Disney-Pixar toys with Oscar

'We're going for the best picture win. We wanted to have the best movie and the reviews have clearly said that and it's the No. 1 box-office hit of the year, so I'm not sure why we would not go for it all."

Who is this guy and what movie is he talking about? Christopher Nolan, on his much-hyped blockbuster "Inception"? David Fincher, on his rapturously reviewed drama "The Social Network"?

Nope, it's Walt Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross discussing Disney-Pixar's "Toy Story 3" on the entertainment website Deadline. He's talking pretty big, considering that no animated film has ever won best picture.

And yet, it could happen.

According to Deadline, Disney is launching a bona fide campaign, creating ads that will associate "Toy Story 3" characters with Oscar winners like "The Godfather: Part II" (with the chubby bear Lotso doing Al Pacino) and "Forrest Gump" (featuring Woody, who is voiced by Tom Hanks).

Don't underestimate Disney-Pixar, a partnership of two high-achieving studios. Both have received special Oscars for animated films: Disney's 1937 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," and Pixar's 1995 "Toy Story." They also produced the only animated films to be nominated for best picture: Disney's 1991 "Beauty and the Beast," and Pixar's "Up," released last year.

"Up" didn't stand a chance against the eventual winner, the heavyweight war drama "The Hurt Locker." The competition this year, however, seems slimmer, with few obvious Oscar gorillas. That just might leave room for a bunch of animated toys.