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On Monday, June 21, Netflix generated the genre of headlines new which the streamer is famous for when he announced a deal with Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Partners. Just like that, the world’s greatest filmmaker had joined the Netflix mothership, a development the media touted as nothing less than a change in the world. Netflix is in Steven Spielberg’s business!
Even more remarkable: Not too long ago, in 2018, Spielberg drew a line in the sand when it came to making movies for streaming companies, saying that these films “deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar.”
As one producer put it, “Steven was a vocal opponent of Netflix. With a single stroke of the pen, Netflix catches the great filmmaker of our time and silences a critic. Genius. “
It certainly sounds awesome. Netflix, which has pledged to make 60 films this year, suddenly has a big name to help boost production and attract subscribers as it fights competition from Disney Plus and HBO Max. And not just any brand name, but a name that resonates internationally as few directors can, and that will thrill members from France to South Korea. While the company has been aggressive in attracting top Hollywood TV showrunners, such as Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, most of the top filmmakers who have made films for the platform have done so film by film. . Martin Scorsese, who directed and produced Irish for Netflix, has a first look with Apple.
But what exactly is Netflix getting? Amblin, after all, already has a theatrical release deal with Comcast-owned Universal, which is releasing the next one. Jurassic World: Dominion, in 2022. Universal’s sister division, Focus Features, is launching Amblin’s Still water, with Matt Damon, at the Cannes Film Festival next month. As for Spielberg and the films he makes, he’s never been one to be tied to a single studio. His next film, West Side Story (release scheduled for December 10, 2021), is for Disney.
Universal’s deal with Amblin, as the reports have made clear (well below the headlines), is in no way affected by the Netflix news. In other words, Universal will continue to release Amblin movies. So which ones will go to Netflix? It’s in Amblin, a situation that underscores Spielberg’s long-standing position as the creative king of Hollywood. Reports also did not specify how many movies Amblin will make for Netflix, settling on the term. many to describe the arrangement, which will last who knows how many years. And how much is it worth? No idea. But given the types of deals Spielberg demands and is used to: a lot.
Another hypothesis is that Amblin will help Netflix in its Oscar hunt; it has yet to win the Best Picture award despite spending a lot of money on campaigns for everything from Rome at man. Amblin, after all, was behind the Best Picture winner Green book, and 1917, who won three golden statues. More recently the company produced The Chicago 7 trial– which Netflix released.
But based on conversations with insiders close to the deal, the idea that Amblin will send his most prestigious films – let alone those Spielberg himself directs – to Netflix is questionable. Remind that The Chicago 7 trial was sold by Paramount to Netflix during the height of the pandemic. And a Spielberg biopic that’s in the works — written by Tony Kushner (who wrote the Spielberg film Munich and Lincoln), under Spielberg’s leadership, would already be heading to Universal.
“When Steven wants something handled with care,” said one of them, “it’s going to be fine in the theater. Netflix gets (the film equivalent of) “Steven Spielberg Presents,” a reference to the TV shows Spielberg has produced over the years, including Amazing stories, little cartoon Adventures, and Taken.
More than anything, the deal brings Amblin into the streaming business, which “they thought they were losing,” another source said. It also gives the company a place to put films that don’t fall into the hit bucket that is so crucial to Universal’s business model. So what if Spielberg wants to make an arty movie a year? Hello, Netflix. Ditto for any Amblin movies that fall under the category good, but not great (note that the company’s credits also include Cats, The house with a clock in its walls, Men in black: international, and the BFG).
Meanwhile, Netflix has sensational premieres and is building marketing around the Spielberg name, no matter how much he actually has to do with the film. And this week he gets a great press release.
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