Oscar voters may actually have to do their homework.
That’s because the Academy has implemented a new rule requiring members to watch every film in a category (in order to vote) — and to fill out forms verifying when and where they viewed it.
The mandate might as well be called “the ‘Brutalist’ Rule,” a nod to Brady Corbet’s 215-minute epic that stands as Exhibit A for what the Academy hopes to fix. The A24 film earned 10 nominations and three wins this past season — even as some voters privately admitted they never pressed play or finished it. Or worse, it simply played in the background while they answered emails and rolled calls.
“This was overdue,” one producer tells Variety. “Over-fucking-due!” But while the goal is to create a more equitable system — where smaller gems don’t get lost amid noisier, well-funded campaigns — some within the Academy question whether the mandate will lead to better-informed choices or simply encourage new ways of gaming the system.
Academy sources say the reception from members has been overwhelmingly positive and that many had requested the change for years.
Historically, watching every nominated title was recommended, not required. Members often leaned on buzz, publicists, friends and family to fill in the gaps. One executive from the Academy’s Marketing Branch recalls times in the 1980s and ’90s when their boss handed over a blank Oscar ballot and said: “You’ve seen more than me. Fill this out.”
It wasn’t uncommon. Ballots were mailed and sometimes completed by assistants or even voters’ adult children. “He had never even heard of half the movies, but he voted anyway,” one executive says, recalling observing studio heads during Hollywood’s golden age.
The analog era — along with DVD mailers — faded with the 2020 introduction of the Academy Screening Room, an online portal featuring tight security and two-factor authentication. The digital transition closed off some legacy loopholes like password sharing — but not all.
Today, some members, particularly in the Executive and Marketing and PR branches, simply press play on the Academy app to satisfy the system’s viewing requirement — then mute the audio or switch tabs. “The app only needs to see that you watched it,” says one voter. “It doesn’t know if you’re sitting there.”
Another member admits they hit play before leaving the house to go to work.
Votes, many acknowledge, are often driven by professional allegiance. “You think I’m voting against my own campaign?” laughs one executive. “I’m voting for my stuff.”
Methods designed to get voters to engage aren’t new. The Academy already implemented a similar measure for international feature voting, requiring members to view a designated group of about a dozen films during the nomination phase. That system has its own loopholes — from speed-watching films at 1.5x to pressing play before heading to the gym.
There’s no penalty for pledging on the online form that you watched a title — even if you didn’t. It operates on the honor system, and the Academy will not verify members’ information. Members don’t seem overly concerned with the additional “paperwork,” but some strategists worry that forgetful voters might fall behind on off-platform viewing. “Do you keep up with your Letterboxd?” one strategist points out.
The new rule also aims to prevent a single film from dominating the ceremony.
Between 2009 and 2021, the most awarded best picture winner was Kathryn Bigelow’s 2008 war movie “The Hurt Locker,” with six statuettes. Every other top winner took four Oscars or fewer, reflecting members’ inclination to “spread the wealth.” But recently, distribution has been skewed: The 2022 action comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and Christopher Nolan’s 2023 biopic “Oppenheimer” both landed seven Oscars, while last year’s indie winner “Anora” took five of its six categories.
Ironically, movies with a sole nomination might now have a better chance of winning their category (provided they earn prizes from other awards groups in the lead-up to voting). Because members must view all the nominees in a category before they can vote in it, a voting branch’s own members could play a decisive role.
Take “Maria,” which last year was only nominated for cinematography and likely was not widely viewed outside the Cinematographers Branch, given that members of other branches prioritize the major races. Meanwhile, eventual winner “The Brutalist,” which based on reporting wasn’t as widely seen, likely benefited from greater visibility and an aura of prestige. Yet, had the new rule been in place, “Maria” — which won the cinematographer guild’s top prize — could have been a viable challenger since the number of eligible voters would have dipped.
Indeed, studios may be motivated to encourage members to watch all the nominated films in a category — including those from competing studios — especially if they sense a rival title’s broader popularity among other branches. It underscores that now more than ever, every vote counts.
Some prominent Academy voters believe gaming the system represents a tiny minority of the membership.
“I’m not cynical enough to think people weren’t watching,” says Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks Film Group. “I go to Cannes, Telluride, Toronto and Sundance. Then the Academy app lights up, and I know what to watch. I don’t know how others keep up. But it is our responsibility, and the fact they had to put it on paper is a little bit eye-opening.”
With the debut of an Oscar for casting, recognition of stunts forthcoming and a promising slate of films ahead, the Academy hopes the mandate will preserve the integrity of its nearly 100-year-old organization.
One Executive Branch member offers a blunter take: “The whole system’s based on trust. And trust in Hollywood? Bullshit.”
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