Academy Leaves Door Open To Netflix After Tussle Over Oscars Eligibility Rules

The Academy of Motion Picture and Arts and Sciences has ruled that films from streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video will continue to be eligible to win Academy Awards. The Academy had considered changing Rule Two, which allowed any film to be eligible for an Academy Award as long as it had a seven-day run in a Los Angeles theater. From a report: That proposal, reportedly pushed by megadirector Steven Spielberg, would have made it difficult for streaming services such as Netflix to compete for the academy's big prizes by restricting eligibility to just films that got a significant run in theaters. Films that debuted online and only got a limited theatrical release simply would be out of luck. But when the academy's board of governors released its rules for next year's prize -- a book that runs to 35 pages, all told -- the would-be changes were not among them. 'We support the theatrical experience as integral to the art of motion pictures, and this weighed heavily in our discussions,' John Bailey, president of the academy, said in a statement released Tuesday night. 'Our rules currently require theatrical exhibition, and also allow for a broad selection of films to be submitted for Oscars consideration.' Further reading: Justice Department Warns Academy About Changing Oscar Rules To Exclude Streaming.

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