James Cameron has never been shy about defending the theatrical experience, but his latest comments lit a fresh fire under an already touchy industry debate. After calling Netflix’s awards strategy “fundamentally rotten at the core” and insisting streamers shouldn’t be in the 2025 Oscar race without a full theatrical run, the director stirred up chatter from Hollywood veterans and streamer loyalists alike. And now one of Netflix’s biggest faces of the 2025 movie schedule, Train Dreams star Joel Edgerton, is pushing back.
At the Gotham Awards, Edgerton addressed the debate in a clip shared by Variety’s official X account. He said Cameron’s position overlooks a major reality of the industry: many filmmakers only get their shot because streamers fund and distribute their work. His response was calm, thoughtful, and grounded:
None of us should be really squabbling with each other over what has a right to be seen or awarded… I think the point that James is making is there should be more of a robust fight for the survival of cinema, but at the cost of saying that people whose only chance is to get their movies made on a streamer shouldn’t have a chance to also be seen and heard… Some people who have had a long history, where it makes it a bit easier for them, they’re willing to fight harder. And I really respect that. James is one of the greats. He’s making movies on a big canvas. He’s always been a pioneer.
Cameron’s comments landed last week on The Town, where he argued that films not made for theaters shouldn’t be eligible for the Academy’s top honor. He pointed to Netflix’s ten Best Picture nominations, none of which resulted in a win, as proof that the Oscars lose meaning without a theatrical baseline. With the Academy tightening its eligibility rules for 2025, the tension has only grown.
Edgerton admitted he’d have loved a theatrical run for Train Dreams, but said the lack of one won’t stop him from making the work he believes in. As he put it:
I’ve died on the hill of cinema a few times over a few issues as a producer, director and an actor… A friend of mine once said to me, ‘How many of your favorite films did you ever actually watch at the cinema?’ Most of my favorite movies were made in the 70s… I didn’t get a chance to watch him until I was watching them on a VHS cassette on a shitty TV. And they’re still my favorite films…I would still semi-die on a hill for cinema. But I'm also a pragmatist.
The divide keeps widening. Actors like Stellan Skarsgård back Cameron, arguing that theaters must stay central to awards culture. In contrast, others, supported by audience behavior, note that today’s viewers are increasingly choosing the couch over the box office. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults streamed a new movie at home at least once last year, proving the shift isn’t slowing.
For now, both viewpoints carry weight. Cameron is defending the theatrical experience he’s built a career elevating, while Edgerton is advocating for the filmmakers who thrive because of some of the best streaming platforms. And somewhere between those two perspectives lies the future of the Oscars, still wrestling with what qualifies as a film worthy of its highest honor.
Wherever you land on the debate, Joel Edgerton’s Train Dreams is absolutely worth your time. The new book-to-screen adaptation of Denis Johnson’s acclaimed novella follows Robert Grainier through a lifetime in the forests of the Pacific Northwest as he works the land and watches a new century reshape the world around him. It’s one of the most celebrated releases of the year and an easy recommendation if you already have a Netflix subscription.
As for James Cameron, he has another major theatrical release with Avatar: Fire and Ash, which lands in cinemas on December 19, 2025.
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