Steven Spielberg will reportedly take his fight against Netflix straight to the Academy.
Spielberg is expected to meet with the Board of Governors at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to express his disapproval over Netflix films’ eligibility for Oscars, per IndieWire. He is a board member of the directing brand of the Academy.
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This follows “Roma”‘s impressive run at last week’s 91st Academy Awards. The Best Picture nominee won three Oscars — Best Director, Foreign Language Film, and Best Cinematography — after its distribution on Netflix.
On Monday, Netflix responded to Spielberg’s comments, tweeting that they “love cinema” but also want to make it easier for those who can’t afford the theater to see films.
Spielberg, 72, has previously expressed his belief that streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have committed to a TV format and thus, “you’re a TV movie. The good show deserves an Emmy, but not an Oscar.”
“Steven feels strongly about the difference between the streaming and theatrical situation,” an Amblin Entertainment rep said, according to IndieWire. “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.”
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Filmmaker Ava DuVernay is among those who vehemently disagree with Spielberg. “I hope if this is true, that you’ll have filmmakers in the room or read statements from directors like me who feel differently,” she tweeted on Friday.
Netflix reportedly spent between $40 million to $60 million on a successful Oscars campaign for “Roma”. See more negative reaction to Spielberg’s plans below.
