THE HOBBIT, FRINGE Lead Nominations for 39th Annual Saturn Awards

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey received more Saturn Award nominations than any other film released last year, with Life of Pi and Skyfall close behind as the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today revealed the nominations for the 39th Annual Saturn Awards.

Marvel's The Avengers, The Dark Knight Returns, Looper, Cloud Atlas, Argo and Les Miserables all received multiple Saturn Award nominations, underscoring the ways in which genre filmmaking has expanded beyond its roots as niche entertainment.

The only major awards dedicated to honoring the finest genre achievements in film, television and home entertainment, the Saturn Awards are planned to be presented in June, with the exact date and location to be announced shortly.

Nominees for Best Science Fiction Film are: Marvel's The Avengers, Chronicle, Cloud Atlas, The Hunger Games, Looper and Prometheus. Nominees for Best Fantasy Film are: The Amazing Spider-Man, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Life of Pi, Ruby Sparks, Snow White and the Huntsman and Ted. Best Horror/Thriller Film nominees are: Argo, The Cabin in the Woods, The Impossible, Seven Psychopaths, The Woman in Black and Zero Dark Thirty. Best Action/Adventure Film nominees are: The Bourne Legacy, The Dark Knight Rises, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Skyfall and Taken 2.

"From the grand adventure of Les Miserables to the visionary fantasy of Life of Pi and the magical realism of Beasts of the Southern Wild, this year's films transcended the notion of genre filmmaking and brought us extraordinary visions of exaggerated or enhanced reality, making this one of the most intriguing lists of Saturn Awards nominees in a long time," said Academy President Robert Holguin.

The Academy of Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Films has added a new film category to this year's Saturn Awards, honoring the Best Independent Film Release. The nominees are: Compliance, Hitchcock, Killer Joe, The Paperboy, Robot and Frank, Safety Not Guaranteed and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.

On television, Elementary, The Following, Fringe, Once Upon a Time, Revolution and Supernatural are nominated as Best Network Television Series. For Best Syndicated/Cable TV Series, nominees are American Horror Story: Asylum, Dexter, Leverage, The Killing, True Blood and The Walking Dead.

The non-profit Academy of Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Films was founded in 1972 by noted film historian Dr. Donald A. Reed, who wanted to honor and recognize genre entertainment often overlooked by mainstream awards organizations.

For a full list of this year's nominees, visit www.saturnawards.org.