Edward Berger says Netflix woke up the movie industry — and explains where films belong
At Rome’s MIA Market, the Conclave director argued that streaming and cinemas can both serve filmmakers, and reflected on the personal choices behind Jack.
Edward Berger said at Rome’s MIA Market on October 19 that Netflix helped wake up the movie industry and that films can find a home in cinemas or on streaming services, The Hollywood Reporter reported. His comments come from a director whose recent work has appeared across both formats.
‘The movie industry needed Netflix to wake up,’ Berger said, calling the streamer a disruptor. He argued that the relationship has since shifted, with Netflix drawing inspiration from the film industry as box-office results improve for major studios and streamers.
What Edward Berger said about Netflix and cinemas
Berger described theatrical and streaming releases as additive choices. He said there is no single right or wrong outlet: the destination depends on the film. His position leaves room for a cinema release and a streaming project to serve different aims without treating either route as a universal answer.
The Hollywood Reporter identified The Ballad of a Small Player as a Netflix release and Submerged as an Apple Immersive Video original written and directed by Berger. Those projects give a practical context to his remarks about working across viewing formats.
How Jack shaped Berger’s next steps
Asked what had taught him most, Berger answered: failure. He said the lesson was to make a film when it came from within and he had something personal to express. The account is his own description of how he approaches choosing a project.
Berger recalled returning to filmmaking with screenwriter Nele Mueller-Stoefen on Jack, a low-budget 2014 film about two brothers in Berlin. Filmportal.de lists Jack among his feature films and records its 2015 German Film Award in silver for best feature film.
Berger said interest in Jack from British and American film-industry figures helped open a path to Conclave. The Hollywood Reporter described that Vatican-set film as mostly shot at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, a location Berger praised. It reported a worldwide gross of $127 million and eight Academy Award nominations.
Berger said he aims to keep three or four projects in development at once. Scripts or family circumstances can cause plans to change, he added, making the choice of what to pursue a continuing part of his work rather than a decision settled by the release format alone.
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Sources and context
- Edward Berger Talks Filmmaking in a Streaming Age: “The Movie Industry Needed Netflix to Wake Up”The Hollywood Reporter
- Edward Bergerfilmportal.de
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
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