Indiewire’s Ryan Lattanzio reports that Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation could be headed to the Oscar race now that is has gotten a theatrical release date. They are doing the HBO dance of giving the pic a theatrical release alongside its streaming World Premiere:
Netflix is partnering with indie film distributor Bleecker Street and exhibitor Landmark to release the film day-and-date on Friday, October 16, 2015 in 19 markets. Clearly, awards are in view and theatrical is needed to achieve that. The film has already booked a Venice competition premiere, followed by a Canadian premiere in Toronto. Which means we should expect “Beasts” to pop up in the secret Telluride lineup.
It’s a clever way to change up the game, much the way Netflix did with House of Cards’ first season. The idea was to de-stigmatize Netflix’s original content programming, which it aced without breaking a sweat. Now, in order to satisfy the bizarre shifting landscape of television looming large over much of the feature film market (that’s where the audiences are now) Netflix is once again bridging the gap and de-stigmatizing their brand and the idea of VOD as a kind of legit platform for Oscar consideration.
In other words, this is as close as anyone has yet come to making the Oscars consider “television” or VOD in the feature film world. HBO does the same every year with its documentaries. They drive up their own profits by giving the film its needed theatrical release to qualify for awards. That helps publicize it by the time it hits HBO airwaves. Now, Netflix will do the same and you can imagine the publicity potential for the film if it gets anywhere near the Kodak.
To change the game they need a big name. They had Fincher for House of Cards and now they have Cary Fukunaga whose name is gold right now amid critics and voters. This would then open doors to other companies – theoretically Amazon or even HBO (who could have done that with Soderbergh’s Candelabra for instance).
As Lattanzio notes, “Earlier this year, AMC, Regal, Carmike and Cinemark dug their heels, stating they would not show the film without a 90-day window between its theatrical and streaming premieres.“
This trailer reminds me of a scene from Fukunaga’s amazing film ‘Sin Nombre’ where Smiley is forced to kill the rival gang member.
I’m on board with everything Ryan says in the above client.
To add to it, specifically about Netflix and their chances with Oscar–the Netflix model seems to be something that high profile actors and directors are flocking to, already in TV Hollywood and now in Film Hollywood. Films that couldn’t get made elsewhere are getting made by/at Netflix with budgets their directors could only previously dream of for these projects. The actors branch of the Academy, I’m assuming, will embrace Netflix films with open arms. The same would probably go for the directors and other branches as well. The only branch I’d be concerned about is the producers, but Harvey Weinstein is a huge advocate for Netflix so really what concern is there?
This idea that the Academy is not going to embrace Netflix films is born out of literal thin air and if we keep breathing life into the thought that “it’s impossible” then it probably will become impossible for Netflix to get nominations because that’s what Academy voters are going to have seen and read all season long before they see the films and certainly before they vote.
So let’s move on.
Snowpiercer had a two week run in theaters before it was released on VoD, so it’s not comparable.
Snowpiercer had a two week run in theaters before it was released on VoD
Weinstein gave Snowpiercer a two-week run in 8 theaters let it earn $1.5 million in those 2 weeks. It’s the closest thing I could think of. If you have a more comparable example, let’s hear it.
The point is this: even at this nascent stage, films released in multi-platform day-and-date distribution are already eligible under Academy rules as long as a couple of simple stipulations are met.
JH, If this plan was not a viable option, Netflix would not be doing it.
Once upon a time, people wondered if the Emmys would ever honor TV program that were not broadcast on ABC, NBC or CBS. The way to test that was to try and see. So HBO did. Result? The Emmys got better, more relevant, more interesting, and so did television.
I get frustrated hearing that HBO and Netflix and Hollywood are three incompatible galaxies light-years away from one another. Where do we think HBO and Netflix movies are made? Oklahoma? By whom? Leprechauns?
Ryan: Again thank you.
I guess this will be (in more ways than one) a Test Case.
Still, can anybody remember another VOD and Theatrical simulataneous release of a serious award contender?
Also, does this mean that the VOD can’t begin to be seen until the matinee shows of the movie? So, you couldn’t wake up at 8am and watch the VOD of BEAST, but have to wait until the noon-ish showings?
And, quick note: HBO did actually re-release MONTAGE OF HECK in theaters even after it played on TV.
JoeS, You may very well be right in suspecting a one-week run in a Westwood or Soho theater. We’ll see. It would be a simple thing for Netflix to do if they decide they need to.
Have we seen simultaneous VOD and theatrical before? Offhand, I can’t think of another time — but maybe Snowpiercer?
Although Harvey exhibited a lot less interest in Oscars for Snowpiercer than Netflix will have for Beast of No Nation, that didn’t prevent many of us from having hopes for Snowpiercer’s Production Design or a Best Supporting nomination for Tilda.
That didn’t come to pass, but Weinstein didn’t seem to want to push for it anyway.
Also, does this mean that the VOD can’t begin to be seen until the matinee shows of the movie? So, you couldn’t wake up at 8am and watch the VOD of BEAST, but have to wait until the noon-ish showings?
JoeS, I think you’re absolutely right about that.
Regardless of how good this is (and it looks REALLY good), the Academy isn’t touching this with a 100-foot pole.
This is a distributor’s nightmare made real. It’s the producers’ equivalent to the actors’ backlash on Motion Capture work.
It’s an unfortunate situation because this is an important piece – the book is, at least – that would greatly benefit from Oscar attention.
Thanks, Ryan. But, why then do the HBO and CNN docs always play theatrically before their airdates?
Are we certain it hasn’t played in the Valley or in NYC’s outskirts?
“why then do the HBO and CNN docs play theatrically before their airdates?”
My best guess would be the reason for having an exclusive run in theaters would help maximize whatever profits those docs would earn for their producers. So that people won’t say, “Why buy a $10 ticket when I can see it for the price of my monthly subscription on TV?”
But really, for example, HBO can laugh off the Scientologist fingerpointers who say: “haha, theaters are empty,” because HBO is already raking in ample millions on the basis of the prestige and publicity of theatrical runs — and subsequent awards klout. It’s just a formality for them, it’s just a way to technically meet Academy requirements, and it’s just a good way to get extra publicity.
The way I read the rules, HBO and CNN could still do “day and date” simultaneous platform releases “on or after” the mandatory theatrical run. “On on after,” either way, whichever they choose. They could. But they don’t. Because why not earn an extra $10 at the box office?
Netflix accountants have apparently done the math and simply choose to forgo the “exclusive” theatrical run in order to make sure their loyal subscribers get full bang for their monthly subscription fee.
I trust that Netflix business model is sound. I trust that Netflix lawyers have examined the Academy rules in order to be sure they are following the letter of Academy law in order to properly qualify. Netflix will abide by whatever it needs to do to ensure eligibility.
Although, who knows? Come November, we might discover that Netflix decides to do a one week theatrical run in a few theaters before Beast is available online. I don’t think they’re required to. But if we learn that this is the case, then we’ll report on it when and if it happens.
The current Academy rules only say that a movie can’t air on TV before screening in theaters.
Simultaneous broadcast and theatrical is apparently allowed now. (Rules are refined every year, and I’m quoting the December 2014 update). Kudos to the Academy for relaxing their stance on this new model — in the face of inevitably changing distribution realities.
This looks great, by the way.
JoeS, yes and most likely the film has already snuck for a week in NY or LA in secret. I just saw Mississippi Grind a week and a half ago in Encino where they showed it once a day at 10p without telling anyone just so the film could qualify. That’s a great movie, by the way. Ben Mendelsohn gives a whale of a performance.
Doesn’t the Academy have a rule that movies have to play for a week in L.A./NYC theaters BEFORE a VOD release?
JoeS, you might be conflating two adjacent but separate rules
The Netflix/Landmark release plan conforms to that rule.
The Netflix/Landmark release plan conforms to that rule too.
I’m *REALLY* excited for this one. I just started the book a few days ago and I’m really enjoying it. I think if they push Elba in LEAD then the younger actor Abraham Attah truly has a shot at a SUPPORTING nomination. He looks spectacular, on par with other younger actor nominees in the past.
Fukunaga really is one of the good guys, isn’t he?
Yoooooooo
CAROL will now be released Nov. 20th (a month ahead) in a great victory by the commonfolk against NYC/San Francisco elites. We did it, guys!