Director Steven Spielberg and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos have been firmly on opposite 
sides of the Oscar debate - with Spielberg a staunch believer that movies from streaming 
services should not be eligible for Oscar nominations - but perhaps they are on the path 
to achieving common ground. Sources tell 'The Hollywood Reporter' that the two were 
seen dining together at the San Vincente Bungalows - a new private club in 
West Hollywood -  leading to speculation that a truce may be in sight. Spielberg, a 
member of the Motion Picture Academy’s board of governors, has been a leading voice in 
arguing that Oscars should be reserved for films that get their first major exposure in 
movie theaters. Speaking last year to ITV News, he said, 
And in February, he elaborated further saying, 
While the iconic filmmaker has never specifically mentioned Netflix by name, under the 
leadership of Sarandos, the streaming giant has been aggressive in pursuing Oscars 
glory over the past few years with the push especially paying off at this year's ceremony 
as 'Roma' took home three statuettes. Although originally Sarandos said Netflix would 
stick to a day-and-date formula, giving some of its films brief theatrical runs beginning the 
same day they were made available to its subscribers, Netflix released 'Roma' in a limited 
number of theaters for a three-week run before the film appeared on the service, showing 
that it was willing to alter its business model in a few cases in order to pursue Oscar gold. 
Reps for both Spielberg and Sarandos declined comment.
To read more on this story, head to THR.com. 
For The Hollywood Reporter News, I’m Lyndsey Rodrigues. 
