Steven Spielberg: Netflix Movies and Streaming Services ‘Deserve an Emmy, but Not an Oscar’

Steven Spielberg wants you to know that he doesn't believe Netflix movies should qualify for Oscars. Instead, he believes that Netflix and other streaming services that produce movies should opt for Emmys because they are "TV Movies.

At least that's what the venerable director said during an interview with ITV News while promoting “Ready Player One” (via Business Insider).

“I don’t believe that films that are just given token qualifications, in a couple of theaters for less than a week, should qualify for the Academy Award nominations,” Spielberg said.

“Fewer and fewer filmmakers are going to struggle to raise money, or to compete at Sundance and possibly get one of the specialty labels to release their films theatrically,” he continued. “And more of them are going to let the SVOD [Streaming Video On-Demand] businesses finance their films, maybe with the promise of a slight, one-week theatrical window to qualify for awards But, in fact, once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie.”

What exactly do these sentiments amount to? Nothing more than petty, elitist, nonsense. Theatrical releases are about connections, money, but don't have that many differences when it comes Netflix or Amazon flicks. In essence, his entire argument is that these streaming services are making it too easy for these new filmmakers to gain exposure. As I said, elitist thinking.

Spielberg, despite the 71 years of age, is no slouch when it comes to being ahead of the curve, he's been an innovator throughout his 4+ decade moviemaking career, however, the times may have caught up with him as he is on the wrong side of the argument here. 

We have seen more and more filmmakers, mostly old-timers, saying that a film must be theatrical to be deemed a "movie," there was already an argument late last year when "Twin Peaks: The Return" was popping on all these critics ten best lists and people were saying "It's not a movie!"