Steven Spielberg is a known critic of Netflix's release model and he's now taking the fight to the Oscars. At the upcoming annual post-Oscars meeting of the Academy's Board of Governors in April, the 72-year-old director and producer plans to push for rule changes that will bar Netflix movies — such as Roma, which won three awards at the 2019 Oscars — from being nominated at the Oscars. Naturally, this has divided Hollywood filmmakers, who are split on what the best approach is — if one does even exist. Netflix responded too, late over the weekend.
“Steven feels strongly about the difference between the streaming and theatrical situation,” a spokesperson for Amblin, Spielberg's producing banner, told IndieWire in a statement last week. “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.”
“Awards rules discussions are ongoing with the branches. And the Board will likely consider the topic at the April meeting,” the Academy said in a prepared statement.
Spielberg is an influential figure in Hollywood, and the Academy, thanks to his standing as the Academy Governor representing the directors' branch. He has said in the past that Netflix movies should compete only at the Emmys, which cover TV releases. The Emmys do have a section for “TV movies”, where films from the likes of HBO are nominated.
But it would be tough for the Academy to rule out Netflix movies, since they aren't failing any release standards as of now. Netflix has given films such as Roma a short three-week release window in independent US cinemas, which qualifies it for the Oscars, as they require just one week of exclusive theatrical distribution.
Some Academy insiders, speaking to IndieWire and TheWrap, claimed that proposed changes might include a four- or six-week period for theatres before streaming, but the Academy wouldn't easily accept that given how it would affect other non-streaming indie movies.
The most prominent critic yet has been director Ava DuVernay. In a tweet on Friday, she said: “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.”