The Oscars best picture rules are changing. Here’s how it’ll affect contenders and movie theatres

On high of the present one week “qualifying run” in one among six US cities — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco or Miami — finest image contenders would now should additionally now play for an extra seven days in 10 of the highest 50 US markets. Additionally, there’s a number of different new guidelines about when the films should play in theatres.

“It is our hope that this expanded theatrical footprint will increase the visibility of films worldwide and encourage audiences to experience our art form in a theatrical setting,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang mentioned in a press release.

It’s half gesture to theatres nonetheless struggling from the pandemic, partly for audiences in markets outdoors of New York and Los Angeles who do not at all times get theatrical entry to finest image contenders, and partly a press release to deep pocketed streaming providers that theatres stay paramount for Hollywood’s high prize.

The movie academy’s leaders additionally say the choice was born out of many conversations with business companions and that they really feel that this “evolution benefits film artists and movie lovers alike”.

But some within the business questioned what it actually modifications, who it advantages and who it would harm.

Michael O’Leary, the President and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners, applauded the “important initiative”. In a statement, O’Leary said it “affirms that theatrical exhibition is the keystone of the industry.”

For traditional studios, from the big ones like Warner Bros, Universal and Disney, to the smaller players, like A24 and Neon, behind recent best picture winners Everything Everywhere All At Once and Parasite, it likely affects very little.

For streaming services, it could be a case-by-case adjustment depending on the company but not a hurdle.

Amazon is already planning to release 12 to 15 movies theatrically every year, as they’ve already done with Ben Affleck’s Air.

Apple is also set to spend USD 1 billion a year on movies that will land in cinemas before streaming, including Ridley Scott’s Napoleon.

Netflix has had a bigger theatrical footprint lately too. Not only do they control two US theatres — New York’s Paris Theater and Los Angeles’ American Cinematheque — but they’ve also historically given theatrical runs to their awards hopefuls.

All of Netflix’s nominees since Roma have met the requirement. Its most recent best picture nominee, All Quiet on the Western Front, played in hundreds of theatres.

The new rule may weed out the possibility of a grassroots campaign on behalf of a very small film, however.

Independent theatres and those willing to play independent films have become rarer and the competition is fierce for those screens in the major markets. Some of the bigger indie stalwarts are even scheduling major studio films, leaving fewer times and screens available for true independents.

Much like the diversity requirements that went into effect this year, few could think of recent best picture players that wouldn’t have met this threshold.

Apple’s best picture winner CODA played in about 40 theatres. Even non-traditional Oscar underdogs like Drive My Car and RRR had substantial theatrical runs.

“It’s important to consider that qualifying is merely a first step in a long process that involves robust and costly campaigning,” mentioned Dan Berger, the president of the impartial movie firm Oscilloscope. “I think it’s fair to say that nearly any film that doesn’t meet these parameters never stood a chance in a best picture race anyway.”

Berger added: “Hopefully the result of this isn’t more robust and more costly campaigning that only serves to further divide merit based results from campaign based results.”

There are loads of unknowns in regards to the specifics of the growth, together with whether or not there might be minimal of showtimes and screens. Could corporations merely hire out eight screens that may play to minimal or no crowds in densely populated areas which can be comparatively low-cost and which can be additionally not traditionally nice for indie movies?

It’ll verify the field, however will it assist theatres, the movies or audiences? And will it result in a good larger year-end bottleneck of releases?

Questions additionally stay about the way it will have an effect on the eligibility of animated movies and documentaries, which would not have to fulfill these necessities to qualify of their particular person classes however now might need to undertake a distinct technique to be in competition for finest image.

Others are extra hopeful and know that the academy’s board of governors meet typically to reassess guidelines because the panorama continues to vary.

“It’s about time that the academy made a move to recommit to theatrical. The Oscars were inching closer and closer to becoming the Emmys,” mentioned one high awards strategist and academy member who requested anonymity to talk candidly in regards to the modifications. “Could they have gone further? Of course. But it’s a good faith step in the right direction.”