Netflix Reportedly Looking At A Wide Theatrical Release Strategy For Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’

We are only a few days removed from this year’s Oscars telecast. However, it’s never too early to talk about the 2020 Oscars, right? And right now, the film that’s on everyone’s radar as an awards season lock is Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.” There’s only one problem – the film is going to be released by Netflix. After all the controversy that surrounded the validity of “Roma” as a “real film” that should be honored by the Academy, it would appear that Netflix is going to take the theatrical release strategy a step further for “The Irishman.”

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As you are probably aware, Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” forced Netflix to break its rule of releasing awards-contender films day and date in theaters and on the streaming service. Instead, the streamer gave select theaters a three-week window of exclusivity to show “Roma” before it hit online. This allowed folks at the Academy to breathe a little easier when voting for Cuarón’s film come Oscar time. But according to a new report from THR, Scorsese doesn’t just want a “select” theatrical run. The filmmaker is working with Netflix to secure a wide release, which the company has simply never done before.

Wanting to do a wide theatrical release and actually doing it are two completely different things, however. You see, the only way that “Roma” got into theaters last year was because Netflix “four-walled” theaters that would allow them to do so. That meant that the streamer bought out the theaters and therefore, didn’t have to reveal box office numbers or be beholden to release windows that would have prevented the film from hitting the streaming service on its launch date.

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But chains like AMC and Regal don’t play by those rules. This could lead to Netflix greatly changing how it does business, turning into a studio along the same lines as Amazon that distributes the films in major theaters and waits a little while before releasing it on its Prime Video platform. This also means that Netflix will have to release box office numbers, which we know the company is not very keen on doing. Netflix likes to keep its numbers close to the vest, when possible.

All that being said, if Netflix wants to be a major Oscars player in the future, many believe that the company will have to begin to play by typical Hollywood rules instead of Hollywood bending over backward to accommodate the streamer. With people like Steven Spielberg still not convinced that Netflix is the home of “real films,” the company still has a lot of work ahead of it before it can be considered an equal player during awards season.

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“The Irishman” might not only be the biggest film in Netflix’s history (with a legendary director, an iconic cast, and a huge price tag of $125 million), but it might be its best shot at legitimacy in many critics’ eyes. But “The Irishman” isn’t the only 2019 film on Netflix’s slate that is expected to garner some awards consideration.

Films like Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat,” David Michôd’s “The King,” Dee Rees‘ “The Last Thing He Wanted,” and Fernando Meirelles‘ The Pope” are all expected to gain interest as they’re released later in the year. We’ll just have to see how the distribution strategy changes in light of “Roma’s” Oscar success.