Is it appropriate for a Netflix Best Picture winner this year ?

[Morry Boland Joined: Jan 1st, 2014 Topics: 2 Posts: 14 View Predictions]

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The cinema industry is on its knees due to the global pandemic.

Is it appropriate for a streamed movie (Netflix) to win Best Picture for the first time this year?

Personlly, I do think that Oscar voters may naturally favour/support the theater only release during this difficult time.

What do you think ?

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[Cordelia Joined: Jul 15th, 2018 Topics: 40 Posts: 1174 View Predictions]

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I think people can make the argument, but the reality is there are so few theatrical releases incoming this Oscars season. Nomadland, News of the World, and The Father are the only serious contenders doing a traditional cinema strategy.

One Night In Miami, Soul, Mank, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Hillbilly Elegy, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Da 5 Bloods – those are all doing some variant of streaming strategies. Some (Soul) aren’t even showing up to cinemas at all.

Dune, West Side Story, and others got flat out delayed out of this season.

The French Dispatch, Judas and the Black Messiah, and Respect could all feasibly be delayed.

Now with all that said – Hollywood punishing Netflix for this situation would be stupid. COVID, and the incompetent management of it, killed cinemas. Being out of action without support, as well as being a potential disease vector, did the damage to cinema. Blaming Netflix for cinema shutdowns in 2020 is like blaming Dua Lipa’s Break My Heart for people staying at home – ignorant of what is actually happening.

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture: Wolfwalkers

Best Animated Feature: Wolfwalkers

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[wolfali Joined: Sep 4th, 2018 Topics: 269 Posts: 20988 View Predictions]

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I think more conservative voters in the TV Academy will undoubtedly punish Netflix. Even if it means rewarding Amazon for One Night in Miami.

I’ve said this already but I think the only Netflix films that are safe in Picture right now are Chicago 7 and Mank. There is a tonne of socially relevant films coming in this year such as Judas and the Black Messiah, Nomadland and The Father which all have cinema releases and I think they (apart from Nomadland) are being underestimated on here. I also think we’re going to be in for some left of field shocking choices through awards season such as Promising Young Woman (one of the only big films to come out in cinemas left) doing well (although maybe not getting into Picture) and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie being the feel good film of the year that can be seen as a narrative counter-argument to the lack of care for the arts by governments around the world (e.g. the UK).

Sure some of these choices may seem like they are impossible to get nominated but a Korean film just won Best Picture, a comic book film just won Best Actor, a satire about Nazis just won Best Adapted Screenplay and at the Emmys a feel good low budget family sitcom just beat a high budget industry darling with across the branch support in the Comedy Series category.

We’re in strange times.

FYC Emmys: "The Crown" in all categories, "I May Destroy You" in all categories, "It's a Sin" in all categories, "Small Axe" in all categories, Billie Piper ("I Hate Suzie"), Yvonne Strahovski ("Stateless") and Ruth Wilson ("His Dark Materials")

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[Atypical Joined: Dec 1st, 2011 Topics: 360 Posts: 22085 View Predictions]

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Appropriate? Streaming/VOD is the future of cinema, whether people like that or not. Netflix winning in BP is an inevitability. “Roma” was the likely runner-up to “Green Book.” 2020 would be the year for this to finally happen, and I’ll applaud it.

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[diego Joined: Dec 10th, 2019 Topics: 8 Posts: 1226 View Predictions]

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The industry doesn’t care about movie theaters sorry. They only care about money and, whether thy like it or not, streaming is what is keeping the industry alive during the pandemic.

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[Morry Boland Joined: Jan 1st, 2014 Topics: 2 Posts: 14 View Predictions]

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Good point, I do think they’ll want to look like they care about traditional cinema.

Like people who like Artisanal food :).

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[William Gillquist Joined: Jan 1st, 2020 Topics: 10 Posts: 636 View Predictions]

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In 2020, the year where nealy every cinema shut down for about 4 months and will most likely close again, to almost every major film this year either being delayed or put on streaming services, and to nearly all of the best picture contenders this year like Mank and Chicago 7 going to go to Netflix regardless. I would think the word “appropriate” was design for this kind of scenerio.

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[Gabe Guarin Joined: Feb 23rd, 2017 Topics: 40 Posts: 2435 View Predictions]

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I think there would be a major backlash if a Netflix movie didn’t win BP this year. It would just look petulant on the Academy’s behalf to keep punishing Netflix, especially given what’s going on right now.

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[Gabe Guarin Joined: Feb 23rd, 2017 Topics: 40 Posts: 2435 View Predictions]

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wolfali wrote:

I think more conservative voters in the TV Academy will undoubtedly punish Netflix. Even if it means rewarding Amazon for One Night in Miami.

If they want to punish Netflix for a crime they didn’t commit, why would they want to give a BP win to any streaming service or non-theatrical release?

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[Heptapod Joined: Feb 2nd, 2019 Topics: 20 Posts: 1809 View Predictions]

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It’s very ironic that the movie that celebrates old Hollywood and traditional filmmaking is coming from a streaming service. The Oscars will have to choose between their love of themselves and their apprehension of the streaming world.

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[Gabe Guarin Joined: Feb 23rd, 2017 Topics: 40 Posts: 2435 View Predictions]

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Heptapod wrote:

It’s very ironic that the movie that celebrates old Hollywood and traditional filmmaking is coming from a streaming service. The Oscars will have to choose between their love of themselves and their apprehension of the streaming world.

A real conundrum for Oscar voters if there ever was one.

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