Elizabeth Olsen Joins Hollywood Push to Protect Theatrical Releases — Actors are Now Refusing Streaming Only Projects

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Elizabeth Olsen has come out against direct-to-streaming studio films.

Elizabeth Olsen likely won’t appear in any films made exclusively for Netflix. She recently told InStyle that she prefers projects with traditional movie theater releases and won’t participate in those that don’t have them.

She’s okay with making a movie independently and selling it directly to a streaming service, but she doesn’t want that to be the only way it’s seen. She hopes for wider distribution than just a streamer.

Elizabeth Olsen prefers to work on films that are shown in theaters and won’t participate in projects where streaming is the only way to watch them. She believes a theatrical release is important and doesn’t want to make movies where streaming is the sole focus.

— Variety (@Variety) October 21, 2025

As more top actors and directors prefer their films to premiere in cinemas, streaming services like Netflix might find it harder to attract big stars unless they agree to release movies in theaters as well.

Olsen Isn’t the First, and She’s Not Alone

Christopher Nolan is one of the few filmmakers who publicly speaks out about industry issues. In December 2020, he ended his working relationship with Warner Bros. because they decided to release all their 2021 films in both cinemas and on their streaming service, HBO Max, at the same time.

Christopher Nolan stated to The Hollywood Reporter that many leading figures in the film industry – both directors and actors – were shocked to learn their project had moved from what they believed was a top-tier movie studio to a struggling streaming service overnight.

For his next film, Oppenheimer, Nolan went to Universal Studios, who agreed to keep it in theaters for at least 100 days.

In a 2022 interview with The New York Times, Steven Spielberg expressed concern that streaming services had harmed many filmmakers by releasing their movies directly to streaming instead of in cinemas.

According to the director, after some financial arrangements were made, the films ended up on HBO Max. He then explained that he thinks watching a movie in a theater with an audience is a uniquely special experience.

It’s a sentiment on streaming-only films that Elizabeth Olsen likely shares.

She believes it’s vital for people to connect in person and experience a sense of community. Coming together around shared interests can be a really powerful experience.

Some of her colleagues feel that those impactful scenes resonate beyond just the personal level. Glen Powell shared with The Hollywood Reporter last year that while filming the romantic comedy Anyone But You with Sydney Sweeney, they received offers from all the major streaming services, which would have meant higher salaries and a larger production budget.

“We said, ‘If we make this on a streamer, it won’t have any cultural impact,’” he admitted.

As a movie lover, I’m honestly baffled when people say releasing films directly to streaming doesn’t matter culturally. It feels like ignoring what’s happening – so many movies aren’t doing well in cinemas anymore! Despite that, it’s still tough to see streaming as a real replacement for the theatrical experience, or as equally important.

— Brett Dasovic (@Brettdasovic) May 23, 2024

I’ve noticed, and I think a lot of us feel this way, that there’s a tendency to see films released in cinemas as somehow ‘more important’ than those that premiere directly on streaming services. It’s not just regular moviegoers, though – it seems like that perception is pretty widespread.

Channing Tatum recently told Variety that the arrival of streaming services has shaken up the film industry in both positive and negative ways, leaving both studios and the streamers themselves feeling uncertain. He acknowledges that streamers offer immediate financial benefits, but also worries they encourage the creation of lower-quality films. He explained that the financial structure can incentivize filmmakers to produce less ambitious projects – essentially, movies based on weaker scripts that aren’t particularly unique.

Channing Tatum on the state of the film industry:

Streaming services have really shaken up the entertainment industry, with both positive and negative consequences. Both traditional studios and the streaming companies themselves are struggling to adapt. One key issue is that streamers often offer larger upfront payments, which has disrupted the usual way things work.

— Variety (@Variety) September 2, 2025

However, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ are now regularly recognized by the Academy Awards, even winning Oscars, after briefly releasing films in theaters to meet eligibility requirements. Because of this success, their leaders probably won’t change how they release movies. The only way these studios would likely shift away from focusing on streaming is if major stars, like Elizabeth Olsen, actively pushed for a different approach.

Netflix on Movies and Who Gets the Final Say

During April’s TIME100 summit in New York, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos pointed out that fewer people are going to the movies, and suggested this means viewers increasingly prefer watching films from the comfort of their homes.

Considering it has 301.6 million users worldwide (as of August 2025), it’s hard to disagree with his point.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos says #Barbie and #Oppenheimer would have been just as big on Netflix

It’s unlikely that a movie is universally better on a larger screen. For example, my son, who works as an editor, actually watched ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ on his phone.

(via…

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) May 26, 2024

It’s difficult to measure how filmmakers and viewers actually feel about a finished movie. Some, like Olsen and Spielberg, believe seeing a film in a theater is crucial for it to be fully appreciated, but Sarandos disagrees with that idea.

He suggested that going to movie theaters is becoming outdated for many people, though not for everyone. He also pointed out that Netflix is a valuable option for those who can’t easily get to a theater.

Whether movies need to be shown in theaters is still discussed, but having famous actors and well-known directors is undeniably important. If actors like Elizabeth Olsen continue to advocate for their needs, studio executives might have to change how they create and release films.

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2025-10-24 14:59