With the Iconic Los Angeles Hollywood landmark Egyptian theatre being purchased by online streaming giants Netflix inc. The acquisition will be another step closer into the cinematic world’s DNA.

Egyptian theatre was built by Sid Grauman and hosted the first-ever movie premiere in 1922. In more recent times the Egyptian was also the site of Netflix’s Hollywood premiere of “Roma” which divided the industry when it was nominated for a best-picture Oscar this year.

Hollywood’s Stephen Spielberg has not been shy in expressing his views. The Multi-Oscar-winning director became the latest high-profile figure to criticise Netflix, saying its reluctance to release films in cinemas was harming the “motion picture theatrical experience”.

Spielberg’s comments originated in an acceptance speech at the Cinema Audio Society’s awards ceremony, where he received the film-maker award. In his speech he said: “I hope all of us really continue to believe that the greatest contributions we can make as film-makers is to give audiences the motion picture theatrical experience. I’m a firm believer that movie theaters need to be around for ever… There’s nothing like going to a big, dark theatre with people you’ve never met before and having the experience wash over you. That’s something we all truly believe in.”

Netflix released a short statement which read: “We love cinema. Here are some things we also love: Access for people who can’t always afford, or live in towns without, theaters; Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time; Giving filmmakers more ways to share art. These things are not mutually exclusive.”

With Julia Roberts opting for mega budget streamers such as “Amazon series Homecoming”, we asked British actor-producer Pablo Al-Kaalik his views on this tight rope subject.

Should the the current day actor feel any hesitation when opting to work on streamed shows or films? and what are your thoughts on the future of cinema?

“These are amazing times in our industry and naturally there are some split views. I don’t think any actor would feel hesitation when looking at opportunities with streamers. Both Cinema and streaming are unique and equally relevant to their audiences. We have seen streaming grow over the past decade and that’s something we can’t ignore. There’s clearly a demand for it today. Opinions on award eligibility such as Oscars for streamers is a individual opinion which is difficult to sum. In my opinion, if you work on something which is award eligible according to the academy then that’s what it is. For an actor, it’s about delivering your character on screen. Streamers have definitely opened up the industry and created more opportunities for actors”.

“When it comes to the cinema we’ve always had an alternative from the beginning. Before streaming there was DVD and before that there was VHS. So there’s always been a home viewing audience running parallel to the cinema. In my opinion, streaming is just another version of something we’ve all seen before. I0t’s not as alien as it’s being portrayed. With smartphones streaming is even more convenient which has really grown its popularity. “cinema will live forever”. I’m a big fan of streaming and watch a lot of shows or films when flying. But if I want to watch a particular film or experience true special effects then I’ll go to the cinema.

“I agree with Stephen Spielberg’s comment that there nothing like going to a big dark theatre, but also accept the convenience of streaming favorite shows or films.”

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