With the Oscars honoring 'popular' films, here are some popular contenders

The Oscars are getting a shakeup with a new category to honor the year's best popular films, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.

While the organization hasn't yet revealed the eligibility rules for what qualifies as "popular" (How many tweets? How many memes? How many Chrises?), EW has compiled a list of the year's most popular films at the North American box office — films that could very well end up with an Oscar nom under this new category.

*All figures compiled from BoxOfficeMojo.com

With its slick cast, stunning backdrop, and rave reviews, Marvel's Black Panther sits atop the 2018 box office with a stellar $700 million in North America and $1.3 billion worldwide.

Ryan Coogler's film, which grounded Marvel's fantastical cinematic universe with timely social messages, is already an early frontrunner in the Oscars best picture race.

Marvel's roster of big screen superheroes and resident Chrises (Evans, Pratt, and Hemsworth) all come together finally in this blockbuster, racing to save the universe from Thanos and his rather destructive gauntlet. Infinity War conjured up $678 million in North America and a whopping $2 billion worldwide.

Pixar's First Family finally returned to screens after a 14-year wait with another action-packed quest to save the world from a dastardly villain, serving up an incredible $584 million at the North American box office and $1 billion worldwide.

Chris Pratt and his cadre of dinosaurs (with Bryce Dallas Howard in tow, sans heels) return in this Jurassic sequel that takes the action out of the park and into the real world. The film also took a giant chomp of the box office with $407 million in North America and $1.2 billion worldwide.

If anyone knows what the people want, it's Marvel's resident bad-boy Deadpool (a.k.a. Ryan Reynolds), who returns with his rogue band of unlikely superheroes to extinguish a fiery-tempered villain. The R-rated comedy racked up $318 million in North America and $733 million worldwide.

Ron Howard's Han Solo spin-off may not have soared as high as previous Star Wars movies, but it's still one of the year's highest-grossing films yet. Despite some behind-the-scenes shakeups, the Alden Ehrenreich-starring adventure hit theaters as planned over Memorial Day Weekend, and since then, it's earned $213 million domestically and $391 million worldwide.

Marvel's box office domination continues. Three years after Paul Rudd introduced us to his pint-sized hero in the original Ant-Man, he's back to take on a new foe alongside Evangeline Lilly. After about a month in theaters, Ant-Man and the Wasp has made $199 million domestically and $429 million worldwide — and there's nothing little about that total.

John Krasinski's chilling thriller has been the unexpected horror hit of the year. The nearly silent film — which stars Krasinski and his real-life wife Emily Blunt as a couple trying to protect their children from a mysterious threat — has earned $188 million domestically and $333 million worldwide.

Genndy Tartakovsky's third Hotel Transylvania movie has proved to be one of the most popular kids' movies of the year, with series stars Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, and Andy Samberg all returning for round three. So far, Summer Vacation has cruised along to $139 million domestically and $341 million worldwide.

The ladies of Ocean's 8, who score big in an onscreen bank robbery, nabbed some major bucks off-screen at the box office as well. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, and Mindy Kaling headline this heist flick, which has looted $138 million domestically and $274 million worldwide.

What do you get when you combine Steven Spielberg, Ernest Cline's popular novel, and every geeky property ever? The Tye Sheridan-starring Ready Player One, which mashes up everything from Alien and The Iron Giant to The Shining and Buckaroo Banzai. Since its debut in March, Ready Player One has racked up $137 million domestically and $582 million worldwide.

The sixth Mission: Impossible movie takes the franchise's stunts -- and box office results -- to new heights.

Not only has Fallout debuted to critical raves for director Christopher McQuarrie, but it also earned the biggest domestic debut ever for the franchise with $61 million (unadjusted for inflation). After just a few weekends in theaters, it's already raked in $135 million domestically and $360 million worldwide.

The leporine adaptation of Beatrix Potter's classic children's stories has proven to be a massive hit overseas, especially in the United Kingdom, where it's earned $57 million alone.

James Corden stars as the voice of the troublemaking title character. Stateside, Peter Rabbit has earned $115 million, and its global total now stands at $351 million.

Ava DuVernay's adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's beloved children's book debuted to lukewarm reviews, but the film has still earned praise for its lavish world-building and starry cast. (If you're gonna cast three actresses as interdimensional celestial beings of unimaginable power, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling are a pretty good choice.)

A Wrinkle in Time has earned $100 million domestically and $132 million worldwide.

The third and final installment in the Fifty Shades franchise may not have earned as much as its predecessors, but Freed still raked in a tidy sum. The film, which reunites Dakota Johnson's Anastasia Steele and Jamie Dornan's Christian Grey, earned $100 million domestically and $370 worldwide.