Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners Has Signed Deal With Netflix Showing Major Hollywood Change
Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Partners has signed a major deal with Netflix in a change that is a pretty big deal in Hollywood. The deal will allow Amblin to produce multiple new feature films for the streaming service every year. This is a huge get for both parties as Spielberg is such a highly sought-after collaborator, and the competition between streaming services is extreme.
Variety reports that the deal is a bit of a surprise after there were rumors that Spielberg was a skeptic of Netflix in 2019, when a report alleged that he urged the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to bar day-and-date streaming releases from being eligible for Oscars.
Sources close to the director, however, dispute that Spielberg ever tried to bar Netflix from eligibility. He later clarified his position in a statement to The New York Times, in which he denied he had tried to prevent Netflix from winning Oscars. He also reaffirmed his support for the theatrical experience, while stating, “I want people to find their entertainment in any form or fashion that suits them. Big screen, small screen — what really matters to me is a great story and everyone should have access to great stories.”
Spielberg said in a statement:
“At Amblin, storytelling will forever be at the center of everything we do, and from the minute Ted and I started discussing a partnership, it was abundantly clear that we had an amazing opportunity to tell new stories together and reach audiences in new ways. This new avenue for our films, alongside the stories we continue to tell with our longtime family at Universal and our other partners, will be incredibly fulfilling for me personally since we get to embark on it together with Ted, and I can’t wait to get started with him, Scott, and the entire Netflix team.”
The Amblin/Netflix movies will not have any budgetary or genre requirements attached to them. They may also receive some type of theatrical release as have other Netflix pics such as The Irishman and Marriage Story, but that will be decided on a case-by-case basis.