When Steven Spielberg speaks about the business of Hollywood, everyone generally listens and few dissent. But reports that he intends to support rule changes that could block Netflix from Oscars-eligibility have provoked a heated, and unwieldy, debate online this weekend. It has found the legendary filmmaker at odds with some industry heavyweights, who have pointed out that Netflix has been an important supporter of minority filmmakers and stories, especially in awards campaigns, while also reigniting the ongoing streaming versus theatrical debate.
Spielberg has weighed in before on whether streaming movies should compete for the film industry鈥檚 most prestigious award (TV movies, he said last year, should compete for Emmys), but that was before Netflix nearly succeeded in getting its first best picture Oscar for Alfonso Cuaron鈥檚 鈥淩oma鈥� at last week鈥檚 Academy Awards. Netflix, of course, did not win the top award 鈥� 鈥淕reen Book,鈥� which was produced partially by Spielberg鈥檚 Amblin Entertainment, did.
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Still, Netflix was a legitimate contender and this year, the streaming service is likely to step up its awards game even more with Martin Scorsese鈥檚 鈥淭he Irishman,鈥� which The Hollywood Reporter said may also gunning for a wide-theatrical release. A teaser ad aired during the 91st Oscars for the gangster drama said 鈥渋n theatres next fall,鈥� instead of the 鈥渋n select theatres鈥� phrasing that was used for 鈥淩oma.鈥�
But Netflix also isn鈥檛 playing by the same rules as other studios. The company doesn鈥檛 report theatrical grosses, for one, and it鈥檚 been vexing some more traditional Hollywood executives throughout this award season and there have been whispers in recent weeks that a reckoning is coming.
Now, Spielberg and others are planning to do something about it by supporting a revised film academy regulation at an upcoming meeting of the organization鈥檚 board of governors that would disqualify Netflix from the Oscars, or at least how the streaming giant currently operates during awards season.
This year, 鈥淩oma鈥� got a limited theatrical qualifying run and an expensive campaign with one of the industry鈥檚 most successful awards publicists, Lisa Taback, leading the charge. But Netflix, operates somewhat outside of the industry while also infiltrating its most important institutions, like the Oscars and the Motion Picture Association of America. Some like Spielberg, are worried about what that will mean for the future of movies.
鈥淪teven feels strongly about the difference between the streaming and theatrical situation,鈥� an Amblin spokesperson told IndieWire鈥檚 Anne Thompson late last week. 鈥淗e鈥檒l be happy if the others will join (his campaign) when that comes up. He will see what happens.鈥�
An Amblin representative said Sunday there was nothing to add.
But some see Spielberg鈥檚 position as wrong-minded, especially when it comes to the Academy Awards, which requires a theatrical run to be eligible for an award. Many online have pointed out the hypocrisy that the organization allows members to watch films on DVD screeners before voting.
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay tweeted at the film academy鈥檚 handle in response to the news that the topic would be discussed at a board of governors meeting, which is comprised of only 54 people out of over 8,000 members.
鈥淚 hope if this is true, that you鈥檒l have filmmakers in the room or read statements from directors like me who feel differently,鈥� DuVernay wrote.
Some took a more direct approach, questioning whether Spielberg understands how important Netflix has been to minority filmmakers in recent years.
Franklin Leonard, who founded The BlackList, which surveys the best unproduced scripts in Hollywood, noted that Netflix鈥檚 first four major Oscar campaigns were all by and about people of colour: 鈥淏easts of No Nation,鈥� 鈥漈he 13th,鈥� 鈥滿udbound鈥� and 鈥淩oma.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 possible that Steven Spielberg doesn鈥檛 know how difficult it is to get movies made in the legacy system as a woman or a person of colour. In his extraordinary career, he hasn鈥檛 exactly produced or executive produced many films directed by them,鈥� Leonard tweeted Saturday. 鈥淏y my count, Spielberg does one roughly every two decades.鈥�
It鈥檚 important to note that Netflix didn鈥檛 produce 鈥淏easts of No Nation,鈥� 鈥滿udbound鈥� or 鈥淩oma,鈥� but rather acquired them for distribution. But if Oscar campaigns are no longer part of the equation in a Netflix-partnership, top-tier filmmakers are likely to take their talents and films elsewhere.
The Associated Press
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