Netflix Puts One Of Its Best Movies On YouTube For Free

Netflix has released Oscar-nominated Nimona on YouTube, where it's now free to stream. The animated movie, based on the award-winning graphic novel by ND Stevenson, follows the titular teenager, a trouble-making shapeshifter voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz, as she assists knight Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) in clearing his name for the murder of his queen. The movie was recently nominated for Best Animated Feature for the Academy Awards.

Standing with generally favorable reviews over at our sister site Metacritic with a 73, Netflix released the movie to get a wider audience for its Oscar campaign. Stevenson previously worked on Netflix's She-Ra: Princess of Power animated reboot.

Originally a production of Blue Sky Studios, it was set to be directed by Oscar winner Patrick Osborne, with a 2020 release date. However, when Walt Disney Company bought 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Blue Sky, it was delayed multiple times before being officially canceled. Annapurna Pictures revived the project the following year, with animation veterans Nick Bruno and Troy Quane announced as directors.

The Best Animated Feature category this year is loaded with Nimona having competition with Robot Dreams, Elemental, The Boy and the Heron, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The first Spider-Verse movie won Best Animated Feature five years ago and Studio Ghibli's The Boy and The Heron appears to be the frontrunner as of now having won the Golden Globe last month.

The Academy Awards air on March 10.