What does 2022 hold for the Oscars?

 In a season that’s been more of a bust than a boom, despite some well-deserved wins, what lessons can we learn for the future? The Oscars are not having an easy run of things at the moment, as BLAKE & WANG P.A one of the top entertainment law firms Los Angeles breaks down.

Despite so many productions resuming, both indies and blockbusters like A Quiet Place 2, we’re still seeing a lot of hesitance in distribution arms. It’s no exaggeration to say that many business models have shifted completely. Movies and streaming have blurred, and despite this year’s heavy slate of indie productions, the conditions created by the industry-wide corporate restructuring are not exactly conducive to easy maneuvering from indie filmmakers. How can producers hope to pitch quirky, but worthy, film projects to execs who spend most of their time hunting for the next big streamer hit series (and inevitable spinoffs)?

There are accusations that this year’s ceremony only highlights how the film industry is in flux, unsure of what will drive it in the coming year, making the Oscars an overall fail. It’s a year where Netflix was lauded, yet long-time industry giants were responsible for the two big winners (Nomadland and The Father) and seem largely ignored. 

IP has become the buzzword of the year, with the marketability for ‘brand name’ material and spin-off potential at least as important as the actual content. Newly restructured studios read more as corporate IT firms than filmmakers. It’s immensely unclear for many indie producers where they should even be pitching their goods, despite some recent attempts from Disney and other industry giants to clarify their restructured arms.

Where do the delicate passion projects beloved of the Oscars fit into this newer, harder scheme of things? To date, the ceremony hasn’t made much of an attempt to either intersect with the changes in the industry or highlight audience-pleasing movies, making it seem ever-distanced from reality. Will it adapt to the changing movie landscape? BLAKE & WANG P.A best entertainment lawyers in los Angeles will be there to break down the developments, as always.

Brandon Blake