James Cameron thinks Netflix being allowed to compete for Oscars is "fundamentally rotten to the core”

Director of the Avatar franchise, James Cameron, has voiced strong concerns about Netflix’s approach to theatrical distribution and its pursuit of Oscar eligibility, calling the streaming platform’s awards strategy “fundamentally rotten to the core,” arguing that Oscar-contending movies should be made for and meaningfully shown in theaters.

Speaking on The Town podcast with Matt Belloni, Cameron said that Netflix’s short theatrical runs, followed almost immediately by streaming releases, contradict what the Oscars were created to honor: films designed and distributed primarily for the big screen. Referring to Netflix’s practice of brief theatrical releases before streaming debuts, Cameron said:

“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.”

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Context for James Cameron’s recent statements

Netflix has publicly emphasized streaming as the future of entertainment, even as it experiments with short-term theatrical runs for select films. According to Cameron, this strategy does not align with what he considers a meaningful theatrical release. Responding to Belloni’s question about Netflix’s bid, 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.’”

When Belloni noted Netflix’s promise to maintain theatrical distribution if it acquired Warner Bros., James Cameron dismissed the claim, calling it “sucker bait.” He reiterated that awards consideration should be tied to substantial theatrical exposure, stating that Netflix should only compete for the Oscars if:

“If they put the movie out for a meaningful release in 2,000 theaters for a month.”

Netflix continues to pursue major awards while relying on limited theatrical releases for many of its prestige titles. Over the past decade, the company has mounted Oscar campaigns for films including Roma, The Irishman, Mank, The Power of the Dog, The Trial of the Chicago 7, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Emilia Pérez. Several of these films have received Best Picture nominations, but Netflix has yet to win the Academy Award in that category.

For the 2025 awards season, Netflix’s slate includes titles such as Train Dreams, which opened in select US theaters on November 7 before debuting on the service on November 21, and Jay Kelly, which received a limited theatrical release beginning November 14 ahead of its December 5 streaming premiere.

Cameron also expressed doubt about Netflix’s stated commitment to maintaining robust theatrical releases in the event the company were to acquire Warner Bros. His remarks come at a time when the industry is closely watching ongoing discussions around potential acquisitions of Warner Bros.

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