Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners has struck a massive multi-film deal with Netflix, giving the streaming site access to the legendary filmmaker.
As reported by Variety, the deal comes at a time when competition in the streaming field is gaining traction due to the launch of HBO Max, Disney Plus, Paramount+, and others. The deal will tap Spielberg for multiple new feature films each year and comes as a surprise, considering Spielberg’s confusing relationship with streaming over the years. In 2019, it was reported by Indiewire that he urged the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to bar streaming releases from Oscar eligibility.
His longtime friend and DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg later denied this claim. “One, Steven didn’t say that, and two, he is not going to the academy in April with some sort of plan,” Katzenberg said at the time. “But he has not opined at all, nor has he aligned with some specific thing.”
Spielberg himself later clarified his position to The New York Times. “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,” he said.
The agreement also comes as Spielberg chips away at an as-yet-untitled film based on his childhood in Arizona. It was confirmed by Deadline that he plucked Seth Rogen to star as “his favorite uncle,” and that the film is geared up for release sometime in 2022. Spielberg has spoken at length about how his upbringing in Arizona shaped his films throughout his career.
