A new deal has been agreed on by Netflix with Steven Spielberg, a filmmaker with a synonymous relationship with big-screen enchantment. As per the deal, Steven Spielberg along with his production company, Amblin Partners, will work on making multiple feature films, every year, for the Streaming Giant.
With the Company’s marketing environment being barged by new Competitors, this deal is very beneficial for them. Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer, has brought in the most beloved film director, and amidst the tough competition period, this is a great edge.
The deal, however, does not have any mention of Spielberg directing any movie for Netflix. Amblin has a separate deal with Universal Pictures, which makes him entitled to theatrical releases. With this entitlement, West Side Story wil be released in December, theatrically in Disney’s 20th Century Studios.
Spielberg said in a statement about the deal made on Monday, “At Amblin, storytelling will forever be at the centre of everything we do, and from the minute Ted and I started discussing a partnership, it was abundantly clear that we had an amazing opportunity to tell new stories together and reach audiences in new ways.”
He then added, “This new avenue for our films, alongside the stories we continue to tell with our longtime family at Universal and our other partners, will be incredibly fulfilling for me personally since we get to embark on it together with Ted, and I can’t wait to get started with him, Scott, and the entire Netflix team.”
Spielberg’s Production Team name, Amblin, comes from 1968 short by Spielberg, and this production team is responsible for several films, even excluding the ones made by Spielberg, some of which are 1917 and Green Book. The two companies have worked together previously on the TV series and the Aaron Sorkin movie called The Trial of the Chicago 7. The Trial of the Chicago 7 was a movie that was co-produced by Amblin and was later sold, during the pandemic, to Netflix by Paramount Pictures.
This deal is also very exciting for the people as Steven Spielberg is often seen as someone who is against the future of the streaming movie platforms. With this regards, A Deadline Hollywood headline on Monday’s announcement wondered: “Hell Freezes Over?”
But Spielberg in 2019 had argued back to clarify his association with the anti-streaming hashtag. He announced, “I’m a firm believer that movie theatres need to be around forever.” He was clarifying what he believed and in what way his belief was true. He added to add stress on his opinion about small screens and big screen by saying, “what really matters to me is a great story and everyone should have access to great stories.”
Again, Spielberg also wrote to the New York Times through an email, “However, I feel people need to have the opportunity to leave the safe and familiar of their lives and go to a place where they can sit in the company of others and have a shared experience — cry together, laugh together, be afraid together — so that when it’s over they might feel a little less like strangers.” He added, “I want to see the survival of movie theatres. I want the theatrical experience to remain relevant in our culture.”
The lines however have blurred since then. Netflix has since then given exclusive theatrical runs of a week or more to some of its most prominent releases, and traditional studios like Disney and Warner Brothers have embraced more hybrid release models that send movies simultaneously to streaming services.
Ted Sarandos also gave his view of the new deal by saying, “Steven is a creative visionary and leader and, like so many others around the world, my growing up was shaped by his memorable characters and stories that have been enduring, inspiring and awakening.” He then added, “We cannot wait to get to work with the Amblin team and we are honoured and thrilled to be part of this chapter of Steven’s cinematic history.”
