Steven Spielberg doesn't think Netflix movies deserve an Academy Award.

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg

The 71-year-old four-time Academy Award winner has argued that the film and TV streaming site should not be able to win any of the coveted golden statuettes as he believes it has committed to a "television format".

He told ITV News: "Once you commit to a television format, you're a TV movie.

"You certainly, if it's a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar. I don't believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theatres for less than a week should qualify for an Academy Award nomination."

This year, Dee Rees' Netflix movie 'Mudbound' was nominated for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards despite only having a one-week cinema release in New York and Los Angeles.

Spielberg isn't the only filmmaker to slam the streaming site after 'Inception' helmer Christopher Nolan criticised Netflix for not releasing its own movies in cinemas.

The 47-year-old filmmaker admitted that he doesn't understand why the streaming site doesn't send its own exclusive movies to cinemas.

Speaking to Indiewire, Nolan said: "Netflix has a bizarre aversion to supporting theatrical films.

"They have this mindless policy of everything having to be simultaneously streamed and released, which is obviously an untenable model for theatrical presentation.

"So they're not even getting in the game, and I think they're missing a huge opportunity."

And Nolan believes Netflix is used as a kind of way to shut down cinemas.

He said: "I think the investment that Netflix is putting into interesting filmmakers and interesting projects would be more admirable if it weren't being used as some kind of bizarre leverage against shutting down theatres.

"It's so pointless. I don't really get it."