Joel Edgerton is speaking out about recent comments James Cameron made about Netflix movies.
The 51-year-old actor, who most recently starred in the streamer’s Train Dreams, reacted to the filmmaker saying Netflix films shouldn’t qualify to win Oscars. (There was a caveat though!)
Keep reading to find out more…
James said that the movies could qualify, but they should have to play in at least 2,000 theaters for a month.
Academy rules currently only stipulate a film has to be in theaters for seven consecutive days in six qualifying US metro areas, including Los Angeles and New York, which Netflix has typically done if they deem a movie could be Oscar-worthy.
While attending the 2025 Gotham Awards on Monday (December 1), where he presented the Best Director award to Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident alongside Felicity Jones, Joel shared his thoughts on what James said.
“Yes, I do,” he told Variety when asked if streaming films should qualify. “I think that… Look… none of us should be really squabbling with each other over what has a right to be seen or awarded or part of a conversation, I don’t think. There are some people who only get their chance because of streamers.”
“The world changed, I think, during COVID. Streamers became stronger. The tectonic plates have, the screening world shifted,” Joel continued. “I don’t necessarily think something should be seen as lesser than. I think the point that James is making is there should be a more robust fight for the survival for cinema, but I don’t think at the cost of saying that people whose only chance is to get their movie made on a streamer should not have a chance to also be seen and heard, or recognized.”
He shared that that is his opinion and it’s a tough landscape.
“People are diving for scraps and some people have had a long history where it makes it a bit easier for them, and they’re willing to fight harder and I really respect that,” he added. “James is one of the greats and he’s making movies on a big canvas. He’s a pioneer. He’s always been a pioneer. But independent filmmakers are kind of little birds in a nest fighting to be fed by their mother.”
Joel then addressed his own fights as a producer and a director.
“I’ve died on the hill of cinema a few times over a few issues as a producer and as a director and as an actor,” he said. “Every time I fought for it, a friend of mine once said to me, ‘How many of your favorite films did you actually watch at the cinema?’ And most of my favorite movies were made in the 70s and I was either a toddler, or 5, 6, 7, 8 years old. I didn’t get a chance to watch them until I was watching them on a VHS cassette on a sh-tty TV, and they’re still my favorite films.”
“As long as people watch them, whether they’re at the cinema or not, is a massive, good conversation to have,” he added. “And look, I would still semi-die on a hill for cinema. But I’m also a pragmatist.”
You can watch the trailer for Joel‘s Netflix movie Train Dreams here, and catch the full film on the streamer now!
