Will Netflix Finally Win Best Picture for ‘Emilia Perez?’

Is Netflix’s Oscar drought finally about to end?

The streamer has long sought the elusive Oscar for best picture. After a series of near misses, 2024 might just be the year the streaming giant claims the coveted prize – thanks to Jacques Audiard’s critically praised crime musical “Emilia Pérez.”

The Spanish-language drama premiered to fanfare at Cannes and has a star-studded cast including Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz. The bold storytelling, riveting performances and groundbreaking portrayal were critically acclaimed, leading to a shared best actress award for the four stars. Some experts believe that “Emilia” is capable of following the path of “Parasite”, by Bong Joon Ho, which in 2020 became the first non-English film to win the best film award. “Emilia” is also France’s entry for an international feature film, which further positions it as a viable Oscar darling.

To read: You can see all the Oscar predictions in all 23 categories on one page on Variety Awards Circuit.

Netflix’s quest for the Academy’s top prize has been an ongoing saga. Films like “Roma” (2018), “The Power of the Dog” (2021) and “All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022) came tantalizingly close, proving the streamer’s ability to attract the Academy’s attention.

However, while Netflix has dominated the nominations count since 2019, it has had less success winning major categories. Directors Alfonso Cuarón (“Roma”) and Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”) won historic directing honors, but other than that, the streamer’s biggest win in an A-list category remains the award for best supporting actress in Laura Dern for “Marriage.” History” (2019).

So why it does not have Netflix won best film so far?

Simply put, it’s still about movies no matter how much campaigning is done (although that helps). Previous contenders like “Roma” and “Mank” were part of an era when authors were given carte blanche to undertake ambitious projects, which resulted in divided reactions from industry voters. The preferential voting system in force for the best photograph did not benefit these works’ chances of winning.

“I’ve worked on films that I thought would win strongly early in the season,” said one veteran strategist. Variety. “And at the last minute everything would fall apart for one reason or another. You have to be able to adapt and cross the finish line.”

Netflix’s closest competitions were with “Roma” and “The Power of the Dog” – the most nominated films in their respective years – but neither managed to secure victory. And no studio wants to stay in the background. The distinction of being the first streamer to receive the top honor was snatched from Netflix when Apple released “CODA” in 2022.

The competitive dynamics between streamers sharpened Netflix’s hunger. In a similar run on the television front, Hulu surprised the industry by becoming the first streamer to win an Emmy for best drama with “The Handmaid’s Tale” in 2017. Four years later, Netflix turned things around and boosted “The Crown” to a history. night, when the series became the first drama to sweep the top Emmy categories.

This year, in a typical demonstration of the power of the Oscars, Netflix is ​​dividing its resources among several titles. Alongside “Emilia Pérez,” first-time director Malcolm Washington’s adaptation of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” is generating awards buzz, especially for supporting actress Danielle Deadwyler. Pablo Larraín’s biopic “Maria,” starring Oscar winner Angelina Jolie as legendary opera singer Maria Callas, is also vying for recognition.

And let’s not ignore the competition outside of Netflix’s stable. Sean Baker’s comedy-drama “Anora” — featuring a standout performance from Mikey Madison — and Brady Corbet’s historical epic “The Brutalist,” starring Adrien Brody, are increasingly gaining momentum, making this year’s race especially unpredictable. .

This all comes amid a period of transition for Netflix. In early 2024, film president Scott Stuber left to start his own media venture. His departure came after months of turmoil in the entertainment industry, with strikes and production delays rocking Hollywood. That didn’t leave many options for entering the Oscar space. So “Emilia,” which Netflix picked up at Cannes, remains its best bet.

It’s only a matter of time before the streaming titan cracks the code. Maybe this year will have the winning combination.

Below are this week’s Oscar predictions (in alphabetical order) in all 23 categories. For comprehensive rankings, visit each category page, which will be updated throughout the weekend.

Best Photo
“Anora”
“Blitz”
“The Brutalist”
“A complete stranger”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Gladiator II”
“The room next door”
“Evil”

Director
Jacques Audiard, “Emília Pérez”
Edward Berger, “Conclave”
Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”
Ridley Scott, “Gladiator II”
Denis Villeneuve, “Dune: Part Two”

Actor
Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Stranger”
Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”
Paul Mescal, “Gladiator II”

Actress
Angelina Jolie, “Maria”
Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
Mikey Madison, “Anora”
Saoirse Ronan, “The Escape”
Tilda Swinton, “The Room Next Door”

Supporting Actor
Kieran Culkin, “A True Pain”
Clarence Maclin, “Sing Sing”
Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”
Stanley Tucci, “Conclave”
Denzel Washington, “Gladiator II”

Supporting Actress
Danielle Deadwyler, “The Piano Lesson”
Ariana Grande, “Perverse”
Saoirse Ronan, “Blitz”
Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”

Original Screenplay
“Anora”
“The Brutalist”
“A real pain”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
“September 5th”

Adapted Script
“A complete stranger”
“Conclave”
“Emilia Pérez”
“The room next door”
“Sing, Sing”

Animated feature
“Inside Out 2”
“Memoirs of a Snail”
“Piece by Piece”
“Wallace & Gromit: Revenge of the Birds”
“The Wild Robot”

Production Design
“Blitz”
“The Brutalist”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Gladiator II”
“Evil”

Cinematography
“The Brutalist”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Gladiator II”
“Nosferatus”

Costume
“Blitz”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Gladiator II”
“Nosferatus”
“Evil”

Film Editing
“Anora”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Gladiator II”

Makeup and hairstyle
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Saturday night”
“The Substance”
“Evil”

Sound
“Blitz”
“The Brutalist”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Gladiator II”

Visual Effects
“Dune: Part Two”
“Gladiator II”
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
“Mufasa: The Lion King”
“Evil”

Original sheet music
“The Brutalist”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Gladiator II”
“The room next door”
“The Wild Robot”

Original Song
“Winter Coat” from “Blitz”
“My Path” by “Emilia Pérez”
“Beyond” “Moana 2”
“The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight”
“Harper and Will Go West” from “Will & Harper”

Documentary Feature
“Black Box Diaries”
“Dahomey”
“Daughters”
“There is no other land”
“Sugar cane”

International Resource
“Dahomey” from Senegal
“Emilia Pérez” from France
“Grand Tour” of Portugal
“I’m still here” from Brazil
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” from Germany

Animated Short
“Above ground”
“An almost Christmas story”
“A guest from another place”
“Maybe Elephants”
“Remember us”

Documentary short
“Chasing Roo”
“Denial”
“The final copy of Ilon Specht”
“Julia’s Trampolines”
“Wings of Dust”

Live action short
“Anuja”
“History of Bogotá”
“Homeland”
“1Up”
“Say hi after you die”