Netflix has issued a statement on Twitter amid reports veteran director Steven Spielberg plans to propose a rule change that would deem Netflix films ineligible at the Oscars.
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Netflix’s Roma took home three Oscars at this year’s awards ceremony, including Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón.
The streaming giant did not mention the director’s name but it’s hard to believe they’re talking about anybody or anything else.
“We love cinema. Here are some things we also love:
- Access for people who can’t always afford, or live in towns without, theatres
- Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time
- Giving filmmakers more ways to share art
“These things are not mutually exclusive.”
We love cinema. Here are some things we also love:
-Access for people who can’t always afford, or live in towns without, theaters
-Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time
-Giving filmmakers more ways to share artThese things are not mutually exclusive.
— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) March 4, 2019
Ooof.
Spielberg, the Academy Governor representing directors, plans to present the rule change at the Academy Board of Governors meeting.
“Steven feels strongly about the difference between the streaming and theatrical situation,” a spokesperson for Amblin Entertainment told IndieWire. “He’ll be happy if the others will join [his campaign] when that comes up [at the Academy Board of Governors meeting]. He will see what happens.”
In a 2018 interview with ITV News, Spielberg said streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon are a “challenge to cinema” because it takes viewers away from the movie theatres.
As studios are focusing on those big musicals and superhero movies, Spielberg says “smaller films studios used to make routinely are now going to Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix.”
“I don’t believe that films that are given token qualifications, in a couple of theatres for less than a week, should qualify for Academy Award nominations,” he said. “Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie. The good show deserves an Emmy, but not an Oscar.”
Ava DuVernay, director of Selma, Wrinkle of Time, and Netflix’s forthcoming When They See Us limited series, tweeted an open letter disagreeing with Spielberg.
Dear @TheAcademy, This is a Board of Governors meeting. And regular branch members can’t be there. But I hope if this is true, that you’ll have filmmakers in the room or read statements from directors like me who feel differently. Thanks, Ava DuVernay. https://t.co/DFBLVWhiJj
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) March 1, 2019
