Steven Spielberg claims Warner Bros. threw directors “under the bus”
Steven Spielberg, the director of iconic films such as Jaws and Jurassic Park, recently revealed his criticisms of Warner Bros.’s content strategy during the pandemic. Spielberg echoed the sentiments of other directors, such as Christopher Nolan, and claimed that Warner Bros. threw filmmakers “under the bus”.
In an interview with The New York Times, Spielberg said: “The pandemic created an opportunity for streaming platforms to raise their subscriptions to record-breaking levels and also throw some of my best filmmaker friends under the bus as their movies were unceremoniously not given theatrical releases. They were paid off, and the films were suddenly relegated to, in this case, HBO Max. The case I’m talking about.”
While talking about the changing theatre experience, Spielberg added: “And then everything started to change. I think older audiences were relieved that they didn’t have to step on sticky popcorn. But I really believe those same older audiences, once they got into the theatre, the magic of being in a social situation with a bunch of strangers is a tonic.”
Currently, Spielberg is preparing for the theatrical release of his latest project, The Fabelmans. According to the reports, it is a semi-autobiographical film based on Spielberg’s own experiences and his relationship with cinema.
During Spielberg’s discussion about the current state of the theatre experience, the filmmaker noted that modern audiences only go out to watch films that deserve it. Spielberg said that it is necessary for “the movies to be good enough to get all the audiences to say that to each other when the lights come back up.”
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