The Academy Changes Rules For The Oscars To Accommodate Films Affected By Theater Closures

With movie theaters closed around the country and some films opting for direct to streaming platforms, the Academy Awards could look very different next year. But they recently released a set of rules to accommodate the theater closures!

©Academy Awards

In the past, a film had to be in theaters for at least seven days in Los Angeles County to qualify for an Academy Award. Since theaters aren’t currently open and some movies (like Trolls World Tour) have opted for direct to streaming, many films wouldn’t have qualified. Now, the Academy is temporarily changing their rules. In order to qualify during this time, films will have to be made available on the secure Academy Screening Room site for members of the Academy within 60 days of the digital release.

©Disney Programming

Additionally, when theaters re-open, the Academy will expand the qualifying theaters that a film must run in beyond Los Angeles to include New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami, and Atlanta. This change could affect studios’ decisions to postpone film releases until theaters re-open and makes films that were exclusive to streaming platforms now eligible for Academy Awards.

What big film do you want to see released directly to streaming? Let us know in the comments!