ANIMATION OSCARS: And the year’s 21 feature-film candidates are...

ON THE VERY DAY it’s hit theaters amid mostly positive reviews, “Wreck-It Ralph” has received more good news:

The new Disney release is among 21 films officially submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for next February’s 85th Academy Awards.

“Wreck-It Ralph” (© 2012 DISNEY - .) Although some of the films haven’t had their qualifying runs yet, the list was released Friday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Other entirely expected candidates include such box-office champs as Pixar’s “Brave,” Universal’s “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,” Sony’s “Hotel Transylvania,” Fox’s “Ice Age: Continental Drift” and Paramount/DreamWorks’s “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.”

“ParaNorman” (LAIKA - .) Besides “Hotel Transylvania,” other animated horror films making the list are “ParaNorman” (Focus) — the strong second stop-motion outing from Laika — and Tim Burton’s critically praised/commercially snubbed “Frankenweenie” (Buena Vista).

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Other notable candidates include “From Up on Poppy Hill,” from Hayao Miyazaki’s legendary Studio Ghibli (and scripted by the master himself); “A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman” (voices include Python members themselves); Sony’s “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” (from the acclaimed folks at Aardman); and Paramount/DreamWorks’ star-studded “Rise of the Guardians” (due out Nov. 21);

The other candidates are: “Adventures in Zambezia” (aka “Zambezia”), “Delhi Safari,” ”Hey Krishna,” “The Mystical Laws,” “The Painting,” “The Rabbi’s Cat,” “Secret of the Wings,” “Walter & Tandoori’s Christmas” and “Zafara.”

The Oscar nominees in all categories will be announced Jan. 10.

The Academy Awards broadcast, on ABC, will be Feb. 24 live from the Hollywood & Highland Center.

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