Award-winning American film director Steven Spielberg has just signed a new deal with Netflix. The movie streaming service is joining forces with Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Partners, to make several films each year. The partnership is a big step for Netflix as it faces competition from other streaming services. The deal announced Monday does not specifically include any movies that Spielberg will direct himself. For example, in December, he will release the musical film “West Side Story” with Disney’s company 20th Century Studios. Amblin also has a separate deal with Universal Pictures for film releases. In a statement, Spielberg said that storytelling will always be “at the center of everything we do.” And when he and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos began talks, he knew this would be great way to tell new stories and reach new audiences. The statement goes on to say that the partnership will be very satisfying for Spielberg personally, and he cannot wait to get started with the Netflix team. Amblin Partners takes its name from a 1968 film short by Spielberg. The company has helped produce many films outside of those made my Spielberg, including “1917” and “Green Book.” Netflix and Amblin have worked together in the past on television series. They also worked together on “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” a film directed by Aaron Sorkin. It was co-produced by Amblin and sold by Paramount Pictures to Netflix during the pandemic. Spielberg has in the past been known as someone who opposes movie streaming. A headline from the news website Deadline.com on Monday asked if hell had frozen over. The expression suggests that the impossible has happened: Spielberg finally accepts the streaming of movies. But in 2019, he said that he was not against it, adding that people have mistakenly believed that about him.