https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/business/media/steven-spielberg-netflix-academy-awards.html
This is exactly what I pointed out earlier. Indiewire took a juicy bullshit headline and exploded it like they always do these days. They've become such a clickbait site in the last few years it's crazy.
This is exactly what I pointed out earlier. Indiewire took a juicy bullshit headline and exploded it like they always do these days. They've become such a clickbait site in the last few years it's crazy.
LOS ANGELES — It has the makings of a great screenplay: As the future of an entire industry hangs in the balance, the ultimate establishment figure — a genius in his fourth decade of domination — goes to battle with a menacing interloper.
That hyperbolic story line has enveloped Steven Spielberg since early last month, when reports surfaced that he planned to propose Oscar rule changes that would block films that are primarily distributed online from competing. "Spielberg: Ban Netflix From Oscars" read one headline.
Unbowed, according to some trade news outlets, Mr. Spielberg will propose his rule change at an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board meeting on Tuesday night in Beverly Hills. "The Spielberg-Netflix Showdown" is how IndieWire described the closed-door session in a preview article.
There's just one catch. Mr. Spielberg, 72, will not attend the meeting, much less propose any rule changes. He is not even in town. His schedule has long called for him to be in New York, where rehearsals are underway for his next film project, a remake of "West Side Story," according to a person who works for him, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss his private itinerary.
In fact, Mr. Spielberg's animosity toward Netflix appears to have been acutely overstated.
Mr. Spielberg has been publicly silent through all of it. But inside his company, Amblin Entertainment, Mr. Spielberg has expressed frustration with the way his views about streaming have recently been characterized in the news media, according to two people close to him, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to maintain their relationship. Yes, he believes that theater owners, streaming services and traditional studios need to come together to figure out a way to protect what he likes to call the "motion picture theatrical art form." If the academy were to come up with a reasonable way to ensure that only films with robust theatrical releases are eligible for Oscars, there is a strong chance he would vote for it, the people said.
His primary beef is not with Netflix, according to the people close to him. Rather, he is frustrated that exhibitors have been unwilling to compromise. The multiplex chains have fought off any effort to shorten the exclusive period they get to play films of any genre, which is currently about 90 days. In January, after "Roma" was nominated for the best picture Oscar, Mr. Spielberg even called AMC and Regal, the largest theater companies, and implored them to play the Netflix film even though it was already available online. They refused.
He has a Netflix account and binge-watches the service's original programming — some of which Amblin helps produce, including "The Haunting of Hill House." (Amblin also has series in the works for three other streaming services: "Cortes and Moctezuma" for Amazon, "Amazing Stories" for Apple and a reboot of "Animaniacs" for Hulu.)
"I want people to find their entertainment in any form or fashion that suits them," Mr. Spielberg said in an email in response to queries from The New York Times. "Big screen, small screen — what really matters to me is a great story and everyone should have access to great stories.
"However, I feel people need to have the opportunity to leave the safe and familiar of their lives and go to a place where they can sit in the company of others and have a shared experience — cry together, laugh together, be afraid together — so that when it's over they might feel a little less like strangers. I want to see the survival of movie theaters. I want the theatrical experience to remain relevant in our culture."
