The Oscars is the biggest event of the year for Hollywood – and the battles brewing and questions swirling about this year’s show capture the tension and transformation underway in the entertainment industry.
Unlike most years, where a few front-runners are expected to nab the top awards, this year’s awards are more of a toss-up. Best picture predictions have bounced between Hollywood favorite “A Star is Born,” to the genre-defying superhero movie “Black Panther” from Disney’s Marvel, to artsy “Roma” from digital disruptor Netflix, to throwback “The Green Book” from Universal.
With troubles at the box office and the rise of anytime-anywhere streaming services, this year’s Oscars come at a crossroads for the movie industry. Here are some of the big questions hanging over this year’s show.
Can this Oscars boost movie going?
This year’s awards show — the year’s biggest advertisement for movie-going — comes at a time when movie studios and theater chains could use a boost.
The box office is down 24 percent year-to-date on tough comparisons with last year’s hits. Netflix’s January report about the popularity of its movie “Birdbox” has fueled concern that streaming options are keeping consumers home, rather than out spending on movie tickets (not to mention popcorn or babysitting).
Last year’s Oscar ratings declined 19 percent to an all-time low, putting pressure on the Academy and the show’s broadcaster ABC to deliver a turnaround. But for months ahead of the telecast, the production has been rife with controversy. Host Kevin Hart dropped in December after revelations of homophobic tweets, leaving the show host less for the first time since 1989. The Academy then announced it would award four categories during commercial breaks rather than the live telecast, then reversed course after a barrage of criticism.
One thing working in the show’s favor: “Black Panther.” With a $700 million take at the US box office, it’s the highest-grossing film to be nominated for best picture since “Avatar” in 2009. This is the first time since 2010 that three movies nominated for best picture each grossed more than $200 million at the U.S. box office. The more people watched the nominated movies, the more likely they are to tune into the show.
Has the establishment accepted Netflix?
Netflix has invested billions of dollars on content, and has drawn big-name filmmakers and TV show-runners.
But this year, the streamer gained the highest Hollywood acclaim: a best picture nomination, for black-and-white, Spanish-language “Roma,” which tells the story of a Mexico City family in the 1970s.
“Roma” has a total of ten nominations, tied for the most with Fox Searchlight’s “The Favourite.” To earn Academy members’ votes, Netflix is spending a reported $25 million on its Oscar campaign. In addition to billboards sprinkled across Los Angeles, the studio has sent Academy voters glossy coffee table books and branded chocolates. That $25 dwarfs the $15 million the movie cost to produce, and may be a record for an Oscars campaign.
Unlike most years, where a few front-runners are expected to nab the top awards, this year’s awards are more of a toss-up. Best picture predictions have bounced between Hollywood favorite “A Star is Born,” to the genre-defying superhero movie “Black Panther” from Disney’s Marvel, to artsy “Roma” from digital disruptor Netflix, to throwback “The Green Book” from Universal.
With troubles at the box office and the rise of anytime-anywhere streaming services, this year’s Oscars come at a crossroads for the movie industry. Here are some of the big questions hanging over this year’s show.
Can this Oscars boost movie going?
This year’s awards show — the year’s biggest advertisement for movie-going — comes at a time when movie studios and theater chains could use a boost.
The box office is down 24 percent year-to-date on tough comparisons with last year’s hits. Netflix’s January report about the popularity of its movie “Birdbox” has fueled concern that streaming options are keeping consumers home, rather than out spending on movie tickets (not to mention popcorn or babysitting).
Last year’s Oscar ratings declined 19 percent to an all-time low, putting pressure on the Academy and the show’s broadcaster ABC to deliver a turnaround. But for months ahead of the telecast, the production has been rife with controversy. Host Kevin Hart dropped in December after revelations of homophobic tweets, leaving the show host less for the first time since 1989. The Academy then announced it would award four categories during commercial breaks rather than the live telecast, then reversed course after a barrage of criticism.
One thing working in the show’s favor: “Black Panther.” With a $700 million take at the US box office, it’s the highest-grossing film to be nominated for best picture since “Avatar” in 2009. This is the first time since 2010 that three movies nominated for best picture each grossed more than $200 million at the U.S. box office. The more people watched the nominated movies, the more likely they are to tune into the show.
Has the establishment accepted Netflix?
Netflix has invested billions of dollars on content, and has drawn big-name filmmakers and TV show-runners.
But this year, the streamer gained the highest Hollywood acclaim: a best picture nomination, for black-and-white, Spanish-language “Roma,” which tells the story of a Mexico City family in the 1970s.
“Roma” has a total of ten nominations, tied for the most with Fox Searchlight’s “The Favourite.” To earn Academy members’ votes, Netflix is spending a reported $25 million on its Oscar campaign. In addition to billboards sprinkled across Los Angeles, the studio has sent Academy voters glossy coffee table books and branded chocolates. That $25 dwarfs the $15 million the movie cost to produce, and may be a record for an Oscars campaign.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario