Netflix film starring Idris Elba already generating Oscar buzz before release

The film generating Oscar buzz for Netflix, Beasts Of No Nation, will debut on the streaming service on Friday in Australia, at the exact same time as the rest of the world.

The film stars Idris Elba, the charismatic British actor whose name has been bandied around as Daniel Craig's replacement in the James Bond franchise, once he decides to hang up his budgie smugglers for good.

The film, set in an African country, follows Agu (Abraham Attah), a young, orphaned boy who is taken in by a group of rebel fighters led by a warlord, played by Elba.

The movie was written and directed by the director of the first season of HBO series True Detective, Cary Fukunaga, and the rights to the film were bought by Netflix for $US12 million ($A16.42 million).

The streaming service is said to have planned the film's release in time for award season contention and it's paying off; critics are raving about Elba's performance in particular and suggesting him for the Best Supporting Actor gong.

Six months since the streaming service launched in Australia, Netflix held a celebration in Sydney on Thursday showcasing some of its original series and films, with Beasts very much at the forefront.

The film's simultaneous global release is in keeping with all Netflix original content, which comes out at the same time everywhere. The streaming site says audiences around the world are hungry for the same entertainment.

"Tastes are more similar than they are different around the world," Betsy Sund, Netflix' senior manager of PR, told AAP.

Among the streaming service's original content is Australian director Baz Luhrmann's first TV show, The Get Down, which will come out next year.

"There's so much to look forward for next year. Were spending $US5 billion on content so get excited because we're going to bring you guys the content at the same time as the rest of the world," Sund said at the event.

However, as Netflix signs up more and more users around the world its shares plummeted on Wednesday by more than 14 per cent as it gained far fewer subscribers in the US than expected.

While it added almost three million subscribers overseas it signed up just 880,000 in the US, below its forecast of 1.15 million for this quarter.