Netflix Films Chairman Dan Lin said he wants the streaming service to prioritize mid-budget films but avoid working with directors who are committed to theatrical releases.
«"There's a group of filmmakers who still want to release films in theaters. These are the directors we've simply resigned ourselves to and won't work with," he said in a recent interview. The New York Times , noting that the upcoming wide release of the film «Narnia: The Magician's Nephew »"Greta Gerwig is the only exception to the company's stance on movie theaters.
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«"Because I have such a huge slate of projects, my job is very different from that of other studio chairmen," the executive producer said. "I can't impose my tastes on that slate. But I can impose my approach to filmmaking. I can impose my approach to working with filmmakers. I think it's pretty clear to outsiders what I'm striving for: to create beloved films in a specific genre, focusing on diversity and quality, and to make Netflix the best place for filmmakers to work.".
Lin said he'd like to see Netflix produce more comedies, romantic comedies, and book adaptations, pointing to the adaptation of Emily Henry's novel «People We Meet on Vacation» as a prime example of the films he intends to prioritize. (The film, starring Tom Blythe and Emily Bader, performed well in its opening weekend, garnering over 17 million views. Bader plans to star in two more films for the streaming service.)
Besides «Narnia» , Netflix has experimented somewhat with film distribution. The streaming service took first place at the box office for the first time thanks to the film «K-Pop Demon Hunters , which grossed over $19 million in two days. However, despite the Halloween re-release, co-CEO Ted Sarandos emphasized that "the strategy hasn't changed" when asked if the OTT service plans to delve deeper into theatrical release.
In addition, a sequel to David Fincher's film is planned for release. «Once Upon a Time in Hollywood IMAX format. The film will premiere for two weeks around Thanksgiving, after which it will move to the platform on December 23, which is somewhat similar to the strategy used last year for Rian Johnson's film «"Wake up, dead man"» .
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