James Cameron opens up about Netflix's attempt to acquire Warner Bros., claims Ted Sarandos' release strategy is "rotten to the core"

James Cameron has cemented himself as a filmmaking icon. Not only did he break through with iconic works in his younger days, but he also continues to push the boundaries of film and reinvent himself as he matures in his craft.

In the latest news involving the opinionated director, James Cameron appeared on a recent episode of The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, where he opened up about several topics. When Belloni touched on the subject of the current bidding war over Warner Bros. Studios between Netflix and Paramount, the Avatar director had the following thoughts,

“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.’”

Belloni then mentioned that Sarandos’ strategy currently envisions theatrical releases as part of its scope, but James Cameron seemed skeptical at best,

“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. I think they’ve been co-opted, and I think it’s horrific.”

James Cameron clarifies Netflix-Oscar stance, more

It is important to note that later in his appearance on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, Cameron did his best to clarify his stance on Netflix films and their Oscar eligibility. His overall thinking is that films without a true theatrical release are by definition not worthy for contention at the Academy Awards, and that Netflix,

“should be allowed to compete if they put the movie out for a meaningful release in 2,000 theaters for a month.”

For what it's worth, legendary director Steven Spielberg also echoed a similar sentiment as Cameron as it pertained to streaming films and their eligibility for Academy Awards back in 2019.

“You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar. I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”

In other news, James Cameron is gearing up for a major release before the year's end. His upcoming epic Avatar: Fire and Ash is one of the most anticipated films of the year and released worldwide on December 19.

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