Oscars Tweaks 'Best Picture' Rules

Wild and crazy changes coming to the Oscars: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved a tweak in the nominations process that will allow ... anywhere from five to 10 Best Picture nominees. "If there are only eight pictures that truly earn that honor in a given year, we shouldn't feel an obligation to round out the number," says the academy's outgoing director. Ten Best-Picture nominations were announced for this year's and last year's Oscars; in previous years it was five. The number of nominees won't be announced until the Best Picture nominees are announced in January. (More Oscars stories.)