Spielberg doesn’t think Netflix films should qualify for Oscar awards

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Master of story and screen, Steven Spielberg, is drawing a line in the sand on what should and should not be in consideration for an Academy Award. Recently, while speaking with ITV News about his latest film, READY PLAYER ONE, the iconic film creative told the outlet "You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy. But not an Oscar," in relation to feature films that are set up via streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon.

According to their talk, Spielberg expressed concern about filmmakers becoming less eager to raise funds and submit their projects to festivals. “Fewer and fewer filmmakers are going to struggle to raise money or to go to compete at Sundance,” Spielberg remarked. “More of them are going to let the SVOD businesses finance their films, maybe with the promise of a slight one week theatrical window to qualify them for awards as a movie. But, in fact, once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie.”

While his comment may strike would-be film creators and fans as a tad harsh, Spielberg then added the following comment for clarification: "I don’t believe that films that are given token qualifications, in a couple of theaters for less than a week, should qualify for the Academy Award nomination."

As their conversation continued, Spielberg began elaborating on his viewpoint by explaining to ITV News that he feels TV may pose a threat to larger cinematic endeavors, as TV projects are likely to change the way things are done in the industry overall, as time marches on. “It is a challenge to cinema the same way television in the early 1950s pulled people away from movie theaters and everybody stayed home because it was more fun to stay home and watch a comedy on television than it was to go out to see a movie,” he said. “Hollywood’s used to that. We are accustomed to being highly competitive with television.”

Spielberg then added, “The television is greater today than it’s ever been in the history of television. There’s better writing, better directing, better performances, better stories are being told. Television is really thriving with quality and heart, but it poses a clear present danger to filmgoers.”

Then, as if planting his flag on the topic, Spielberg told ITV News that he himself does not have any plans to helm films created for release on SVOD services. “I’ll still make The Post for audiences asking them, 'Please to go out to the movies to see The Post,' and not make it directly for Netflix," says Spielberg.

To each their own, I suppose, though I'm not certain about excluding worth-while productions come Awards season on account of that they chose not to make their debut in theaters. It's a muddy topic to be certain, and that's why we'd like to know what you think of all this? Should films that make their bow on streaming services be considered for Academy Awards? Is the Emmy Awards show enough to cover all the bases of today's ever-growing TV platform? Where do you think the line should be drawn, if at all? Let us know in the comments section below.