Netflix Tests Theatrical Slate Waters- Again!

Ah, Netflix. If it seems like the once-giant of the streaming industry has found itself on the back foot a little in recent months, you’d not be wrong. It seems that they’re quite eager to introduce a flurry of changes to their working model to find out what sticks. And their shoddy Q2 financial results have imparted a sense of urgency to the whole matter. Interestingly, we’re once again seeing the issue of theatrical releases (or the lack thereof) for Netflix rear its head- Blake & Wang entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, has the full details.

22 Films to Theater this Fall Alone

Netflix is now due to send 22 films in total to theaters this fall- including the Glass Onion sequel many have been waiting for. Ironically, this means that the streamer that once turned exhibitors heads entirely the wrong way may now be their largest supplier of fresh release fodder, at least for this season.

Not that these are massive releases. Many seem scheduled, in fact, to simply meet the newly-reinstated Oscar criteria. That is, one week of runtime in one of the six key metro areas the Oscars recognizes. All the same, there’s a definite sense in the air that this might not be the only reason for the flurry of theatrical releases, which will include White Noise and Bardo as well as the Glass Onion sequel. White Noise (at 35 days) and Bardo(at 42) have received very close to the new-normal full run. They’ve also been scheduled in prime awards-season release slots, but for those, that was already expected. Compare that to last year’s Best Director winner, The Power of the Dog, which only got 2 weeks of theatrical time anywhere outside of Netflix’s own the Paris Theater. It’s not their longest historically, however, with 2018’s Oscar triple-winner, Roma, getting three full weeks, and 2019s Marriage Story getting four late in 2019. However, it’s some the highest and widest theatrical windows we’ve seen from Netflix in many years, and a notable shift in their recent trends.

Other Notable Releases

We’ve also seen some promised releases, including Glass Onion, with no confirmed length or timing. This also includes Toronto International Film Festival opener, The Swimmers, Blonde (now scheduled for September) and All Quiet on the Western Front, pegged for German entry in the Best International Picture category. It’s also across a very diverse set of categories- from that International Picture entrant through documentaries (Is That Black Enough for You?!? and In Her Hands) to child-centric fare (the stop-motion Pinocchio and Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical). There’s even light-and breezy Falling for Christmas, which cannot be construed as Awards Season fare at all.

So, instead of grudging Oscar-aimed releases at the minimal time, it seems Netflix is finally recognizing the value that a strong theatrical release can bring to the table on its own merits. Especially for the budgetary bottom line performance of films. While it’s too early to know if this will be an ongoing shift, it’s not unreasonable to take it as a strong trial for what can be done with a theatrical partnership on board- and the ramifications will be interesting indeed to follow.