The theatrical exhibition model is a highly-debated topic these days — but it’s clear that many filmmakers still want it to be, and see it as, the name of the game, including Avatar and Titanic legend James Cameron.
It’s rare for Netflix to release its movies in theaters. Guillermo del Toro’s latest, Frankenstein, had a short theatrical run nationwide in October ahead of its November 7 premiere on the streaming platform, and global phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters hit theaters after its explosive launch on Netflix. Even the final episode of Stranger Things Season 5 will drop in theaters simultaneously with its Netflix premiere.
But Netflix has indicated it won’t change its long-standing view on theaters versus streaming. “There’s no change in the strategy,” CEO Ted Sarandos explained of the company’s policy on theatrical distribution during a recent earnings conference. “Our strategy is to give our members exclusive first-run movies on Netflix.” In fact, Sarandos went on to assert that KPop Demon Hunters only became a sensation “because it was released on Netflix first.”
Last week, Rian Johnson expressed frustration at the limited theatrical release of his new Benoit Blanc Netflix film, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Netflix will release Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery in theaters on November 26, in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, before releasing it on Netflix itself on December 12. But it will only release in “select” theaters, as opposed to nationwide — something that has clearly left the Star Wars: The Last Jedi writer and director unimpressed.
Now, James Cameron has opened up about his feelings on Netflix potentially purchasing Warner Bros. while appearing on the The Town podcast. “Netflix would be a disaster. Sorry, Ted [Sarandos], but geez,” he explained. “Sarandos has gone on the record saying theatrical films are dead. ‘Theatrical is dead. Quote, unquote.’”
In fact, Cameron remains unconvinced that Netflix would truly commit to any meaningful theatrical distribution if it expanded. “It’s sucker bait,” he said. “‘We’ll put the movie out for a week or 10 days. We’ll qualify for Oscar consideration.’ See, I think that’s fundamentally rotten to the core.
“A movie should be made as a movie for theatrical, and the Academy Awards mean nothing to me if they don’t mean theatrical. I think they’ve been co-opted, and I think it’s horrific.”
That said, he’s not opposed to Netflix playing the game if it actually, well, plays the game. “They should be allowed to compete if they put the movie out for a meaningful release in 2,000 theaters for a month,” Cameron noted.
The theatrical exhibition model has proved to be fundamental to cultivate a film’s outreach and, as a result, viewership — and it’s something Netflix isn’t super interested in. Cameron is right that Sarandos has said some scathing things about showing movies theatrically, namely that it’s not necessary, but that would be his response, being the CEO of a streaming platform with a vested interest in the success of other methods.
The reality is that the method still brings people to movies, still sells tickets, and still exceeds expectations on many occasions, especially when there’s an “event movie” on the docket. For example, Wicked: For Good and Cameron’s own Avatar: Fire and Ash are going to bring in a lot of theatrical cash, so it’s clear Cameron knows the value of the model.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
