Gravity and Hobbit crouch start for the VFX Oscar category race

Sandra Bullock-George Clooney starrer space drama Gravity, Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Iron Man 3 and The Lone Ranger are among the 10 films that are still in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 86th Oscars.

Sandra Bullock-George Clooney starrer space drama Gravity, Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Iron Man 3 and The Lone Ranger are among the 10 films that are still in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 86th Oscars.

Actors-George-Clooney-and-Sandra-Bullock-attend-the-premiere-of-Gravity-at-the-AMC-Lincoln-Square-Theaters-in-New-York-AP-Photo

The other film to have made to the list include Elysium, Tom Cruise starrer Oblivion, Star Trek Into Darkness, Thor: The Dark World, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures' Pacific Rim and Brad Pitt starrer World War Z.

The Academy's Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist. All members of the Visual Effects Branch will now be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on January 9, 2014.

Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

Oscars nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 16, 2014.

The ceremony will take place on March 2, 2014 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center.