James Cameron Says Netflix Movies Shouldn't Be Eligible for Oscars
18 hours ago
- #Oscars
- #Netflix
- #Theatrical Releases
- Netflix, with over 300 million subscribers, has been chasing the Oscar for Best Picture for the past decade but hasn't won yet.
- James Cameron criticizes Netflix's potential acquisition of Warner Bros., calling it a 'disaster' and doubting their commitment to theatrical releases.
- Cameron believes Netflix shouldn't compete for Oscars unless they commit to a meaningful theatrical release (e.g., 2,000 theaters for a month).
- Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has dismissed traditional moviegoing as 'outmoded,' claiming Netflix is 'saving Hollywood.'
- Netflix's strategy involves brief theatrical releases (2–3 weeks, often on fewer than 400 screens) to qualify for Oscars, then quickly moving films to streaming.
- The industry fears Netflix's model sidelines theaters, and many filmmakers (e.g., Greta Gerwig, Guillermo del Toro) working with Netflix signal declining faith in theatrical relevance.
- Despite heavy investment, Netflix's Oscar campaigns for films like 'Roma,' 'The Irishman,' and 'The Power of the Dog' have failed to win Best Picture.
- Netflix's 2024 awards contenders ('Frankenstein,' 'Train Dreams,' 'Jay Kelly') follow the same limited-release strategy, raising skepticism among voters.