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Oscars Relax 2020 Eligibility Rules in Boost for Streamed Movies

  • Films that had previously planned cinema date can debut online
  • Academy will revert back to old rules when theaters reopen
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Photographer: Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images

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The group behind the Oscars is relaxing the rules for this year’s movies because of the coronavirus shutdown, allowing films that premiered on streaming platforms to compete for the industry’s most-coveted prizes.

The change applies only to movies that had a previously planned theatrical release and only for the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards, scheduled for Feb. 28. The old rules will be back once theaters reopen, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences said Tuesday.