‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ ‘The Ugly Stepsister,’ among 1st movies available in the Academy Screening Room for 2026 Oscars consideration

The 98th Academy Awards season has officially begun, with the Academy Screening Room, now open for business. The secure streaming platform, only available to members, will eventually be populated with dozens of titles seeking 2026 Oscar nominations.

Right now, however, there are only seven.

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The current collection of early birds runs the genre gamut, from a documentary about an iconic band, to an animated hit about demon hunters, to a body-horror movie inspired by — what else? — Cinderella. (See the full list below.)

The cost to submit to the ASR is $20,000 per film. Studios must include an "unembellished, creditless synopsis" of 300 characters or less, and "selected credits" of 1,000 characters or less. Low-budget films, made for under $10 million, may apply for an alternate rate for inclusion in the screening room, and must be approved by the Academy.

In addition to eligible titles, the service allows members to watch panel discussions and behind-the-scenes featurettes at their leisure via Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, or the Academy app. The screening room will be updated as titles become available, with members emailed an updated list each Friday.

Of course, in-person screenings and meet-and-greets in Los Angeles and New York are always an option, but those will come later in th season and at the discretion of the studios and campaigners.

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In the meantime, here are the movies currently available to stream on the Academy Screening Room, in alphabetical order:

Becoming Led Zeppelin

Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025)Sony Pictures Classics

Directed by Bernard MacMahon, the documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin chronicles Led Zeppelin's formation in post-war Britain to their becoming the No. 1 band in the world by 1970. It is the first time the surviving members have participated in a biographical doc of any kind, and this one features unseen footage from the band's personal archives.

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight

The uniquely titled Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, from filmmaker Embeth Davidtz, is a South African drama based on Alexandra Fuller's memoir about a White Zimbabwean family after the Rhodesian Bush War. The project premiered at both the Telluride and Toronto International Film Festivals.

Hello Beautiful

Based on Christine Handy's bestselling novel, Hello Beautiful is a powerful film about Willow (Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer), a successful model whose life is upended by a breast cancer diagnosis. Director Ziad H. Hamzeh's film explores themes of identity and resilience as Willow undergoes her devastating and emotional journey.

How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon (2025)Universal PicturesAdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_2lrckr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_4lrckr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe

Dean DeBlois' live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon comes 15 years after the original animated film — they're both based on Cressida Cowell's 2003 novel. The new movie, starring Mason Thames and Nico Parker, was a commercial success, grossing over $624 million worldwide, with a sequel already scheduled for 2027.

KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters is Netflix's animated musical fantasy film that's directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo provide the speaking voices for the girl group Huntr/x, who lead double lives as demon hunters. Watch Gold Derby's fun interview with the acting trio above.

The Luckiest Man in America

No Whammies here! Directed by Samir Oliveros, The Luckiest Man in America is a semi-fictionalized account of Michael Larson's controversial 1984 appearance on the game show Press Your Luck. The film chronicles how the ice-cream truck driver memorized the board's patterns to win a record-breaking amount of money, skyrocketing him to fame.

The Ugly Stepsister

The body-horror movie The Ugly Stepsister reimagines the Cinderella fairy tale as a twisted and bloody battle for beauty. Emilie Blichfeldt's film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, follows a daughter and her mother as they scheme to win over a prince. Its tone is being compared to last year's hit horror flick The Substance, which won the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

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