One of the highlights of Anatomy of a Fall was the adorable dog. When the film premiered at Cannes in May 2023 and took home the big prize, the Palm d’Or, everyone was talking about the Collie, Snoop’s performance just as much as they were about the human actors. This earned Messi the Palm Dog, a kind of unofficial acting honor for animals at Cannes. But it seems like fans of the furry star might be out of luck, as Messi will not be making an appearance at the Oscars 2024.

The decision, however, raises some eyebrows for the academy because this would not have been the first time an animal was a part of the Oscar extravaganza.

Times when animals graced the Oscars night

In the year 2021, the documentary film Crip Camp‘s team brought a service dog to participate in the red-carpet festivities. The adorable pup, named Goji, made a glamorous entry with the film’s influential producer, Andraéa LaVant. With painted toes, scrunchy ties on her feet, and a bedazzled service vest, Goji was dressed to the nines. While people might think that the Academy is only welcoming to social animals, that is not the case after all. In 1988, the Oscars considered honoring a bear.

Bart the Bear, famous for roles in The Great Outdoors and The Edge, stole the show in the film, The Bear. The movie’s success sparked a campaign to get Bart an Oscar nomination, but the Academy shut it down. It then came up with a rule against considering animal actors for the Oscar nominations. Despite this, Bart the Bear did get his moment at the Oscars in 1998. He appeared as a presenter alongside Mike Myers. But then, what is the issue with allowing Messi to the Oscars?

While Messi managed to charm most of the nominees present at the recent Oscars Nominees Luncheon, not everyone was won over.

Why Messi cannot walk the red carpet of the Academy?

Messi, the dog actor in Justine Triet’s film, won over everyone with his charm, from Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera of Barbie fame to the musical sensation Billie Eilish. The moment the dog made his way up the event with that sideways head tilt, Messi appeared curious and fully engaged in the moment. His body language conveyed both worry and curiosity about what lay ahead.

It should be acknowledged, however, that not everyone was pleased with Messi’s presence. Since he is a dog and not technically a nominee, multiple companies with nominated films allegedly lodged complaints with the Academy. According to a source from The Hollywood Reporter, these companies argued that permitting Messi to attend gave Anatomy of a Fall an unfair advantage during the voting phase.

Do you think Messi’s snub from the Oscars is justified? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.