angelic cope: 'Harry Potter' Leaves Oscars With Nothing But A Tax Joke

Despite being nominated 12 times, the children's series has never won an Academy Award.
By Terri Schwartz

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2"
Photo: Warner Bros.

The only thing "Harry Potter" got during the Oscars ceremony was a joke from host Billy Crystal saying that, despite how much money the series has made in the box office, it's only had to pay 14 percent in income taxes. It certainly was a poor send-off for one of the most beloved and highest-grossing movie franchises in film history.

The series has never been honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Sunday night's (February 26) three losses — for art direction, makeup and visual effects — brought the total number of losses to 12 for the eight films.

"Potter" star Evanna Lynch took to Twitter to express her frustration, writing, "Agggghhhh this is infuriating... Bloody muggles. #oscarfail"

Agggghhhh this is infuriating... Bloody muggles. #oscarfail
— Evanna Lynch (@Evy_Lynch) February 27, 2012

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" lost twice to "Hugo" (a fellow children's film) and once to "The Iron Lady." "Harry Potter" leading man Daniel Radcliffe gave his take on the lack of respect for the big-screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling's franchise in a recent interview.

"There's a certain amount of snobbery [in the Academy]," Radcliffe said. "It's kind of disheartening. I never thought I'd care. But it would've been nice to have some recognition, just for the hours put in."

He added, "I don't think the Oscars like commercial films, or kids' films, unless they're directed by Martin Scorsese. I was watching 'Hugo' the other day and going, 'Why was this nominated and we're not?' I was slightly miffed."

The Academy didn't even offer "Harry Potter" a series achievement award like the BAFTAs did last year. Some "Potter" fans had expected the series to be rewarded by the Academy for its many years of financial and critical acclaim the same way Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was. Unfortunately, that did not end up being the case.

Despite a lack of love from the Academy, we at MTV News decided to honor the series in this week's edition of Talk Nerdy.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com all night and beyond for updates on the night's big winners and the best red-carpet fashion. Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars.

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