Steven Spielberg for now appears to have lost his war against the streaming giant Netflix, which he did not want to see stealing Academy Awards from movies with wide theatrical releases.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will not be implementing any new rules that will kick Netflix out of the Oscar competition, a sure blow to the cinema die-hards that were seeking to draw a definitive line between television and film.
“At its annual April rules meeting, the 54-person board of Governors of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to maintain Rule Two, Eligibility — the one requiring no more than a one-week run in an L.A. County theater to qualify for the best picture Oscar race,” THR reported.
In a statement late Tuesday, the Academy quoted outgoing president John Bailey as saying the organization still respects the theatrical experience as being integral to the cinema art form.
“We support the theatrical experience as integral to the art of motion pictures, and this weighed heavily in our discussions,” Bailey said, according to the Academy. “Our rules currently require theatrical exhibition, and also allow for a broad selection of films to be submitted for Oscars consideration. We plan to further study the profound changes occurring in our industry and continue discussions with our members about these issues.”
The war on Netflix kicked off after the streaming giant became a top contender at the Academy Awards earlier this year. Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” picked up three top Oscars: Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Foreign Language Film. Though initial buzz was that “Roma” would take home Best Picture, the award ultimately went to the American race drama “Green Book.” Shortly after, Spielberg fired the first shot, proposing the first rule changes at an Academy Board of Governors meeting.
A representative for Spielberg’s production company, Amblin, said in a statement at the time that the award-winning director was simply trying to salvage the theatrical experience. “Steven feels strongly about the difference between the streaming and theatrical situation,” said the spokesperson. “He’ll be happy if the others will join (his campaign) when that comes up. He will see what happens.”
Prior to that, Spielberg had expressed dissatisfaction over Netflix competing for Oscars without a proper theatrical run and a window between release and streaming.
“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 March of 2018. “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.”
Despite Spielberg’s push, several other players in Hollywood were on team Netflix, especially indie filmmakers, all of whom viewed the streaming giant as a Godsend for new and upcoming talent. It also did not help, THR noted, that about a “dozen members of the Academy board have worked with or are currently working with Netflix, suggesting they do not harbor major reservations about the streaming service.”
The Academy did, however, implement a few changes. Going forward, the Best Foreign Language Film category will now be referred to as the Best International Feature Film category. Larry Karaszewski and Diane Weyermann, co-chairs of the International Feature Film Committee, said that the old reference was “outdated” and that the new way will promote an “inclusive view of filmmaking.”
“We have noted that the reference to ‘foreign’ is outdated within the global filmmaking community,” the pair said. “We believe that international feature film better represents this category, and promotes a positive and inclusive view of filmmaking, and the art of film as a universal experience.”