Netflix Tiptoes Into Theaters, But Demands Secrecy About Outcome
- Company asked box-office tracker not to monitor ‘Roma’ debut
- Cuaron film about Mexico City family seen as Oscar contender
Netflix Inc. has an Oscar contender on its hands with “Roma,” a drama about a Mexico City family from Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuaron.
The company thought enough of the film to break with one of its foremost traditions: Netflix released “Roma” in theaters last week ahead of its online debut -- anathema for the world’s biggest paid video-streaming service. But since then, the company hasn’t followed the typical playbook for promoting a likely Oscar winner.