Netflix, Spielberg agree film partnership

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Netflix and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners have formed a partnership that will cover a slate of new feature films for the global streamer.

CAA advised Amblin Partners on the deal, financial details of which were not disclosed, and which will co-exist with the existing one the company has with Universal Pictures.

It comes after Spielberg criticised Netflix in 2019 when he said the global streamer’s reluctance to release many of its films in theatres was harming cinema.

However, since then, Netflix has released Amblin’s Academy Award-nominated The Trial of the Chicago 7, and the two are currently collaborating on Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein film, Maestro, which is in pre-production.

Spielberg, Amblin Partners chairman, said: “At Amblin, storytelling will forever be at the centre of everything we do, and from the minute Ted [Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO and chief content officer] and I started discussing a partnership, it was abundantly clear that we had an amazing opportunity to tell new stories together and reach audiences in new ways.

“This new avenue for our films, alongside the stories we continue to tell with our longtime family at Universal and our other partners, will be incredibly fulfilling for me personally since we get to embark on it together with Ted, and I can’t wait to get started with him, Scott [Stuber, Netflix’s head of global film] and the entire Netflix team.”

Jeff Small, Amblin Partners CEO, said: “By deepening our ties with Netflix via this new film partnership, we are building on what has for many years been an incredibly successful working relationship in both television and film.

“The global platform they’ve built, with more than 200 million members, speaks for itself, and we’re extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work closely with Scott and his amazing team to deliver Amblin’s iconic brand of storytelling to the Netflix audience.”