What the Roma Oscar wins means for Netflix's future

By Jim Vejvoda

Netflix did not win the award for best film for Roma (as it had been predicted), but that does not mean that dreams of an Oscar from the TV giant in direct are completed; it starts only. Netflix won four Oscars Sunday night, including best director and foreign film for Roma. The reason why Roma was finally elected to the highest rank of the Academy remains a topic of debate, but what is undeniable is that between his Oscars won this year and his recent admission to the MPAA, Netflix is ​​now a full member of the Hollywood elite. And it's here to stay.

The streaming platform may have first made waves in the world of television by creating its own acclaimed original series, but Netflix has long demanded respect (and, yes, the glory of the award) awarded to Hollywood film studios. . Given the sheer volume of film content on its platform, the persistence of its announcements of new titles and the poor quality of most of the original films that they have already distributed, Oscar Gold certainly helps to dispel the Idea that Netflix is ​​only a dump for movies that could not cut it into movie theaters.

Netflix had already tried to push the acquisitions Beasts of No Nation and Mudbound as Oscar nominees, but it was not until Roma was now at the helm three times. winner Alfonso Cuarón – that this has fully captured the attention of Oscar voters. Now, thanks to Roma's near-best win over Roma, Netflix is ​​no longer the absurd pretense or pretender hiding around Oscar's door. It's a quality Hollywood studio and it will only be a matter of time before it wins the Oscars again, possibly including the best movie.

Indeed, Netflix was already thinking of the race of the next year to the observers of the Oscars in . The Irishman's first trailer – Martin Scorsese's $ 140 million gangster drama will be shown at Netflix later in 2019 – at the Sunday's awards ceremony. The price on The Irishman is not exceptional for Netflix. Last year alone, they spent more than $ 13 billion on content, and between $ 25 and $ 60 million just for the Roma Oscars campaign. What makes it a formidable rival for traditional studios – and as tempting for talents as Scorsese and Cuarón – lies in their willingness to do everything possible to offer artists unparalleled creative freedom.

studios would have made Roma – a slow-paced drama, in black and white, in Spanish, a slice of life featuring a stranger in the lead role – the way Cuarón had envisioned it and n & # 39; 39 would probably not have promoted the movie as strongly as Netflix did. Netflix clearly did not invest in the Roma, as they envisioned the financial success of blockbusters of such a niche film. Netflix's commitment to Rome was a declaration of intent: we are here to make great films with great filmmakers and to win the first prize in your industry. Because it's our industry now too. This message is loud and clear and will not be forgotten soon by the artists. Netflix is ​​learning to balance its mobile audience continuously with the uninterrupted demands of top talent like Cuarón and Scorsese.

Partly to please Cuarón as well as to meet the requirements of the Academy's Academy-qualifying shootings, Netflix first opened Roma in a limited edition in theaters a few weeks before its release (day and date with its extended theatrical release) on the Netflix service. Netflix also brought Roma to the Toronto International Film Festival, where he screened critics on the big screen. It should be noted that Roma is not the only movie that Netflix has presented in TIFF format; the streamer was already showing Outlaw King, a film from the period of Chris Pine, and the film was then playing a coveted slot as the opening gala film of the festival. Only Outlaw King met stifled critics and worried about its duration. . The Roma word of mouth at TIFF, on the other hand, was instantly ecstatic and these raves (including IGN, among others) launched the Oscar train. (Outlaw King was finally drastically reduced and released as a modest fan only on Netflix's streaming platform.)

Even before Roma's Oscar win on Sunday, Netflix had already made a big step forward. before to be considered less as a threat to the industry. more like the new way of doing things. In January, Netflix joined the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the largest Hollywood theatrical organization that establishes, among other things, film ratings, fights against movie piracy and lobbies elected officials and foreign governments on behalf of its member studios. Its entry – the first streaming service to have gotten the band's membership – has been endorsed by major studios, which are launching all their own streaming service initiatives and / or struggling to find a way to incite people go to the movie theaters to see movies and recognize and adjust the way more and more people are consuming content in the digital age. The studios reluctantly agree that Netflix is ​​here to stay. Exhibitors are the next hurdle Netflix must eliminate – or report -.

For years, since television, then later, domestic video, the publication of "Windows" for movies is a source of contention between filmmakers. (who want as wide a public as possible), the distributors (studios that come out of the movies) and the operators (the cinemas which diffuse the films and make their living with concessions). The biggest fear of exhibitors is that people just stop going to the movies because they can enjoy the movie at home instead. In this era of improved home theater, fewer and fewer viewers and a constant supply of high quality streaming content, these fears are no longer as disconnected or unjustified as they once seemed to be. Theaters, in turn, have tried to reinforce the theatrical experience with more comfort and bells and whistles to maintain attendance. (Foreign exhibitors have also expressed dismay at Netflix, including facing them before the Cannes Film Festival last year.)

But it can be argued that Netflix does not prevent people from coming in large numbers , for example, the latest Marvel blockbuster on the big screen. People always go to the movies – only for certain types of movies. More people probably know Roma precisely because it was an out of Netflix, easily added to their queue, than if it had been championed by a specialized division in a strictly theatrical studio, which may not have the budget or the means to make such a film. . Netflix's commitment to Roma also demonstrates its understanding of its position in the global market. It seems that almost everyone has a Netflix account and that these audiences consume content in the languages ​​they speak as well as programs originally in English. Similarly, English-speaking subscribers are discovering more and more non-English content. (It should be noted that two foreign language films – Netflix Roma and Amazon Cold War – have each been nominated for Oscars by their respective directors this year, which alone indicates that the power, reach and importance of streaming will be used to attract not only a wider audience but also its membership in more and more members of the Academy, who are in favor of streaming and diversified.)

Anxious to spend large amounts of money on new content and in favor of the freedom of creation of some of the greatest talents of the film industry, in front of and behind the camera, In addition to its proven commitment to attract a global audience, Netflix now has the weight of the MPAA and Oscars to prove that 39, it is a true Hollywood film studio. But for now, this elusive statuette of Best Picture remains something that Netflix will simply have to add to their waiting list later.