Why Steven Spielberg won’t work with Netflix

Right, here’s a fun one — and perhaps not what you’d expect. Steven Spielberg, a man who’s basically cinema royalty at this point, has just spelled out the only way he’d direct a film for Netflix. And no, it’s not about streaming, algorithms, or chasing an Oscar in his pajamas.

Spielberg's Old-School Terms for Streaming

Spielberg’s well known for banging the drum for proper cinema. By that, I mean he’s one of those fiercely loyal champions of seeing films on an actual big screen, not hunched over a laptop or somewhere in between adverts for toothpaste. If you wanted him to make something for Netflix, he’d want the streamer to go all the way back to their original business model: posting physical DVDs to people’s homes.

This isn’t just a passing joke, either. In an interview with ITV News, Spielberg said, straight-faced:

'If I did that, I would be happy to work for Netflix and make a movie for Netflix, knowing that it’s only going to be seen by millions of people on their home screens. But I’m a movie maker, and I believe in big motion picture, 70-millimeter theatrical experiences.'

Screens: Not All Created Equal

Spielberg’s point is basically this: the magic for him is that communal atmosphere. He’s not waxing nostalgic, he’s pointing back to the start of film itself — when people would crowd into halls and pubs, watching fuzzy images on sheets strung up for the occasion. His argument is you just can’t replace the energy you get from a room packed with strangers all jumping out of their skin together.

He went for a classic Spielberg anecdote: the original Jaws test screenings. In his words, when that infamous scare landed,

'I watched audiences explode like popcorn popping, with people screaming. You don’t get that sitting at home by yourself. You’ll still scream, but it’s not as much fun if you’re alone or with five other people.'

Basically, the home experience just can’t hold a candle to seeing a film hit a full crowd all at once.

Why Netflix DVDs?

Now, on the surface, Spielberg’s 'mail DVDs' demand sounds like he’s just having a dig at streaming. But the logic is more consistent than it first looks. He’d accept Netflix as a studio if they turned back the clock and sent DVDs through the post, because — and here’s the crux — it wasn’t pretending to be cinema. Watching at home is fine, he said, as long as we admit it’s not the same thing.

No Digital Watermarks, Thanks

This all carries over into how he handles critics’ screenings. The interviewer mentioned most journalists now get digital press copies online, watermarked with their email addresses. Spielberg was quick to shoot that down:

'No, no, no. I would never let that happen.'

For him, the cinema isn’t just a backdrop; it’s why he makes films in the first place.

• Spielberg says he’d only make a film for Netflix if they posted DVDs instead of streaming.
• He argues nothing compares to the shared energy of a cinema audience.
• Even his press screenings are strictly in the cinema – digital screeners are a no-go.
• He traces his love for cinema back to the earliest days of the medium — and thinks we shouldn’t kid ourselves that streaming is the same.