The Academy's new Oscars inclusion requirements appear fairly 'easy to meet'

New rules are being implemented at the Oscars. So just how much will they change the show?

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in June it would introduce new "representation and inclusion standards" to qualify for the Oscars, and the organization this week provided the details. Starting in 2024, to qualify for Best Picture, a film must meet two of four diversity standards, The New York Times reports.

The first standard pertains to on-screen representation, and to meet it, a film must either have one lead or significant supporting actor who is from an underrepresented group, have at least 30 percent of the actors in secondary roles be from underrepresented groups, or have a main storyline centered around an underrepresented group. The other three standards, however, relate to inclusion off screen among the creative leadership and crew, as well as in departments like marketing and distribution. The announcement of these rules was a significant moment in the history of the Academy, which has long faced criticism for the lack of diversity among its nominees.

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Still, The New York Times' Kyle Buchanan notes it seems that "almost every film," including a movie like The Irishman that revolves around white men, "would still be nominated under the new guidelines." After all, the Academy is only requiring movies to meet two of the standards, and Buchanan observes that the last two regarding off-screen representation are quite "easy to meet" with a "robust internship program and a marketing department that's relatively diverse," and so ultimately, "less may change than we think."

Writer Mark Harris points out, though, that it may be "easier for studio movies to meet these standards" than independent films, since the studio movies can qualify just through their internship program and marketing department. Given this, and some other potential issues, Harris speculates that by 2024, the rules may be "relaxed just enough so that, guess what, basically every movie can meet them."