Steven Spielberg blames Warner Bros. and HBO Max for “relegating” streaming movies

Director Steven Spielberg hates the way streaming services – and especially HBO Max – treat filmmakers.

Speaking to The New York Times, Spielberg said the move from feature film releases to streaming in the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 may have changed the film industry forever.

“The pandemic has created an opportunity for streaming platforms to boost their subscriptions to record highs and even throw some of my best friends ‘directors under the bus’ as their films haven’t been released unceremoniously in theaters. “Spielberg said. “They got paid and the movies were suddenly relegated, in this case, to HBO Max. The case I’m talking about. And then everything started to change ”.

In 2021 Warner Bros. decided to release all of its films simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max in the United States due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This meant that blockbusters like Dune, Suicide Squad and Matrix Resurrections could be seen immediately at home, without the need to go to the cinema, even when cinemas reopened to the public.

Spielberg also lamented the loss of special experience if the theaters were permanently closed.

“I think older audiences were relieved not to have to ‘step on sticky popcorn,'” Spielberg said. “But I really believe that that same older audience, once they get into the movies, the magic of being in a social situation with a bunch of strangers is a tonic. This is for each other when the lights come back on.

Spielberg pointed to the signs that going to the movies still has some vigor. “I found it encouraging that ‘Elvis’ grossed $ 100 million at the national box office,” Spielberg said. “A lot of older people went to see this movie and it gave me hope that people were starting to return to the cinema when the pandemic became endemic. I think the movies will come back. I really want.”

with information from Deadline And Games radar

Featured Image: Shutterstock

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Emily

Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.