Tech money is fueling an arms race at the Oscars. A short film that cost $5,000 to make might get a $40,000 promotional push ahead of the Academy Awards.
LOS ANGELES—After a 111-minute family drama called “CODA” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2021, the usual phalanx of distributors began vying for the film.According to a person involved in the negotiations, the iPhone maker saw something in the movie, about the hearing daughter of an all-deaf family, that few others did: an Oscar contender.
“CODA,” which tells the story of Ruby , an aspiring singer living with an all-deaf family in a Massachusetts fishing village, is a front-runner for best picture at this Sunday’s Academy Awards. It is going head-to-head against not only old-guard studio fare like Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” remake and a new version of “Dune,” but also against movies from streaming-service rivalwhich has poured millions into films designed to win awards, including this year’s “The Power of the Dog.
The movie, which was seen as a “happy to be nominated” contender when the best-picture lineup was announced, started to surge late in the awards season. Apple hired a veteran awards-campaign firm to book screenings and meet-and-greets across Los Angeles, scheduling swanky venues like the high-end private club the San Vicente Bungalows with cast members like Marlee Matlin.
The main competition to “CODA,” awards prognosticators and strategists say, is Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog,” a Jane Campion adaptation of a Western about a rancher and his brother’s family. Its 12 nominations cemented it as the movie to beat. Ms. Taback’s awards team meets once a week to assess the state of the race, one former employee said, shifting resources toward contenders gaining momentum and away from those fading in the pack. On one short stretch of L.A.’s Sunset Blvd. earlier this month, Netflix had three “For Your Consideration” billboards in succession, for “Audible” , “The Lost Daughter” and “The Power of the Dog” .
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Final Oscars Predictions: Best Picture — Apple Projected to Become First Streamer to Win Academy’s Top PrizeVariety’s Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sou…
Read more »
Fashion, sustainability take center stage as Oscars traditions returnJust a couple of miles from Oscar's red carpet in west Hollywood, exclusive dinners like one pre-Oscar party and the inevitable post-Oscar soirees are signs the annual rituals are returning.
Read more »
Fashion, sustainability take center stage as Oscars traditions returnJust a couple of miles from Oscar's red carpet in west Hollywood, exclusive dinners like one pre-Oscar party and the inevitable post-Oscar soirees are signs the annual rituals are returning.
Read more »
Oscars: Governors Awards Honor Samuel L. Jackson, Elaine May, Liv Ullmann and Danny GloverPostponed from January due to a COVID-19 surge, the Governors Awards took place outside the Oscar voting window this year and were absent the usual crush of potential nominees hobnobbing with Academy members.
Read more »
How to watch the Oscars: Time, channels and more📽 The 94th Academy Awards will be presented at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday. Check out the nominees, presenters and how to watch the broadcast ⬇️
Read more »