James Cameron Says Netflix Movies Don’t Belong in the Oscar Race – Here’s Why
James Cameron is weighing in on the growing fight over Netflix’s place in Hollywood, and he’s making it clear he wants the Oscars to stay tied to movies that actually play in theaters.
His comments came during an interview where he reacted to Netflix’s reported interest in buying Warner Bros. and their past attempts to push streaming-only films into major Oscar categories.
Netflix has spent the last decade trying to win Best Picture. The streamer has scored nominations and come close more than once, but it hasn’t taken the top prize yet.
Many in the industry believe Netflix wants the win to boost the legitimacy of its strategy, which often skips or minimizes theatrical releases. That issue is more visible now as the company is said to be seriously looking at acquiring Warner Bros., while also claiming they would keep the studio’s theatrical plans in place.
Cameron, who has long defended the big-screen experience, didn’t hide his opinion. When Belloni asked how he felt about Netflix trying to buy Warner Bros., Cameron said he was rooting for Paramount instead. “I think Paramount’s the best choice. Netflix would be a disaster. Sorry, Ted, but geez,” he said, referring to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Cameron pointed out that Sarandos has said in the past that movie theaters are no longer necessary. “Theatrical is dead. Quote, unquote,” he added.
Belloni then mentioned that Netflix is now promising a theatrical plan if they take over Warner Bros. Cameron laughed and dismissed the idea. “It’s sucker bait. ‘We’ll put the movie out for a week or 10 days. We’ll qualify for Oscar consideration.’” He said the approach goes against what the Oscars should represent. “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.”
“Netflix buying Warner Bros would be a disaster.”
— The Ringer (@ringer) November 25, 2025
Listen to the full two-part conversation with James Cameron on The Town with @mattbelloni! pic.twitter.com/tLchu2OvI3
Belloni later asked if Netflix films should even be allowed to compete for Oscars. Cameron said yes, but only if Netflix changes how it releases its movies. “They should be allowed to compete if they put the movie out for a meaningful release in 2,000 theaters for a month,” he said.
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