Every year, the fall movie season brings with it a slew of films hoping to launch into the awards conversation. This year is no different, with films like “A Star is Born,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” and “Green Book” becoming early favorites for awards consideration. However, this year brings a new wrinkle, as Netflix strengthened its awards season notoriety by launching a select group of films with exclusive theatrical releases before hitting the streaming service. Unfortunately, while film fans see this as a step in the right direction, there are members of the Academy that think it’s all just a game for the streaming company.
According to a new report from THR, the members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (the folks that determine the Oscar nominees and winners) are split over this new Netflix release strategy. Some echo the common film fan that sees Netflix leaning into more theatrical releases a positive sign for the future, while others think the streaming service is just trying to play a game with the Academy and filmmakers looking to work with the company.
READ MORE: Steven Spielberg Thinks Netflix Films Are ‘TV Movies’ And Shouldn’t Compete For Oscars
“Netflix has stepped into a void. The business is changing. We can’t hold on to everything. It’s fantastic that [‘Roma’] is going to be in a big theater. To me there’s no devaluation at all in the way they’re releasing it,” says producer Stephanie Allain, who has made multiple films with Netflix and is a member of the producers’ branch of the Academy.
While multiple films are benefitting from Netflix’s new relaxed theatrical release strategy, it appears that Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” is the main reason the streaming service is stepping in this new direction. Many believe that “Roma” is the streamer’s best shot at a coveted Best Picture nomination, which Netflix has yet to receive.
“Look, it’s a start. What they’re doing is strictly for Academy consideration, as opposed to a business strategy. It’s a step in the right direction , but I think it’s a limited step in the right direction,” says former Bill Mechanic, a producer and former Academy governor.
Other folks aren’t so happy with this recent change in strategy from the streaming service. “Netflix is pulling a big con,” says one anonymous Academy member from the executives’ branch. “They’re trying to buy their presence and identity as a film company without playing by everybody else’s rules. They don’t want to take the risk of having bad box office numbers. They are going to make assertions about how fantastic the crowds were, but there will be no dollars. There’s no credibility because there’s no accountability.”
That comment references one key difference between how Netflix screens films in theaters than with how normal studios do business. Due to theater restrictions on selling tickets to films that are being shown on streaming services so quickly after their theatrical run, Netflix has to rent out theaters, paying up front for the cost. This also means that the studio isn’t going to be forthcoming with how many people actually go see the films.
THR says that Netflix is actually expected to pay around $30,000 per screen (twice the normal rate) at the Landmark cinema in West LA. That theater, in particular, is known to be a location where many Academy members frequent.
“[Theater owners] know this release is fake and so does everybody else. [The Academy] needs to define what a movie is. If it’s about intention, well, nothing for Netflix is made for the theaters. It’s about heritage and it’s about clarity. To me and I think to a fair amount of filmmakers, if your movie doesn’t have to be made for theaters at all, then what makes the Academy Awards different from the Emmys?” says another anonymous member of the Academy’s executives’ branch in regards to “Roma.”
So, as we approach the time of year when everyone begins to really predict which films will end up with those coveted Best Picture nominations, it’ll be interesting to see how Netflix fairs. Will “Roma” land the streaming service its first major nomination? Or will enough members of the Academy view Netflix’s theatrical release of the film as a “big con” and “fake?”