Steven Spielberg criticised by Hollywood for bid to block Netflix from Oscars: 'He needs to shut up'
The director believes films with a cinema release of less than four weeks should qualify for inclusion at the Emmys but not the Academy Awards
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Your support makes all the difference.Hollywood is fighting back against Steven Spielberg’s efforts to block films released on streaming services such as Netflix from the Oscars.
The director, who is the current governor of the Academy’s directors branch, is said to be proposing changes to eligibility rules that will see films released on streaming services unable to compete at the ceremony.
According to a spokesperson for Spielberg’s production company Amblin, it’s something he “feels very strongly about”. IndieWire reports that Spielberg believes films that aren’t shown in cinemas for longer than four weeks should qualify for inclusion at the Emmys but not the Academy Awards.
The news comes a week after a impressive awards circuit for Alfonso Cuarón’s Netflix film Roma, which was beaten to the Best Picture Oscar by Green Book, a film that found distribution thanks to Spielberg. Roma went on to win three Oscars, including Best Cinematography.
Hollywood figures, including Selma and The 13th director Ava DuVernay, criticised Spielberg‘s expected motion, writing: “Dear Academy, 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.”
Evil Dead actor Bruce Campbell also expressed his frustration, hailing Roma “as impressive as anything out there”. He continued: “Platforms have become irrelevant.”
Spielberg also faced heavy criticism from film fans on Twitter.
The director’s most recent film, Ready Player One, was released in 2018. His next film will be a remake of West Side Story.
In March last year, Spielberg said that Netflix films should not be awarded Oscars.
“Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie,” he said at the time. “You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar. I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theatres for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”
Netflix has seemingly responded to Spielberg's actions with an indirect message on Twitter.
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