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This year might be different. Apple TV+'s
"CODA," a heartwarming story about the daughter of a deaf couple
who is torn between her love of music and her fear of abandoning
her parents, is a leading contender on Sunday for the film
industry's most prestigious award, having claimed the top honors
from the Producers Guild and Screen Actors Guild.
"CODA" faces competition for best picture from Netflix Inc's
critical darling, "The Power of the Dog," which received the top
award from the Directors Guild of America, BAFTA and the Critics
Choice Awards.
"It would be great for a streamer to win, I think, because it
just expands the landscape," said "CODA" star Marlee Matlin, who
was the first deaf actor to receive an Oscar for her leading
role in 1986 film "Children of a Lesser God." "The options for
film and opportunities. Why not? I think it would be awesome."
Claiming an Oscar for best picture -- or even being nominated --
traditionally delivers a boost in movie ticket sales. "King
Richard," the biographical picture about Richard Williams, the
father and coach of famed tennis players Venus and Serena
Williams, saw a 443% jump in ticket sales the weekend after its
best picture nomination in February, according to box office
tracker Comscore. Science-fiction epic "Dune" posted a 380%
surge at the box office in the weekend following its nomination,
Comscore said.
But as the global pandemic continues to depress movie theater
attendance, a best picture award is just as likely to serve as a
boon to the streaming services, where seven of the 10 films
nominated for best picture are available for subscribers to
watch in their homes. The rest can be seen from living rooms via
digital rental or purchase.
A spokeswoman for WarnerMedia's HBO Max said Academy
Award-nominated films "Dune," "West Side Story" and "Nightmare
Alley" ranked among the most-watched movies on the streaming
service in recent weeks. Viewership for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
jumped 42% after Jessica Chastain's leading actress nomination
was announced.
"All of these streamers have something to gain," said one
industry insider. "In the olden days -- the 'olden days' meaning
10 years ago -- it was as all about theatrical and using the
Oscar and Golden Globe buzz as a marketing tool to get people to
go to the theater and see the movies."
The industry's resistance to the growing influence of streamers,
and in particular Netflix's willingness to mount
multimillion-dollar Oscar campaigns, appears to be fading.
"Cinema is being transformed, but I don't think it's the death
of anything," said actor Kerry Washington. "I think we're just
having more and more options and ways to appreciate content."
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; additional
reporting by Rollo Ross; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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