Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog,” a revisionist Western that uses a careworn genre to examine toxic masculinity, dominated the Academy Awards on Tuesday with 12 nods, the most of any film. It was followed closely behind by “Dune,” a sprawling adaptation of a popular sci-fi novel that was once believed to be unfilmable, which defied naysayers to earn 10 Oscar nominations.
“West Side Story,” Steven Spielberg’s ravishing take on a beloved musical, and “Belfast,” Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age story, each received seven nominations. All four of those films are up for best picture, joining a race that includes “CODA,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Drive My Car,” “King Richard,” “Licorice Pizza” and “Nightmare Alley.”
This year’s celebration of all things movies comes as the film industry itself is in a period of great upheaval and transformation. The COVID-19 pandemic has battered the box office, which means that many of the top Oscar contenders lost money — lots of it — during their theatrical runs. “West Side Story,” “Belfast” and “Nightmare Alley” were among the many films that failed to convert critical raves into ticket sales.
At the same time, the health crisis has accelerated a transition on the part of major media companies from cinemas to streaming. From Disney to WarnerMedia, ViacomCBS to Comcast, nearly every media conglomerate has launched its own in-house challenger to Netflix, and that’s fundamentally upending the way companies make and release films. WarnerMedia, for instance, debuted all of its new releases, including the likes of “Dune” and “King Richard,” on HBO Max in 2021 at the same time they hit theaters, citing COVID. It wasn’t alone in responding to the great shifts in consumer behavior. Other new Hollywood players, such as “CODA” producer Apple and “The Power of the Dog” and “Don’t Look Up” backer Netflix, scored best picture nominations.
There were several history making moments on Tuesday. Jane Campion became the first woman to earn two best director nods with her nomination for “The Power of the Dog.” She was also nominated in the best adapted screenplay category.