Academy Awards Updates Rules Regarding Theatrical Windows for Best Picture Nominees; How It Affects Streamers
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) wants you to go back to the movies. According to Deadline, the AMPAS board of governors has approved a set of changes to the requirements that films must meet in order to qualify for a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards.
Currently, AMPAS rules dictate a movie must complete a one-week theatrical run in any one of six qualifying cities in the United States. Starting for movies released in 2024 and later, films will have to complete this requirement and run in theaters for another seven days, either consecutive or non-consecutive, in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets. This additional theatrical stay must start no later than 45 days after the movie hits its first theater screen. These changes are only in effect for movies that wish to qualify for Best Picture; all other categories will keep the previous standards for qualification in place.
The change might not seem that big on its face, but it will have a big effect on the way streamers present movies come “For Your Consideration” time. Services will need to make fairly large outlays of money to ensure their films are seen in 10 of the top 50 markets in the country simultaneously, which ensures that streamers won’t bother trying to get movies nominated for Best Picture unless they think they’ve got a real shot at winning. These guidelines could help drive more traffic to streamers as well, but services will have to spend more to advertise themselves and their brand on theater screens.
More streaming platforms are already investing in enhanced theatrical slates, however. Prompted by its 2021 Best Picture win for “CODA,” Apple decided earlier this year that it would invest $1 billion annually to distribute its original films in theaters instead of sending them straight to Apple TV+. Amazon is also ramping up its film production, and eventually plans to release 12 to 15 movies per year in cinemas.
Netflix representatives have said they're more concerned with making theater-quality films before trying to determine which will be released in theaters, and for how long. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in an earnings call last fall that the company’s decision to release “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was more about awards consideration than anything else, and that the company’s future vision was that movies made by Netflix would stay on the service.
“We are in the business of entertaining our members with Netflix movies on Netflix…” Sarandos said. “There are all kinds of debates all the time, back and forth. But there is no question internally that we make our movies for our members, and we really want them to watch them on Netflix. Most people watch most movies at home.”
Still, rules are rules, and if Netflix wants to compete for any Best Picture awards moving forward, it will have to fall in line with the Academy’s new standards. The new rules won’t prevent streaming services from putting forward movies for Best Picture, but they will force services to make a significant effort in showing those movies theatrically before shifting them to streaming.
Netflix
Netflix is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 3,000+ movies, 2,000+ TV Shows, and Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Tiger King, and Bridgerton. They are constantly adding new shows and movies. Some of their Academy Award-winning exclusives include Roma, Marriage Story, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.