The Oscars may have been delayed but that doesn’t mean the usual Hollywood suspects aren’t lining up their awards contenders already. Multiple studios are planning releases in the fall and winter that will surely make appearances at the Dolby Theater when the Academy Awards come around. And Netflix wants in on that action.
That’s why the streaming heavyweight is negotiating to acquire Aaron Sorkin’s next film, The Trial of the Chicago 7. The film, written and directed by Sorkin, is a Paramount property but Paramount has put the film on the back burner during the COVID-19 pandemic. Netflix, always hungry to be a major awards player, is now trying to land the films in hopes of adding another high-profile prestige film to their canon.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a true life story about the group of anti-Vietnam protesters who disrupted the 1968 Democratic National Convention. What was meant to be a peaceful protest ended up becoming a violent clash with police. It was a huge event, a massive news story, and is still talked about to this day. The organizers behind the protests were then prosecuted for conspiracy, inciting to riot and other charges.
It’s a story worth telling and Sorkin has assembled a killer cast to tell it. Sacha Baron Cohen, Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeremy Strong, Frank Langella, WIlliam Hurt, Mark Rylance and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II are all part of the ensemble. That is a murderer’s row of talented folks. Throw Sorkin into the mix and you’ve got yourself something that screams “Oscar!” That is music to Netflix’s ears. The streamer already has a few films set for the fall that may be awards winners but Sorkin’s latest would be the biggest get yet. It would further cement Netflix as a major player during awards season and would prove that they not only can spend as much money as they want and release as much content as they want but they can also win statues too. The day that Netflix nabs a Best Picture Oscar is the day that they have truly, undeniably changed the industry forever.
