Netflix excited about early buzz for its feature film ‘Beasts of No Nation’

TORONTO – Netflix’s chief content officer says he’s thrilled with the early buzz for the streaming service’s film “Beasts of No Nation.”

“To have our first original feature in the Oscar discussion — even at this early stage — is really amazing,” said Ted Sarandos in a recent interview.

“I think (director Cary Fukunaga has) made a real timeless movie that is the ‘Apocalypse Now’ of our generation, and people are just falling in love with it.”

Based on an acclaimed novel by Nigerian author Uzodinma Iweala, the story is seen from the viewpoint of an orphaned West African boy (Abraham Attah) enlisted to join a rebel army led by Commandant, played by Idris Elba (“Luther,” “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” “The Wire”).

The searing child soldier drama will be available to Netflix subscribers on Friday.

“Beasts of No Nation” screened at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and Sarandos said Netflix maintains a big presence at the fest each year, since it’s the one place where suppliers from both TV and film are able to come together.

But given that Netflix is increasingly seeking global rights for content, the company’s acquisitions team is somewhat challenged at TIFF, he noted.

“Usually by the time they get into Toronto, parts of the world are sold off — and we’re trying to do global only.”

Netflix has already earned critical acclaim and awards for original shows such as “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards,” but the digital company now has its sights set on expanding into more feature-length projects.

Sarandos said Netflix has been “aggressively” ramping up its movie production.

Among the projects in the pipeline: separate films involving Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Ricky Gervais; Adam Sandler’s comedic western “The Ridiculous Six;” and the sequel to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

Sarandos said the ability to stream programming has had a significant impact on viewer habits.

“People’s tastes are really diverse, so … when they have a lot of choice and a lot of flexibility of when they can watch, they will watch,” he said.

“I think that that might be a permanent change in the system, and it’ll be interesting to see how cinema changes to keep up in television.”

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