Netflix leaves nothing to chance when it comes to the most popular movie award in the world. The group brings its films only reluctantly to the cinema, but for an Oscar as the best film for his drama "Roma" he gives everything. The award would eventually bring prestige and new subscribers.
According to PR experts, Netflix is spending tens to $ 20 million or more, the New York Times reports. Hollywood is placarded with advertisements, almost around the clock find a "Roma" event somewhere, often with popular presenters such as Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron. For a two-minute promotional clip alone, which ran during the popular morning show "CBS Sunday Morning," Netflix spent $ 170,000.
It may be the most expensive Oscar PR campaign in years. An insider told Fast Company magazine, "Netflix not only spends a bit more than anyone else, but millions more than millions more."
Netflix
"Roma" should get for Netflix necessarily the Oscar for Best Picture
The opportunities for "Roma" should have grown after the film was honored at the Golden Globes as the best non-English language film and for the best director. There the drama was not allowed to compete in the category Best Film, because the rules prescribe that the dialogues have to be in English. In "Roma" Spanish is spoken.
Therefore, the film is also on the shortlist in the category "Best Foreign Language Film" at the Academy Awards. Mexico had submitted him. This in turn could minimize the chances of "Roma" despite the campaign, because never before has a film from the category "Best Foreign Language Film" won as the best film of the year.
But there are also more solid reasons why the chances of "Roma" may not be so good, even though the film has since been honored by most of the critics' associations. By winning the Oscar for Best Picture, the upstart would finally arrive at Hollywood Olympus. In the perception of many veteran employees of the film industry, the group is destroying the business model of the dream factory.
Amazon has already won important Oscars
Netflix still refuses to bring his films to the movies regularly and to meet a deadline before they start on the platform. Although "Roma" is one of the few Netflix films that has been released in several cinemas in several countries, including Germany. In the US, however, the film ran just three weeks in selected movie theaters in New York and Los Angeles - the minimum requirement to register the film for the Oscars.
For years now, the direct competitor Amazon Studios, whose drama "Manchester By The Sea" was nominated for the best film in 2017, shows that things can be done differently. Casey Affleck won an Oscar for Best Actor. Amazon regularly brings his films to the cinemas.
Netflix has been able to win only two Oscars, one for the best short documentary and a 2018 for the best feature-length documentary ("Icarus"). For "Roma" it is first of all to be nominated at all. The nominations will be announced on January 22nd.