'Taxi Driver' Screenwriter Paul Schrader Weighs in on the Netflix Debate
Things get a little more complicated.
Fresh off the awards circuit run for his deeply profound and aesthetically-driven First Reformed, director/screenwriter Paul Schrader, perhaps best known for his work on Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, has recently returned to Facebook to drop numerous truth-bombs and elegant proclamations.
In the ongoing debate between Steven Spielberg and Netflix (i.e. theatrical vs streaming and the future of film distribution), Schrader has released an honest and contemplative response to the dispute. In it, he unveils some pretty personal behind-the-scenes information about the rights to his own work, and how First Reformed, itself an Oscar nominee for Best Original Screenplay, may not have received such attention were it not for being picked up by A24 rather than Netflix.
Schrader's take on the Netflix debate can be read in full below:
Do you agree with Schrader? Do you "stand on the side" of Spielberg or Netflix? Schrader's response is the most thought-out we've seen and perhaps advocates for a merger between the two. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.