Steven Spielberg to propose Oscar rules that could keep streaming films out of contention

March 2, 2019 2:25 PM PT

In the wake of “Roma’s” three Oscar wins on Sunday, director Steven Spielberg is taking aim at streaming films’ chances at future Academy Awards.

Spielberg will present his case to peers at an upcoming annual board of governors meeting at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where the award-winning auteur will propose rule changes that would prevent streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu from competing in the Oscars without their projects getting a full theatrical run first. The news was first reported on Indiewire.

“Steven feels strongly about the difference between the streaming and theatrical situation,” a representative of Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment told the site. (A spokesperson for the company did not immediately respond to request for comment by The Times.)

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Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Nick Vallelonga, Peter Farrelly and Brian Currie, winners of the best picture award for “Green Book.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Rami Malek (lead actor), Olivia Coleman (lead actress), Regina King (supporting actress) and Mahershala Ali (supporting actor), winners in the Oscar acting categories. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Rami Malek, winner as lead actor for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Olivia Colman, winner of the lead actress Oscar for her role in “The Favourite.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Nick Vallelonga, left, Peter Farrelly and Brian Currie, winners of the original screenplay award for “Green Book.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Andrew Wyatt, left, Anthony Rossomando, Lady Gaga and Mark Ronson pose with the original song award for “Shallow” from the film “A Star Is Born.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Andrew Wyatt, left, Anthony Rossomando, Lady Gaga and Mark Ronson, winners of the original song Oscar for “Shallow.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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An emotional Lady Gaga poses with the original song Oscar for “Shallow.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Supporting actor winners Mahershala Ali and Regina King. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Producers David Rabinowitz, left, Kevin Willmott and Charlie Wachtel pose with the adapted screenplay award for “BlacKkKlansman.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Alfonso Cuaron, winner of the director, foreign language film and cinematography Oscars for “Roma.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Spike Lee, winner of the adapted screenplay award for “BlacKkKlansman.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Mahershala Ali, winner of the supporting actor Oscar for “Green Book.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Spike Lee, left, winner of the adapted screenplay Oscar, and Mahershala Ali, supporting actor winner for “Green Book.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ludwig Goransson, winner for the score in “Black Panther.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman, winners of the Oscar for live action short film for “Skin.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman, winners of the Oscar for live action short film for “Skin.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Becky Neiman-Cobb, left, and Domee Shi, winners of the animated short film Oscar for “Bao.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Melissa Berton, left, and Rayka Zehtabchi, winners of the live action short film award for “Period. End of Sentence.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, Paul Lambert and J.D. Schwalm, winners of of the visual effects award for “First Man.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, Paul Lambert and J.D. Schwalm, winners of of the visual rffects award for “First Man.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Bob Persichetti, left, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, winners of the animated feature film award for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Regina King, winner for supporting actress in “If Beale Street Could Talk.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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John Ottman, winner of the film editing Oscar for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Hart and Hannah Beachler, winners in the production design category for “Black Panther.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Hart and Hannah Beachler, winners in the production design category for “Black Panther.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ruth Carter, winner of the costume design prize for “Black Panther.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ruth Carter, winner of the costume design prize for “Black Panther.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Nina Hartstone and John Warhurst, winners of the sound editing award for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul Massey, from left, Tim Cavagin and John Casali, winners of the Oscar for sound mixing in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney, winners of makeup and hairstyling for “Vice.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill, winners of the documentary feature prize for “Free Solo.” (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

This isn’t the first time Spielberg has made his feelings known on the distinction between Hollywood’s big screen and TV’s small one.

“Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie,” Spielberg said last year during a conversation with ITV News about the increasingly blurry line that separates various media. “You certainly — if it’s a good show — deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar.”

The news of his pending proposal prompted pushback from director Ava DuVernay, whose recent film “13th” was produced and distributed by Netflix. Noting that the upcoming board of governors meeting was closed, DuVernay wrote that she hoped the board would “have filmmakers in the room or read statements from directors like me who feel differently.”

Episodic-TV director Richard Shepard (“Girls”) also weighed in on Spielberg’s anticipated comments.

The issue is in the news following this year’s Oscars, which for the second straight year included nominated Netflix releases, some of which only played in theaters for a few weeks. In addition to “Roma’s” limited theatrical run, the Coen brothers’ “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” also played in theaters for several weeks before being released on the streamer. “Roma” was nominated for 10 Oscars, while “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” was up for three. Among other streaming outlets, Amazon’s “Cold War” was nominated for three awards but went home empty-handed.

“Roma” won three awards, including directing, cinematography and foreign language film.

Last year, Netflix won one Oscar in the documentary feature category for “Icarus.” (DuVernay’s “13th” was also nominated in the same category.)

Spielberg is continuing a conversation that has occupied the festival circuit for the last few years. At the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, The Times described “an existential fight for the future of entertainment” caused by the digital disruption rocking the world of film distribution.

“What Netflix does is great,” FilmNation executive Glen Basner said at the time when discussing Cannes. “But no place celebrates cinema the way this place does. There are places outside competition for other kinds of entertainment.”

Netflix pulled out of Cannes last year after the festival mandated that in order to compete films must be released theatrically in France.

Spielberg had the topic on his mind when he accepted the filmmaker award at the Cinema Audio Society Awards last month. “I’m a firm believer that movie theaters need to be around forever,” he said, according to Variety.

Stressing that he very much admired the state of contemporary television, both for its stories and its tech advances, Spielberg conceded that “the sound is better in homes more than it ever has been in history.” But, he added, “there’s nothing like going to a big dark theater with people you’ve never met before and having the experience wash over you.”

For tips, records, snapshots and stories on Los Angeles music culture, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter and Instagram: @liledit. Email: [email protected].

Steven Spielberg to propose Oscar rules that could keep streaming films out of contention

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