Helen Mirren bats for theatrical experience over Netflix

Pic Courtesy: Movie Still

Los Angeles: Veteran actor Helen Mirren has chosen a side in the battle between the streaming services and theatres, and she is going with the latter.

During the CinemaCon conference in Las Vegas, where she was promoting her film "The Good Liar", Mirren took a jab at a streaming giant, Netflix. 

"I love Netflix, but f**k Netflix," she said.

"There's nothing like sitting in the cinema and the lights go down. I would like to thank you guys for making that environment possible," she added.

The war between streaming services and those batting for the theatrical experience has picked up steam after Netflix's Spanish-language feature "Roma" bagged three awards at the 91st Academy Awards.

After the film's big win at the Oscars, there have been reports that veteran director Steven Spielberg will be speaking with the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to insist for a rule change that will make films made by streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, ineligible for the contest. 

The legendary filmmaker, a known detractor of the streaming services, represents the Directors branch of the Academy on the Board.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the US Justice Department also has weighed in on the issue. 

It warned the Academy that if potential rule changes hurt Netflix, they may violate laws meant to protect competition. 

Makan Delrahim, head of the agency's antitrust division, sent a letter to Academy Chief Executive Officer Dawn Hudson on March 21, expressing concern about the way new award rules might be framed.