Steven Spielberg is a name to reckon with. Considered to be the most commercial filmmaker in history, he is a major figure of the New Hollywood era and a pioneer of the modern blockbuster that started with ‘Jaws.’ He’s also a three-time Academy Award winner.
Spielberg recently opened up about streaming platforms and how their new strategy was detrimental to films and filmmakers. He pointed out HBO Max for throwing directors “under the bus” by releasing films in the theaters and streamer at the same time. Let’s find out more about it.
Read More: What Was The One Film Steven Spielberg Always Wanted To Make?
Steven Spielberg Slams HBO Max
Spielberg has been directing films for more than five decades and has witnessed several changes in the film industry. However, he doesn’t seem to like some policies of streaming platforms.
In an interview with The New York Times, the ‘Jurassic Park‘ director slammed HBO Max for dumping all of its 2021 film slate both on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day.
“The pandemic created an opportunity for streaming platforms to raise their subscriptions to record-breaking levels and also throw some of my best filmmaker friends under the bus as their movies were unceremoniously not given theatrical releases,” Spielberg said.
He further added, “They were paid off and the films were suddenly relegated to, in this case, HBO Max. The case I’m talking about. And then everything started to change.”
Read More: Why Steven Spielberg Got Megan Fox Fired From ‘Transformers’ Is Unbelievable
Spielberg Is Still Hopeful About Movie-Watching Experience
Continuing to talk about HBO Max’s decision, Spielberg said, “I think older audiences were relieved that they didn’t have to step on sticky popcorn”.
“But I really believe those same older audiences, once they got into the theater, the magic of being in a social situation with a bunch of strangers is a tonic… it’s up to the movies to be good enough to get all the audiences to say that to each other when the lights come back up.”
The director is hopeful by looking at the box-office results of ‘Elvis.’ “I found it encouraging that ‘Elvis’ broke $100 million at the domestic box office,” Spielberg said.
He further added, “A lot of older people went to see that film, and that gave me hope that people were starting to come back to the movies as the pandemic becomes an endemic. I think movies are going to come back. I really do.”
Read More: Moon Knight Directors Reveal The Series Was Inspired By Steven Spielberg, Children Of Men, And More
