Netflix paid a whopping $12 million for worldwide distribution rights for "Beasts of No Nation," only to see the Idris Elba-starring film bomb at the box office this weekend with just $50,699 and an anemic per-screen average.

But executives at the streaming service are said to be unfazed. In releasing "Beasts of No Nation" simultaneously on Netflix, ticket sales at theaters were always going to take a hit -- and the company has much different expectations.

For Netflix, the unusual home-and-theater rollout of "Beasts" was all about consumer choice -- and positioning the gritty Gary Fukunaga-directed war movie for awards season, where it stands a good chance of getting top nominations and possible wins at the Oscars.

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"'Beasts of No Nation' is a visually beautiful and socially impactful film widely acclaimed by critics and enjoyed by film lovers both on Netflix and in theaters," Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos tells The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. "It is a privilege to instantly offer a story this human, radical and worthy to people in more than fifty countries. Whether in theaters this week or on any Internet-connected device now or in years to come, people all over the world are getting a unique opportunity to appreciate this film."

Set amid a civil war in Africa, Elba plays a warlord who takes an orphaned youngster, played by Abraham Attah, as his protégé. The arresting drama follows the brutality of war through a child soldier’s eyes.

Watch Fukunaga, below, discuss why having the film released by Netflix is the best of both worlds:

https://youtu.be/17dQ448_aeM