Steven Spielberg 'Not 100 Percent Behind’ Academy Diversity Plan
Steven Spielberg has said that he’s ‘not 100 percent’ behind plans to change the Academy system following this year’s race row.
Among the proposed plans are to take away the membership of Academy members who have not been active in the movie industry for the 10 years or more.
Spielberg, who is up for his 16th nomination this year – Best Picture for 'Bridge of Spies’ – added that he doesn’t think there is any 'latent racism’ within the Academy.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he said: “You have to look back a couple of years, where Lupita [Nyong'o] was recognized for 12 Years a Slave [and] 12 Years a Slave won best picture, you know?
“I don’t believe that there is inherent or dormant racism because of the amount of white Academy members.”
However, he does think that both 'Straight Outta Compton’ and Idris Elba’s performance in the Netflix-produced movie 'Beasts of No Nation’ should have got nominations.
“I’m also not 100 percent sure that taking votes away from Academy members who have paid their dues and maybe are retired now and have done great service - maybe they’ve not won a nomination, which would have given them immunity to the new rules, but they have served proudly and this is their industry too - to strip their votes?
“I’m not 100 percent behind that.”
A row over the Academy’s diversity erupted last month after it emerged that no minority actors had been nominated in any of the acting categories for the second year running.
The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite then emerged, with the likes of Will Smith and Spike Lee now boycotting the annual awards ceremony.
Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said of the planned changes to the voting profile: “'The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up.
“These new measures regarding governance and voting will have an immediate impact and begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition.”
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Image credits: TV Guide/Netflix
