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Steven Spielberg’s comments at the Producers Guild Awards sparked quite a debate about the changing landscape of Hollywood and television. The legendary director praised Squid Game for challenging long-held notions about star power, saying the global smash series had “changed the math entirely” when it comes to what makes a hit. “A long time ago it was domestic stars that brought the audience into movies,” Spielberg said, as quoted by Deadline.
But Squid Game, with its largely unknown cast of South Korean actors, proved that great scripts and compelling stories can drive success, no matter who’s leading the charge. “Today, it’s interesting, unknown people can star in entire miniseries, can be in movies,” he added, calling out the power of content over celebrity. Spielberg’s praise for the streaming giant also gave a nod to Netflix’s CEO, Ted Sarandos, who was sitting in the audience.
The filmmaker celebrated how platforms like Netflix have helped shift the focus from star-studded casts to the power of a strong narrative. “Thank you, Ted,” Steven Spielberg said, recognizing how streaming services have reshaped the industry. The conversation shifted when Todd Black, producer of Being The Ricardos, chimed in, adding, “It’s really wonderful to be able to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to have a star in a smaller role. I’m going to have an unknown in the lead role.'”
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He emphasized that the industry now has more freedom to mix and match talent, suggesting that if the script is good enough and the budget isn’t sky-high, studios are more willing to take a risk on fresh faces.
