This morning Netflix finally received what they have been hoping for (and spending lots of money on), their first Best Picture Oscar nomination. Alfonso Cuaron's Roma has been a powerhouse this awards season and has to be considered one of the handful of true contenders when the Academy Awards are handed out next month. So while this is a celebratory day for Netflix, it does come tinged with a bit of bad news if they were hoping it would get some love at the multiplexes as a result.
Deadline reports that theatre chains AMC, Cinemark, and Regal have all snubbed Roma from its Best Picture events. Annually, the chains will offer special pricing on a Best Picture Showcase in which moviegoers can check out all of the year's Best Picture nominees. Seven of the eight nominees this year will be included, but Roma is left out in the cold. The reason why has to do with Netflix's release strategy, in which Cuaron's film was released in only select independent theatres before hitting the streaming service. Clearly, there's still some bad feelings. Check out the statement released by AMC...
“For more than a decade, movie-lovers have enjoyed the AMC Best Picture Showcase to catch up on the nominated films that played at AMC throughout the prior year. This year, Academy members nominated a film that was never licensed to AMC to play in our theatres. As such, it is not included in the AMC Best Picture Showcase.”
It's been confirmed that Cinemark and Regal will take part in the ban. Oh well. Roma remains a breakthrough film for Netflix and if it wins Best Picture they'll have all the leverage they need to follow the same release strategy in the future, whether the major exhibitors like it or not.
