Other than a win for Best Documentary this year, Netflix has been roundly rebuffed by the Oscars so far for its cinematic feature efforts.
Okja, The Meyerowitz Stories, Mudbound and Beasts Of No Nation have all failed to secure any kind of notice from the Academy Awards, despite strong critical praise from the very same people who've lionised fellow Oscar winners. While AMPAS, the governing body of the Oscars, haven't publicly commented on Netflix and the situation itself, it seem spretty clear that the streaming service's refusal to provide larger distribution for their films beyond a qualifying run is partially why they've been overlooked.
So, the solution? Netflix enters the cinema distribution game to even the odds. Variety reports that Netflix were eyeing up the purchase of Landmark Theatres in the US, an arthouse cinema chain, as a way to further its awards season chances and possibly experiment with their current business model.
Given how Amazon are more likely to play ball with cinematic distribution - You Were Never Really Here was an Amazon Studios co-production, for example - buying up a cinema chain might be Netflix's route to Oscar gold, especially considering their stringent day-and-date release strategy.
As it stands, Netflix haven't publicly commented on any of this and Variety's report also states that Netflix ultimately passed on buying up Landmark, but there's a good chance it's a question of when - not if - the streaming giant moves into the cinema distribution game.
Via Variety
