YouTube enters Oscars race against Netflix and Amazon with Vulture's Club movie
After Netflix tried and Amazon succeeded, it's time for YouTube to come out and play with the "Big Six" of theatrical releases.
Friday 23 March 2018 10:49, UK
YouTube is planning a major theatrical release eligible for next year's Academy Awards.
The online video giant has announced the acquisition of Vulture's Club, a movie starring Susan Sarandon as a veteran emergency room nurse dealing with her son's capture by a terrorist group.
The movie will co-star Matt Bomer, The Sopranos' Edie Falco and Mistress America's Lola Kirke.
But Vulture's Club has another competitive edge to it, and her name is Maryam Keshavarz.
The Iranian-American film director has already grabbed the audience award at Sundance for her 2011 film Circumstance, and has been quietly waiting for her chance to go big.
Well, this is it. The movie will open this year in cinemas worldwide before hitting YouTube's Red subscription service.
The fact that YouTube has allowed a theatrical release before premiering it on its channel signals a strong will to be considered for an Oscar.
Both Netflix and Amazon initially fought against opening cinema-first releases, but eventually conceded with movies like Mudbound and Manchester By The Sea.
The latter won several major Oscars last year, giving Amazon Studios their first big Academy victory and putting it on par with the so-called "Big Six" studios - Universal, 20th Century Fox, Sony, Warner, Paramount and Disney.
Susanne Daniels, YouTube's global head of original content, said: "This emotional drama grapples with relevant issues journalists around the world face today.
"Maryam Keshavarz lends her powerful perspective as an Iranian-American filmmaker, and Susan Sarandon's moving performance immediately drew us into this compelling film."
She also gave an interview to Screen Daily, outlining YouTube's $10 per month subscription platform, adding they were planning "world domination".
Another recent YouTube originals project is Bodied, a rap satire from Eminem and director Joseph Kahn, which got a premiere at Sundance earlier this year.
This move is just another sign of a new dawn for the movie business, as Netflix tries to take on giant Disney.