There’s no bigger entertainment company than Netflix. With over 300 million subscribers, the streamer has done it all, or at least almost all.
You see, these past ten years, Netflix has been chasing the Oscar for Best Picture, and come close several times. It’s no doubt become a frustrating topic to talk about for Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.
While speaking with Variety, Sarandos was — yet again — asked if he’s disappointed that Netflix has yet to win Best Picture.
“It’s hard for me to say, ‘Do they have it out for us?’ when we’ve been the most-nominated studio for the past three years,” Sarandos said. “There’s something about [the Academy] — you nominate the movies that you respect and admire, and you vote for best picture for the movie that you love. We have to make a movie that people love.“
Sarandos does have a point. Sure, making a film “that people love” is a must to win Best Picture, but the fact that he asks “Do they have it in for us?” speaks volumes about the actual truth of the situation; the fact that Netflix is seen as a threat by many in Hollywood.
The industry is scared of Netflix, especially studio heads who believe the streamer’s fervent denial of theatrical rollouts will haveput them out of the business soon. Why would these same producers, distributors, directors — all Oscar voters — go out of their way to vote for the enemy?
Since 2015, Netflix has tried very tried winning Best Picture, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars on Oscar losers: “Roma,” “The Irishman,” “Mank,” “Trial of the Chicago 7,” “The Power of the Dog,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Emilia Perez.”
This year, Netflix will again have a slew of Oscar-ready films, from such respected filmmakers as Guillermo del Toro, Noah Baumbach, Kathryn Bigelow, and Edward Berger. Will the Academy finally bite?