Has the Oscars abandoned Netflix and its sister films?
International broadcast platforms almost left empty-handed from the 96th “Oscars” celebration a few days ago, had it not been for the orphan award that Netflix won in the Best Short Film category for “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” directed by Wes Anderson.
This disappointment comes after 3 golden years that digital broadcasting platforms experienced during the “Academy” nights. The years 2021, 2022, and 2023 brought many pleasant surprises for both Netflix and Apple TV Plus. As for this year, despite the 32 Oscar nominations that the two platforms combined received for their original films, luck was not on their side.
Best Short Film is Netflix’s only win at Oscars 2024 (X)
Oppenheimer, the arch-rival
But the game of chance is not the only one responsible for this year’s loss. Netflix and Apple films stood in the way of an exceptional cinematic phenomenon called “Oppenheimer.” It was very difficult to compete with Christopher Nolan’s film, which amazed critics and viewers in 2023, winning 7 Oscars last week.
Then, the successes of the past three years were imposed by the reality of the “Corona” pandemic, which caused the closure of cinemas, which put broadcast platforms at the forefront, thus becoming the new platform for watching and producing films. As the pandemic receded and halls opened around the world, movie-watching behaviors regained their traditional form, albeit slowly.
Is it the Oppenheimer phenomenon? Or is it the return of cinemas to activity? Or are there other reasons that prevented Netflix, Apple, and other platforms from topping the recent Oscars ceremony?
Actor Cillian Murphy, star of the movie “Oppenheimer,” which won 7 Oscars this year (AFP)
“Rome”… recognition despite objection
The nomination that Netflix received for the Oscars in 2014 was a violation and a phenomenon. This was the first time in history that a streaming platform entered the arena in competition against the giant Hollywood studios, and it came as an acknowledgment of the content of these emerging platforms. The documentary “The Square” did not win the title at that time, and the platform had to wait 3 years to win its first “Oscar” for the short documentary “The White Helmets”, and it followed it up a year later with a second “Oscar”, which was won by the documentary “The Square”. Icarus” (Icarus).
Until 2018, Netflix limited itself to honoring its documentaries. The time for the Academy to turn to the platform’s films only came in March 2019, the day “Roma” won three awards in total in the categories of Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón, Best Foreign Film, and Best Cinematography.
Director Alfonso Cuaron holding the three awards won by Netflix at the Oscars 2019 (AFP)
The win coincided with a massive wave of objection against the rise of streaming platforms, to the point that a number of influential people in Hollywood suggested preventing its films from being nominated for the Oscars, if they had not spread widely in international theaters. The ban did not happen, and then the pandemic came to impose a fait accompli that had to come, with the increasing influence of platforms on the entertainment scene.
Impact of the pandemic
The pandemic and home quarantine accelerated the success of platforms in penetrating international awards, as the closure of cinemas doubled the number of subscribers. This was reflected in the 2021 Oscar nominations, as in a Hollywood precedent, Netflix alone won 7 awards that year. It is true that it was limited to documentaries, animation, clothing, and other secondary categories, but that victory constituted proof of the platforms’ presence in the most important international cinema forum.
What Netflix was unable to achieve in 2021 went to the Apple platform in 2022, as it captured the Oscar for Best Film for “CODA”. The win was classified as a historic achievement, as it was the first time that a broadcast platform received the award for the best film produced by it, and the victory that year was accompanied by 37 nominations for the “Oscars” that the broadcast platforms received.
“Coda”, produced by “Apple”, achieved a historic achievement, winning the “Oscar” for Best Picture in 2022 (AP)
23 “Oscars” for “Netflix”
As for 2023, although it witnessed a decline in the number of nominations received by platform films from 37 to 19, it was a prosperous year for Netflix. Out of 16 nominations, the platform won 6 Oscars, including Best Foreign Film for “All Quiet on the Western Front.” The German film, which takes place against the backdrop of World War I, also won awards for best music, production, and cinematography. In the same year, Netflix won the Oscar for best animated film for director Guillermo del Toro’s version of the story “Pinocchio,” and best short documentary for “The Elephant Whisperers.”
Until last year, streaming platforms had begun to master the “Oscars” game, entering the race armed with their market value, millions of subscribers, and films with huge productions and compelling content. Netflix, Apple, and Amazon have thus achieved one of their most important goals, which is to gain recognition and appreciation from the most important international cinema platform.
Since 2017, Netflix has accumulated 23 Oscars. The platform would have liked to double the number this year. For it and for other platforms, winning Academy Awards contributes to making the audience widely aware of its films, and it also raises the number of subscribers. In addition, it draws the attention of Hollywood filmmakers to the seriousness of the platforms in making… Qualitative content.
But the joy was not complete this year, as despite the reassuring number of nominations in 2024, which are 19 for Netflix and 13 for Apple, Bradley Cooper’s film “Maestro” failed to obtain any of the 7 titles for which it was nominated. As for the movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” by Martin Scorsese, which cost the Apple platform $215 million to produce, it also left empty-handed despite the 10 nominations it received. Zero “Oscars” out of 3 nominations as well, for Ridley Scott’s film “Napoleon”, which was an expensive production.
2024-03-17 12:10:29
#Egyptian #expansion #deaging #technology #Ramadan #series
