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After splitting into two companies over the summer, Warner Bros. Discovery is now up for sale, with three primary contenders submitting bids: the newly-merged Paramount Skydance, Netflix, and Comcast. Netflix has arguably done more than any other company to hasten the demise of theatrical film releases, as they’re notorious for putting their movies in theaters for only the minimum required by the Academy to be considered for Best Picture, which they’ve never won and are hungry for. Case in point: Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein had a limited theater-only run for two weeks before being able to stream. Del Toro’s fellow director and longtime friend James Cameron is now gearing up for the December 19 release of Avatar: Fire and Ash. In a new interview on Matt Belloni’s The Town podcast, Cameron was candid with his thoughts on Netflix’s playbook: “It’s horrific.”
Cameron: I think Paramount’s the best choice. Netflix would be a disaster. Sorry, Ted, but geez. Sarandos has gone on the record saying theatrical films are dead. “Theatrical is dead. Quote, unquote.”
Belloni: He’s now promising theaters if he buys Warner Bros.
Cameron: [laughs] It’s sucker bait. “We’ll put the movie out for a week or 10 days. We’ll qualify for Oscar consideration.” See, I think that’s fundamentally rotten to the core. A movie should be made as a movie for theatrical, and the Academy Awards mean nothing to me if they don’t mean theatrical. I think they’ve been co-opted, and I think it’s horrific.
When asked to elaborate on whether Netflix should be allowed to have its films vie for Oscars, Cameron said he doesn’t believe they should—unless they change their release strategy.
Belloni: You don’t think they should be allowed to compete for Oscars?
Cameron: They should be allowed to compete if they put the movie out for a meaningful release in 2,000 theaters for a month.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recently stated that he believed the traditional moviegoing experience was “an outmoded idea” and that Netflix was actually “saving Hollywood.” The balls on this guy.
It’s no secret, Netflix poses a very real and growing threat to the theatrical experience — not because it’s succeeding, but because it’s redefining success in a way that sidelines theaters entirely. What’s worse is the way Netflix operates like a tech company pretending to care about cinema. It finances prestige projects and awards contenders every year, just long enough to meet Oscar eligibility requirements, then yanks them from theaters and buries them soon afterward.
The industry is scared of Netflix, especially studio heads who believe the streamer’s fervent denial of theatrical rollouts will put them out of business soon. Why would these same producers, distributors, directors — all Oscar voters — go out of their way to vote for the enemy? That’s part of the reason why Netflix has yet to win Best Picture.
And yes, filmmakers are complicit as well. Powerful directors like Greta Gerwig and Guillermo del Toro jumping ship to Netflix aren’t just career moves — they can also be seen as statements, intentional or not, that the theater model isn’t worth fighting for. It signals to studios and audiences alike that the big screen has lost its relevance.
Since 2015, Netflix has tried very hard to win Best Picture, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Oscar loser: “Roma,” “The Irishman,” “Mank,” “Trial of the Chicago 7,” “The Power of the Dog,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Emilia Perez.”
This year, Netflix will again be part of the race, with titles such as “Frankenstein,” “Train Dreams,” and “Jay Kelly” vying for awards. Yet each of these films received the same brief 2-3 week rollout — some even less — on no more than 400 screens, if that. And now the streamer expects Oscar voters to celebrate them.
Is this the great blight of our times? Hardly. And is it rich for the auteur of 3+ hour, intermission-less films to preach about seeing them in theaters? Indubitably. But Cameron isn’t wrong, either. Netflix has broken the system. They so obviously pay lip service to the Academy’s rules, all while undercutting the business model of the whole filmmaking venture. And then they want to win the top prize from the industry?! I’d say the clear solution would be for the Academy to make their eligibility requirements more robust, along the lines of the 2,000 theaters for at least a month that Cameron suggests. But then that puts us moviegoers in a tight spot, because tickets are way too expensive these days! I used to go see everything at the theater. Now, I’m super selective on how I spend moviegoing money, especially if I already know I can stream a certain flick in two weeks! Plus like Martin Scorsese, I’m less tolerant of audience members who cannot shut off their phones — being on silent isn’t enough, the light of the screens is disruptive — but that’s another story…
Photos credit: Lionel Urman / Panoramic/Avalon and Getty