The Oscars of Rome could be the last step of Netflix to conquer Hollywood

Emmys? Netflix has them by the workload. But the Oscars of big category, like Roma nomination for the best picture, are the unrequited desire of Netflix for years.

The streaming giant was finally united to Oscar on Sunday, when Roma – hailed by critics as the masterpiece of director Alfonso Cuarón – won three awards and competed in 10 categories of Oscars.

And Roma's categories are a high-end group. The film, a black-and-white ode to domestic workers from a middle-class Mexican family in the early 1970s, was awarded the Best Film, Film and Foreign Language Award. Although he did not manage to win the best picture, Netflix's movie Oscar tripled in one night.

Sunday's Netflix wins could last more than a night of glory at the Oscars. Their prestige could have repercussions on future films that you can broadcast. Netflix's resume as a distributor of original films may not have any meaning for viewers: you probably do not care about Netflix's attitude towards the theatrical release, its vagueness of cold at the Oscars or its giant catalog engulfing smaller titles. But what are just quirks for viewers can be irretrievable responsibilities for some of the higher echelons of filmmaking (or for beginners who aspire to get there).

"The theater chains are attacking the Roma as a film made for television because of its limited theatrical release," Rich Greenfield, a BTIG analyst, said in a note on Wednesday, citing the fact that movie chains were protesting against the awards won so far. "Yet we do not hear any consumer complaining about being able to watch Roma or Bird Box at his home without any additional cost."

But that means your Netflix membership has missed some of the movies you'd probably like to stream. Crazy Rich Asians? Its creators have refused a "huge payday" to Netflix for the film to enjoy a traditional theatrical release. Amazon was able to remove projects such as The Big Sick from Netflix for the same reason.

For some filmmakers, getting a shot at the big screen or a Golden Oscar is better than a Netflix check. The streaming giant has itself tried to remove some of its faults as a director, but winning prestigious Oscars has been one of the hardest checkboxes for Netflix. If Roma and Netflix have a big Oscar night on Sunday, it could mean more top-notch movies that you can stream.

Winning data can not buy

Nothing guarantees an Oscar, especially for the best image, but Netflix did everything to put Roma in the best position for a win.

Netflix would have spent up to $ 30 million to organize a targeted promotional campaign for Roma. This is a rough estimate that Netflix has not been publicly confirmed, but that would be double the cost of the film and probably the most expensive campaign of its kind to date. (Netflix declined to comment on this article.)

This surge was announced last year, when Netflix hired Lisa Taback, one of Hollywood's greatest strategists who helped Moonlight and Spotlight get the best Oscars. Netflix content manager Ted Sarandos said at the time that the company wanted "to broaden and deepen its efforts to celebrate the incredible creators and talents who are realizing their dream projects for Netflix.

Why so long? Netflix is ​​fighting against its own story of pissing off traditional Hollywood.

Since the beginning of his initial cinematic ambitions, Netflix has not made the apology for the release of his films "day after day". This means that Netflix launches its movies in cinemas and on its streaming service at the same time. Day-and-Date is arguing with movie theater owners, who see it as a threat to traditional "windowing" calendars that give theaters the time they need to show movies without any competition from the public.

When Netflix broadcast Beasts of No Nation on its streaming service on the same day as the big screens in 2015, movie chains revolted. The four largest American operators – AMC, Carmike, Cinemark and Regal – refused to show it. Although star Idris Elba has won awards known as forerunners of an Oscar nomination, Beasts of No Nation has not managed to get a single Oscar.

This is one of the obstacles that galvanized the #OscarsSoWhite back in 2016, as the entire cast is black. It was also a symptom of the alienation of Netflix compared to traditional film institutions such as the Academy that runs the Oscars.

Netflix's initial strategy to attract the biggest names in Hollywood was to send them a giant check, but the stacks of cash were not always enough. While Netflix was starting to lose on movies like The Big Sick and Crazy Rich Asians, it was releasing his resolution about the day and date of release. At the end of last year, Netflix had released Rom to the cinema for more than three weeks before starting to broadcast it. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs of the Coen Brothers and Bird Box lasted about a week in theaters before being broadcast.

The move has not been far with the theater owners. The big movie chains are still opposed to Netflix movies. Many have refused to sift Roma alongside other nominees in the Oscars category this year. But Netflix's move could be more a successful opening for filmmakers, demonstrating that he is willing to concede the importance of screening in a dark theater to the people who make the films themselves.

Bird Box also helped dispel another criticism of Netflix movies, namely that titles get lost in Netflix's infinite array of content. During its first month of streaming, more than 80 million households watched Bird Box on Netflix. With several people watching Netflix from a single account and Netflix claiming that Bird Box offers "repeat visualizations" on individual accounts, his message to the creators is clear: make movies with us and they will be seen.

But the cold attitude of the Oscars with regard to Netflix has been one of the persistent points.

The Oscars have not totally neglected Netflix. The streaming giant's documentaries have earned the company a documentary nomination each year since 2014. Netflix won its first feature film Oscar last year for Icarus, its documentary on doping among competitive cyclists .

The company also won an Oscar for the short documentary in 2017 for The White Helmets, on volunteer rescuers in bomb-ravaged Syria. Mudbound, an epic drama about a black and a white family in rural Mississippi, received four Oscar nominations last year.

But Mudbound did not win. Overall, the results of Netflix at the Oscars are rather derisory for a company that releases about 90 films a year, making it the second largest movie studio after Disney by the production budget, according to Barclays.

All major filmmakers are not put off by the lack of rewards granted by Netflix. Obviously, Cuarón entrusted Netflix with a film that he loved so much that he was slow to process it until he felt sufficiently developed. emotional maturity. Martin Scorsese, one of the most famous directors of his generation, is releasing his next two films via Netflix. (It should be noted that Scorsese was snubbed by the Oscars for over 30 years until the best director's statue for The Departed in 2007.) Guillermo del Toro, director of the award for best film of the year. last year, and Steven Soderbergh also have movies on Netflix.

But others among Hollywood's elite filmmakers remain resilient – Steven Spielberg, for example.

With Roma on Sunday, Netflix could finally enter the circle of the most sacred winners of the cinema. This could calm down one of the last remaining points of hesitation for filmmakers from all walks of life and affect the selection of future movies that Netflix can mark for your viewing pleasure.

Originally released at 11:15 Pacific Time.
Updated 8:36 PM PT: With reward results.