What was once considered impossible has happened as Amblin Partners and Netflix have forged a partnership, one that will see the company headed by Steven Spielberg produce multiple new feature films for the streaming service every year. The deal gives Netflix access to one of the most legendary directors in the movie business.
The move first reported by Variety is surprising and a sign of the major changes taking place in Hollywood, in part because Spielberg has previously been seen as something of a Netflix skeptic. Amblin will continue to maintain offices on the Universal lot, where the company also has a production pact. Under the deal, Amblin is expected to produce at least two films a year for Netflix for an unspecified number of years. It is possible that Spielberg may even direct some of the projects. Netflix is expected to provide financing for some of these productions
Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber, head of original films at Netflix, who previously worked closely with Spielberg when he was an executive at Universal, played key roles in getting the deal done. Speilberg commented on the deal stating,
“At Amblin, storytelling will forever be at the center of everything we do, and from the minute Ted 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, and the entire Netflix team.”
Amblin Partners CEO Jeff Small stated,
“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.”
This is a groundbreaking deal for Netflix that is sure to have a domino effect.
