Monday, Netflix announced it was purchasing the rights to "Beasts of No Nation" from director Cary Fukunaga ("True Detective").
The streaming site is expected to make a big Oscar campaign for the film. In order to do that, Netflix will need to release the film in theaters in addition to streaming; however, it looks like theaters won't make it easy.
Four of the largest movie exhibitors in the U.S. have fired back stating they will not show the film.
AMC, Regal, Cinemark, and Carmine have decided to boycott the film since it will not adhere to the typical 90-day delay between theatrical debut and Blu-ray/streaming release.
Netflix mentioned in their announcement of the purchase that it plans to do an Oscar qualifying run of the film in select theaters later this year, but it will be interesting to see if it will end up being only arthouses that will show it.
One that has stood up and will definitely play the film is Alamo Drafthouse.
The Austin, Texas-based independent chain that also has theater houses in California and New York has never gone with the multiplexes in these kinds of situations. Last year, Drafthouse was one of the first chains to immediately screen "The Interview" after the film's initial pull from large chains Christmas Day following threats to attack theaters showing the film.
And forward-thinking distributors like Radius-TWC (the multi-platform distribution arm of The Weinstein Company) are also aware it's time for the major theater chains to get with the times. "No theater should play any film that doesn't work for their bottom line. By the same token though, if a film has earning potential it should be considered regardless of release strategy," Tom Quinn, co-president and founder of Radius told Business Insider earlier today.
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