Netflix lands 24 Oscar nominations in quest for best picture trophy
It was dark comic book tale "Joker" that topped the Oscar nominations, picking up 11 nods including best picture and best director, as women and ethnic minorities were largely shut out once again.
An Oscar statue is placed inside the ballroom at the 89th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon in Beverly Hills, California, February 6, 2017.
Streaming video service Netflix Inc will have another chance to snatch the movie industry's top prize from Hollywood's traditional film studios at next month's Academy Awards.
Two Netflix movies, mafia epic "The Irishman" and divorce drama "Marriage Story," scored nominations on Monday for the coveted best picture trophy that will be awarded on February 9. Netflix scored 24 nominations overall.
The Silicon Valley giant, which reinvented television, will battle for Oscar glory against century-old Hollywood studios, including Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures, AT&T Inc's Warner Bros. and Sony Corp's Columbia Pictures.
Warner Bros' dark comic-book origin story "Joker" led all nominees with 11 total nods. "The Irishman," Universal's World War One epic "1917" and Columbia's Quentin Tarantino film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" received 10 each.
The companies behind the movies are expected to spend millions to court Oscar voters in the coming weeks on TV commercials, digital ads and special events with A-list celebrities in New York and Los Angeles.
Winning best picture would burnish Netflix's reputation in the film business and give it new bragging rights in the increasingly competitive fight for streaming video viewers.
The company began releasing original movies in 2015 and has been trying to build a library of prestige films alongside its dozens of comedies, thrillers and action flicks.
But the digital video pioneer has irked theatre owners by insisting that its films stream at the same time, or a few weeks after, they debut in theatres. Major theatre chains have objected to the timing and refused to show Netflix films.
The practice also forced members of the film academy to debate how to define a movie.
Last year, Netflix's "Roma" competed for best picture but did not win.
Nominations for "The Irishman," which tells the story of the disappearance of labour union leader Jimmy Hoffa, included best director for Martin Scorsese and supporting actor for Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.
"Marriage Story" stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, who play a show-business couple navigating a divorce and custody battle, received lead acting nominations.
Among Netflix's other nominations, "Klaus" and "I Lost My Body" were named in the best-animated feature category.
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