'Avatar' Director James Cameron Insists Netflix Films Should Not Get Oscar Nominations

Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron recently sat down with entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni on his podcast The Town with Matthew Belloni, where he discussed which films he believes should qualify for Academy Award nominations, along with his thoughts on Netflix's current business strategy.

The three-time Oscar winner told Belloni that only films made for a theatrical release should be eligible for Academy Awards, excluding movies released primarily on streaming platforms. He singled out Netflix, which often screens its biggest films in cinemas for a limited time before making them available to stream.

Cameron: 'The Academy Awards mean nothing to me if they don't mean theatrical'

The Canadian filmmaker did not hold back when asked about Netflix's distribution model. Cameron said he remains unconvinced that the company would ever commit to any 'meaningful theatrical distribution' even if it expanded, referring to Netflix's reported interest in purchasing Warner Bros. Discovery.

He criticised the streamer for using what he described as 'sucker bait' tactics, namely a short theatrical run intended only to qualify for the Oscars.

'"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,' Cameron told Belloni.

He also pointed to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos' previous comments suggesting that theatrical films are obsolete. At this year's Time100 Summit, Sarandos said the cinema experience had become an 'outmoded idea', a position Cameron strongly opposes.

Netflix Says Theatres Will Not Shape Its Strategy

Sarandos has repeatedly reiterated that Netflix will not alter its release strategy despite the global success of several Netflix films.

Following the strong performance of the animated hit KPop Demon Hunters, Sarandos told investors that Netflix's priority remains to 'give our members exclusive first-run movies on Netflix'.

While the company did release a sing-along version of the film in cinemas for a week in October – and again for Halloween – Sarandos insisted this did not signal a wider shift toward theatrical distribution.

The streamer used a similar approach for Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, which had a short cinema run before arriving on the platform earlier this month. The upcoming Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will also screen in select US cinemas from 26 November ahead of its streaming debut on 12 December.

Rian Johnson Voices Frustration Over Limited Cinema Run

It remains unclear how long the new Knives Out sequel will stay in theatres before moving to streaming. Writer-director Rian Johnson recently expressed disappointment on X after confirming that the film would not screen in AMC Theatres, the world's largest cinema chain.

He also replied to fans asking where they could watch the film locally, explaining that the theatrical run could extend beyond the streaming release date if cinemas chose to keep it.

Cameron Says Netflix Buying Warner Bros. Would Be a 'Disaster'

Warner Bros. Discovery announced last month that it was entertaining offers to sell the studio, with Netflix among the potential bidders. Cameron did not mince words when asked about the possibility, calling the idea of Netflix owning Warner Bros. a 'disaster' during his conversation with Belloni.