Jurassic Park and E.T. director Steven Spielberg might not hate Netflix as much as everyone thinks.
The Academy Awards this year was covered in controversy for months leading up to the highly-anticipated ceremony, which went relatively smoothly in the end. Weeks after the event ended, controversy has still found its way to the iconic awards show.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Steven Spielberg was going to have a meeting with the members of the Academy to argue about Netflix’s Oscar qualifications and why they shouldn’t be eligible for the coveted Hollywood awards ceremony.
Jeffrey Katzenberg was recently visiting the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas and apparently revealed that these rumors circulating are absolutely false. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is what Katzenberg had to say about the Steven Spielberg Netflix controversy.
“I talked to Steven about this yesterday. I asked him very specifically — I don’t have any skin in this game anymore — he said, ‘I absolutely did not say that’. He actually said nothing.”
Katzenberg then revealed how the rumor started in the first place.
“What happened is a journalist was onto a story about this and had heard a rumor about Steven. They called a spokesperson to get a comment and honestly, just twisted it around. One, Steven didn’t say that, and two, he is not going to the academy in April with some sort of plan. But he has not opined at all, nor has he aligned with some specific thing.”
This year, Netflix was represented at the Academy Awards by Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma. The film was the first Netflix production to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Although the film lost that award to the controversial film Green Book, it still managed to earn multiple Oscars including Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Foreign Language Film.
Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One did have some representation at the Academy Awards in the field for Best Visual Effects but lost to the Ryan Gosling-led Neil Armstrong biopic First Man.
We’ll be sure to keep you informed on any more updates regarding the story as soon as more information becomes available. Do you think Netflix films should be eligible for Oscars? Would you like to see Steven Spielberg team with the streaming service for a film in the future, much like Martin Scorsese? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Top Actors To Replace Ben Affleck In Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’
Ben Affleck is officially out as Batman and it’s a pretty sad day.
Words cannot describe how sad I am to see Ben Affleck announce that he’s no longer Batman. His Batman is why I do what I do. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I fell in love with his comic book-accurate interpretation of the Caped Crusader. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt like we finally had the one true Batman.
Three years have quickly sped by and we’re officially going to receive a new Batman for his next movie. Last night, Ben Affleck announced that he will not return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman and now everyone’s attention has moved towards wanting to know who the next Bruce Wayne will be. Matt Reeves is said to want an actor that’s around 20 years younger than Affleck while Warner Bros. wants someone older. My guess is that Reeves wants a fresh start while the studio wants an older actor for crossover potential.
In this list, I will discuss the actors I think can replace Ben Affleck as Batman using the parameters that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. want. Hit Next to see our picks to play the Batman.
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an X-Men alum and no stranger to comic book franchises. The actor has shown multiple levels of range and could definitely handle the Batman/Bruce Wayne personality. If they go with the older range for the next Dark Knight, then Fassbender is probably one of the best choices to take over the role.
Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes is out of a job after The Punisher season 2 and he’s one of the best actors in that series. The second season tied up Barnes’ arc on The Punisher and the actor has already told us that that he’d love to play the Caped Crusader. Barnes definitely has the pretty boy look going on for him and I wonder what his take on Bruce Wayne could be.
Ryan Gosling
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Ryan Gosling needs to star in a superhero movie. I’ve always thought Gosling would make a great Batman. Every role that he’s done has shown us his capability and he could crush it as Bruce Wayne.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is my top choice for an older Batman. If Warner Bros. wants to cast an older actor for crossover potential, Jon Hamm is the studio’s best bet. He has a similar look to Ben Affleck, and c’mon, the guy’s look just screams Bruce Wayne.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer is 32 years old and was cast as the Caped Crusader in George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal. That film will never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that Hammer doesn’t deserve a second shot at being the Batman. He’s charming, broody and will probably give his all for this role. Armie Hammer is a great option because he’s young enough for Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. could work in a way for him to crossover with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.
Richard Madden
Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden is my top choice to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. The actor is young, has the look and definitely has the acting chops to play the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Madden just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series for the BBC drama Bodyguard, so Warner Bros. may want to quickly snatch him up.
