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Steven Spielberg does n’t hateNetflix , say Jeffrey Katzenberg . Katzenberg has been a leading figure in Hollywood for decades , producing such animated mega - hits asChicken Runand theShrekseries . More recently , he ’s been involve with the animated DreamWorks TV comedyNeighbors From Hell .
Due to his penny-pinching friendship and working family relationship withSteven Spielbergover the years , Katzenberg has drawn attention from reporters eager to get another perspective on Spielberg’scontroversial beef with Netflix . WithBlumhouse Productionshead Jason Blum having been the most late Hollywood player to(more or less ) side with Netflix , it seems that Spielberg ’s stance - that films release on streaming platforms like Netflix or Hulu should not be eligible for Academy Award credit - is n’t gain a lot of momentum with other bigger Hollywood names .
Related : Spielberg Is haywire About Netflix ( and His Crusade Could pain Theatrical Films )
That being enunciate , THRhas reported that while talk at this year ’s SXSW festival , Katzenberg was ask to comment on Spielberg ’s stance , only to defend the famedIndiana Jonesdirector . Katzenberg insisted that Spielberg has never enounce anything about the need to stop streaming platforms like Netflix . attribute the entire issue thus far to something that an fanatical journalist“twisted around,”Katzenberg had this to say on the issue :
" I talked to Steven about this yesterday . I asked him very specifically - I do n’t have any pelt in this secret plan anymore - he said , ' I absolutely did not say that . ’ He actually said nothing . What happened is a journalist was onto a story about this and had take heed a hearsay about Steven . They called a spokesperson to get a gossip and frankly , just deform it around . One , Steven did n’t say that , and two , he is not go to the honorary society in April with some kind of plan . But he has not opined at all , nor has he aligned with some specific matter . "
The statement on Spielberg ’s opinion is an interesting one , given that , to particular date , there have been legion instances wherein Spielberg has made his sentiment known on theatrical runs and their grandness to awards condition , as well as to the medium of cinema . Spielberg has also been late quoted mouth about films that are released through stream services , which he define as TV movies . What ’s more , it has been alleged that the 72 - class - old director help influence the Academy ’s decision to awardGreen Bookthe Best Picture Oscar overRoma . It was , after all , Alfonso Cuarón ’s triple Oscar - bring home the bacon runwithRomathat do the initial debate , with an Amblin Entertainment spokesperson having said that Spielberg was look for garter of his position at the next Academy Board of Governors meeting , of which Spielberg is a member .
There ’s little doubt that Spielberg is one of the greatest film maker of all sentence and that he has consecrate cinema withan all-encompassing list of of the essence filmsover the years . However , the fact of the matter is that throughout the past few months , his words have result many to believe that he image a prominent eminence between films released cinematically and those free on streaming table service . This sorting of viewpoint is increasingly becoming an out-of-date one , and Katzenberg ’s recent statement on Spielberg ’s stance could be see by many as an attempt at backtracking on an opinion that is not rule sufficient traction among today ’s movie maker .
More:17 Netflix Controversies That Almost Ended The Service
reservoir : THR
