Netflix got its very first Oscar nomination last year for Best Picture and now the streaming giant has a whopping 24 nominations thanks to The Irishman and Marriage Story.
The Irishman has garnered ten nominations while Marriage Story has six with both being nominated for Best Picture.
In terms of Oscar nominations by the studio, the streaming giant leads everyone with 24. Disney is not far behind with 22 nominations, while Sony, Universal, Warner Bros. are in the third to fifth spot with 20, 13, and 12 Oscar nominations respectively.
We are at a time where it is almost impossible to deny the streaming giant’s impact on film and television on a global scale, with Hollywood’s old guard’s aversion towards it dwindling and with young up and coming filmmakers using it as their platform to tell their beautiful and unique stories.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the people behind the voting for the Oscars has been aversed towards Netflix’s methods of releasing their films pretty much the same day as those films are released in cinemas, thus barring in giving Netflix films any nominations.
Nowadays, people’s eyes are being opened to the benefits that online streaming has to offer, even if they are not released in the standard movie theaters, more people are now able to watch these movies in the comfort of their own home without the need to go out. Sure, that bodes ill for cinema owners, but compromises have been discussed and will be discussed to ensure that part of the film industry does not die out.
The best director alive today, Martin Scorsese, the poster child of Hollywood filmmaking said himself that he wouldn’t be able to make The Irishman if it weren’t for Netflix because major studios are not willing to take the financial risk of a biographical mafia film that has a three-hour run time. Scorsese added that Netflix was more than willing because they didn’t have to worry about box office numbers.
Netflix has also championed a wide range of films from diverse directors, thus creating Oscar-worthy movies that moving forward, can benefit the film industry is moving in a more progressive direction.
The 24 Oscar nominations that Netflix has tallied will not only continue if they stay the course but will also be a huge signal flare for filmmakers in terms of their decision of where to bring their films. Talented filmmakers will surely realize that it is a smart move to bring their product to the streaming giant especially if they have any aspirations to go big.