Field Notes

Editors weigh in on hot topics

While Netflix has succeeded in landing movie deals with some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Alfonso Cuarón and Martin Scorsese, it’s fair to assume that one famous filmmaker the streamer will never be in business with is Steven Spielberg. As we know, the director, a longtime critic of Netflix’s film release strategy, is pushing for the Academy to change its eligibility rules and require that a movie have an exclusive theatrical window of no less than four weeks to qualify for major Oscar awards.

Spielberg, who serves as governor of the Academy’s directors branch and plans to propose the rule shift at the group’s annual board meeting in early April, was not shy about expressing his antistreaming feelings in the run-up to last month’s Academy Awards.

Several old-guard Academy members were working the phones to discourage voters from casting their ballots for “Roma” as best picture, as they viewed it as a strike against the moviegoing experience. Many industry insiders believe that the film, which was favored to win in the category, lost to “Green Book” because of the Netflix backlash.

I spoke with a prominent Academy member — a producer — who was on the receiving end of a blatant lobbying call. This is what he told me of the conversation: “He was calling to bash ‘Roma’ and brought Spielberg’s name into it and said,‘well, you know Steven feels this way too.’” He didn’t believe the caller was actually anti-“roma,” just anti-streaming when it comes to the initial release pattern of major movies.“are we suddenly going back to the rotary dial?” the producer pondered as we talked.

I, for one, am an avid moviegoer and believe strongly that cinemas are absolutely the best way to see a director’s work and have a unique social experience in doing so. However, it’s inevitable that the traditional three-month window between when a film is available at the multiplex and available at home will continue to shrink. My hope is that it won’t collapse entirely, which would surely rob moviemakers and movie lovers and put many cinemas out of business.

Gee, I wonder what the main topic of discussion will be at the theater owners’ Cinemacon convention later this month.

It’s inevitable that the traditional three-month window between when a film is available at the multiplex and available at home will continue to shrink.”