Netflix recently tweeted back an indirect response to director Steven Spielberg’s stance on barring Netflix from being eligible to win awards at the Oscars, according to Variety. “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 art. These things are not mutually exclusive.”
Spielberg, who is a member of the board of governors at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, believes that instead, these types of films should be considered for Emmys. The tension lies between whether the distinction should be made between films that are released on streaming platforms versus ones that are released in movie theaters. Netflix originally planned on releasing their films at the same time as their theatrical release but will now feature the films on their platform after a certain amount of time in theaters. On the economic side of the situation, a study conducted by the National Association of Theater Owners found that Netflix has had a negligible impact on business for movie theaters.
Netflix had four films that won Oscars this awards season. Three of the Oscars went to Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma. New companies such as Apple, Disney, WarnerMedia, and Comcast are creating their own streaming platforms, which will add more interesting nuances to this ongoing debate.
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