How many Oscars has James Cameron won? Legendary director claims Netflix films shouldn't qualify for the award

Director James Cameron, who has won three Oscars for his work on Titanic, recently expressed his views on Netflix movies getting the chance to be nominated for an Academy Award. According to reports, the famed director appeared on The Town with Mathew Belloni podcast, where he discussed why he believed Netflix films do not fit the guidelines of what an Oscar-nominated movie should be. He said:

“[laughs] It’s sucker bait. 'We’ll put the movie out for a week or 10 days. We’ll qualify for Oscar consideration.' See, I think that’s fundamentally rotten to the core. A movie should be made as a movie for theatrical, and the Academy Awards mean nothing to me if they don’t mean theatrical.

He further added:

I think they’ve been co-opted, and I think it’s horrific. They should be allowed to compete if they put the movie out for a meaningful release in 2,000 theaters for a month.”

James Cameron was recently reported to have been roped in to direct the third concert film for Billie Eilish. According to Deadline, the news of the 3D movie, set to release next year on March 20, was announced on Sunday, November 23, the final day of Billie Eilish's Hit Me Hard and Soft tour.

More from James Cameron's recent interview, as the director reveals his vision of what an Oscar-nominated film should be

In his recent appearance on The Town with Mathew Belloni podcast, James Cameron also explained why he believes Paramount Skydance is his choice for the upcoming Warner Bros. takeover. According to Deadline, three contenders have submitted their bids to acquire Warner Bros., which include Paramount, Skydance, Netflix, and Comcast. The decision to merge was announced by Warner Bros. earlier this year, in June, confirming that they would be splitting into two enterprises by next year. In his conversation, James Cameron said:

"I think Paramount’s the best choice. Netflix would be a disaster. Sorry, Ted, but geez. Sarandos has gone on the record saying theatrical films are dead. “Theatrical is dead. Quote, unquote."

James Cameron's response comes months after Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos stated that, according to him, the theatre model of cinema was dead. According to Variety, in an interview with TIME at the TIME100 summit, Sarandos explained why he believes the concept of watching movies in theatres is outdated. He said:

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"What does that say? What is the consumer trying to tell us? That they’d like to watch movies at home, thank you. The studios and the theaters are duking it out over trying to preserve this 45-day window that is completely out of step with the consumer experience of just loving a movie."

Most recently, Frankestein, directed by Guillermo del Toro, which was released on Netflix, received a limited theatrical release last month on October 17. The movie later went on to receive widespread critical acclaim and is now generating Oscar buzz.

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