Netflix has just purchased worldwide rights to Cary Fukunaga’s African war drama Beasts of No Nation, which stars Idris Elba, in a $12 million sale, according to Variety.
The movie, based on the bestselling novel by Uzodinma Iweala, follows the story of a young boy in an unnamed West African country who is forced into joining a group of soldiers.
Participant Media and Red Crown produced the drama and shot it last year in Ghana on a $6 million budget. Award-winning director Fukunaga wrote the script and produced alongside Amy Kaufman, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker and Dan Crown.
Insiders told Variety that Netflix is planning a strong Oscar push for the film, which means the streaming release will not occur until after the movie’s theatrical release.
According to the Academy rules:
Films that in any version, receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release will not be eligible for Academy Awards in any category. Nontheatrical public exhibition or distribution includes but is not limited to Broadcast and cable television; PPV/VOD; DVD distribution; Internet transmission. Motion pictures released in such nontheatrical media on or after the first day of their Los Angeles County qualifying run remain eligible.
