In recent years, Netflix has found a decent amount of success by diversifying and expanding its original film slate, with some outings, such as Dee Rees’ Mudbound and Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th, going so far as to receive nominations at the Academy Awards. (Icarcus even picked up Best Documentary this year.) It’s been well documented how Academy voters are incredibly divisive whether Netflix, a streaming giant primarily catering to television viewers, should be submitting films for Oscars consideration, and they may have found their new celebrity spokesperson: Steven Spielberg. Because, surprise, he really dislikes Netflix gunnin’ for that awards season hardware. “Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie. You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar,†Spielberg said in an ITV News interview. “I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.â€
Interestingly, Spielberg isn’t the first prolific director to challenge Netflix for the way it approaches awards season. Christopher Nolan previously said Netflix’s streaming and theatrical film release strategy was “bizarre†and “mindless,†although he later apologized to Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, for his “undiplomatic†stance. Care to weigh in, Quentin Tarantino or Wes Anderson? Maybe?