
Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners to Team with Netflix for Future Production
By Movieguide® Staff
Hollywood Icon Steven Spielberg and his company Amblin Partners recently announced a new deal with Netflix to produce new movies for the streamer each year.
As the streaming scene grows competitive, Netflix’s access to the legendary director and his company will help the streamer fend off rising platforms such as Disney+.
Although the partnership comes after audiences shifted their interest to streamers instead of traditional theatrical experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, in the past, Spielberg expressed aversion to the streaming company.
Variety reported:
In 2019, for instance, the director reportedly urged the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to bar day-and-date streaming releases from being eligible for Oscars. Sources close to the director, however, dispute that Spielberg ever tried to bar Netflix from eligibility. He later clarified his position in a statement to The New York Times, in which he denied he had tried to prevent Netflix from winning Oscars. He also reaffirmed his support for the theatrical experience, while stating, “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.”
The movies could also receive a theatrical release, as did Netflix’s MARRIAGE STORY and THE IRISHMAN.
According to Variety, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber helped solidify the deal with Spielberg and worked on projects together previously.
“At Amblin, storytelling will forever be at the center 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,” Spielberg said in a statement. “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.”
“By deepening our ties with Netflix via this new film partnership, we are building on what has for many years been an incredibly successful working relationship in both television and film,” Amblin Partners CEO Jeff Small added. “The global platform they’ve built — with more than 200 million members — speaks for itself, and we’re extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work closely with Scott and his amazing team to deliver Amblin’s iconic brand of storytelling to the Netflix audience.”
Amblin’s recent projects include 1917, GREEN BOOK, and THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS.
“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,” Sarandos said. “We cannot wait to get to work with the Amblin team and we are honored and thrilled to be part of this chapter of Steven’s cinematic history.”
Stuber added: “Amblin and Steven Spielberg are synonymous with incredible entertainment. Their passion and artistry combine to make films that both captivate and challenge audiences. We look forward to working with Steven, Jeff and the entire Amblin family on a new slate of films that will delight generations for years to come.”