In the midst of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided to make a major, albeit temporary, change to its longstanding rules for the Academy Awards. For the first time ever, some films released exclusively on streaming platforms will be eligible to compete for the awards. While the 93-year-old organization seems to have made the change somewhat begrudgingly, in the end, it's the right decision for the Academy, and for the films and filmmakers they seek to honor.
Previously, Oscar hopefuls had to meet the fairly low threshold of a seven-day theatrical run in the city of Los Angeles. However, the pandemic, which has affected most every industry, has been particularly disruptive to Hollywood's business model. Movie theaters were among the first institutions to close. California Governor, Gavin Newsom, said that theaters fall under phase three of a four phase plan to re-open the state's businesses, and therefore, won't reopen for months. Studios have already shuffled their calendars, to ensure maximum profitability for their high-budget marquee titles. And even when theaters can safely reopen, there won't necessarily be new movies to play in them.
The theatrical vacuum has hastened the practice of releasing new movies straight to video on-demand, leaving theaters as well as the Academy worried that there'll be no putting the genie back in the bottle. The VOD success of Trolls World Tour has thrown the already delicate relationship between studios and theaters out of balance. Universal plans to send more new releases to streaming, and claims that once theaters reopen, it'll experiment with simultaneous premieres. In response, AMC has banned Universal's movies from its screens.
This is exactly the kind of rapid, seismic change and industry tension that AMPAS and cinemas feared. They worry the line between television and film will blur, and the theatrical experience will be diminished. Thus, the Academy has been resistant to updating its eligibility rules, and (allegedly) hesitant to award films produced by streaming platforms with its ultimate prize, the Best Picture award.
But this year, the prestigious awards body didn't have a choice. Had the Academy stuck to its bylaws, it would've had far fewer and possibly far worse films in competition. Of greater consequence, the organization risked seeming insensitive to the health and safety of moviegoers. The board made clear not all movies that debut via a streaming service will qualify. Films must have had a planned theatrical release, and once theaters can safely re-open, the rule change will no longer apply.
However, several factors are likely to complicate that policy. A number of prestige films don't have hard and fast release dates yet. It appears there won't be a national policy concerning the re-opening of theaters, and California might be among the last states to lift stay-at-home orders. One can imagine the eligibility rules will be challenged and revisited as the situation progresses.
Still, even if the process gets sloppy, the Academy is undoubtedly doing the smart thing by relaxing restrictions. The obvious winner in this shake up is Netflix. The streaming giant has had Best Picture in its sights for the better part of a decade. It's come close two years in a row with Roma and The Irishman, and it seems poised to make an impact at next year's ceremony.
Netflix has an impressive slate of what are rumored to be awards-worthy features coming out in 2020, including David Fincher's Mank, Spike Lee's Da Five Bloods and Ron Howard's Hillbilly Elegy. Theaters might be back in business by September, when most studios begin to unveil their critical darlings, and Netflix would still have to manage qualifying releases for its heavy hitters. But the philosophical barrier will have been broken, and voters -- especially those biased against films produced by streaming services -- might be more accommodating under the circumstances.
The rule change will benefit small to mid-sized and diverse films as well. For years now, franchises have dominated the theatrical-release schedule, which has already forced many writers and directors of original material to digital platforms. Studios have postponed their headliners due to the pandemic, but they're toying with VOD releases for some of their in-betweeners. One possible outcome of this is that next year's Best Picture lineup will look a little more democratic than usual, as adult comedies and genre films, which are often left out of the awards conversation, seem well-positioned for digital release.
Boutique studios like A24 and Neon stand to gain larger audience shares, too, with what are likely to be crowd-pleasing films like The Green Knight and Palm Springs, if they go the streaming route when the pickings are slim. News of the rule change surely spurred conversations about Oscar strategy, with announcements about some titles that are currently in limbo soon to follow.
The Academy, which has been its own worst enemy of late, will benefit from the rule change, too, if it plays its cards right. Oscar ratings (along with most live television ratings) have been in decline. Bureaucratic drama and lackluster shows haven't helped matters, but obscure nominees throughout the 2010s have also purportedly shrank audiences.
When Titanic won, 55 million viewers tuned in, compared to this year's 26 million. That's not to say the Oscars should cynically award commercial films over masterpieces like Parasite. But independent and international films can be hard for average viewers to track down under the current model, in which such films often only play in New York and LA.
Streaming is nothing if not accessible to the public. And a public that's seen most of the Oscar contenders, and is grateful to have had quality entertainment during tumultuous times, is a public that's more likely to watch -- and be invested in -- the awards.