could well be the movie that lands Christopher Nolan with the recognition that many feel he deserves.

It might be early days for predicting next year's Oscars but Paddy Power have already produced a list of likely candidates for the Best Picture category. Even before its release, Dark Knight Rises has been placed in fourth position, with odds of 8/1. Lying ahead of it in the race to the golden statue are 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' and 'The Surrogate' at 4/1 and 'Lincoln' at 7/1. Nolan himself apparently doesn't feel snubbed at the omission of The Dark Knight from 2008's honors list. In fact, the movie's omission is widely credited as being the reason that the Academy expanded the short-list for the category. "Look, the idea, the fact that people have talked about `The Dark Knight' as being a key reason why the academy changed their rules and expanded the field is just a huge honor for the film, in a weird way", the director old Access Hollywood.

Anne Hathaway may be a little biased about the quality of 'Dark Knight Rises' but she is steadfast in her belief that this summer's blockbuster is worthy of a gong. "I'm not saying this as a cast member. I'm saying this as a member of the academy. So far, it's the best film I've seen all year," she told Fox News.