'The Academy Awards Mean Nothing to Me if They Don't Mean Theatrical' — Avatar Director James Cameron Says Netflix Films Should Not Qualify for the Oscars Because They're Not in Theaters

The theatrical accumulation exemplary is simply a highly-debated taxable these days — but it’s wide that galore filmmakers inactive privation it to be, and spot it as, the sanction of the game, including Avatar and Titanic fable James Cameron.

It’s uncommon for Netflix to merchandise its movies successful theaters. Guillermo del Toro’s latest, Frankenstein, had a abbreviated theatrical tally nationwide successful October up of its November 7 premiere connected the streaming platform, and planetary improvement KPop Demon Hunters deed theaters aft its explosive motorboat connected Netflix. Even the last occurrence of Stranger Things Season 5 volition driblet successful theaters simultaneously with its Netflix premiere.

But Netflix has indicated it won't alteration its long-standing presumption connected theaters versus streaming. “There’s nary alteration successful the strategy," CEO Ted Sarandos explained of the company’s argumentation connected theatrical organisation during a caller net conference. "Our strategy is to springiness our members exclusive first-run movies connected Netflix.” In fact, Sarandos went connected to asseverate that KPop Demon Hunters lone became a sensation “because it was released connected Netflix first.”

Last week, Rian Johnson expressed vexation astatine the constricted theatrical merchandise of his caller Benoit Blanc Netflix film, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Netflix volition merchandise Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery successful theaters connected November 26, successful clip for the Thanksgiving holiday, earlier releasing it connected Netflix itself connected December 12. But it volition lone merchandise successful “select” theaters, arsenic opposed to nationwide — thing that has intelligibly near the Star Wars: The Last Jedi writer and manager unimpressed.

Now, James Cameron has opened up astir his feelings connected Netflix perchance purchasing Warner Bros. portion appearing connected the The Town podcast. “Netflix would beryllium a disaster. Sorry, Ted [Sarandos], but geez,” helium explained. “Sarandos has gone connected the grounds saying theatrical films are dead. ‘Theatrical is dead. Quote, unquote.’”

In fact, Cameron remains unconvinced that Netflix would genuinely perpetrate to immoderate meaningful theatrical organisation if it expanded. “It’s sucker bait," helium said. "‘We’ll enactment the movie retired for a week oregon 10 days. We’ll suffice for Oscar consideration.’ See, I deliberation that’s fundamentally rotten to the core.

“A movie should beryllium made arsenic a movie for theatrical, and the Academy Awards mean thing to maine if they don’t mean theatrical. I deliberation they’ve been co-opted, and I deliberation it’s horrific.”

That said, he’s not opposed to Netflix playing the crippled if it actually, well, plays the game. “They should beryllium allowed to vie if they enactment the movie retired for a meaningful merchandise successful 2,000 theaters for a month,” Cameron noted.

The theatrical accumulation exemplary has proved to beryllium cardinal to cultivate a film’s outreach and, arsenic a result, viewership — and it’s thing Netflix isn’t ace funny in. Cameron is close that Sarandos has said immoderate scathing things astir showing movies theatrically, namely that it’s not necessary, but that would beryllium his response, being the CEO of a streaming level with a vested involvement successful the occurrence of different methods.

The world is that the method inactive brings radical to movies, inactive sells tickets, and inactive exceeds expectations connected galore occasions, particularly erstwhile there’s an “event movie” connected the docket. For example, Wicked: For Good and Cameron’s ain Avatar: Fire and Ash are going to bring successful a batch of theatrical cash, truthful it’s wide Cameron knows the worth of the model.

Lex Briscuso is simply a movie and tv professional and a freelance amusement writer for IGN. You tin travel her connected Twitter astatine @nikonamerica.