A limited theatrical release can entice Oscar voters as well as movie stars and filmmakers still on the fence about Netflix.
Sandra Bullock in ‘Bird Box.’ Netflix
Netflix is bending its own rules in terms of how its films are distributed. While the streaming giant has offered some of its features ( Beasts of No Nation, Mudbound, 22 July, etc.) in very limited theatrical release on the same day as their streaming debuts, things will be a little different this Oscar season. For three big releases, one of which is a major-league Oscar contender, Netflix will be offering a limited theatrical engagement prior to their online releases. So, yes, the company is willing to admit that, at least as far as chasing Oscars and chasing movies stars go, movie theaters still matter.
To wit, Alfonso Cuarón’s allegedly superb Roma, which has earned rave reviews on the festival circuit and is considered among the top front-runners for the Best Picture statuette, will open in New York, Los Angeles and Mexico on Nov. 21 (because Thanksgiving weekend wasn’t crowded enough) before slightly expanding on Nov. 29 and Dec. 7. It’ll debut on Netflix as planned on Dec. 14. I don’t know if the movie will remain in theaters (if demand justifies it or not) after the streaming debut, or if Netflix will release box office numbers for the theatrical engagements. But this is entirely 100% about chasing Oscar glory.
Ditto the Coen Brothers.’ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, which will open in four theaters in NY, LA, San Francisco and London on Nov. 9. The western will debut on Netflix on Nov. 16 and will expand theatrically in North America and Europe. Bird Box, a sci-fi thriller starring Sandra Bullock (think A Quiet Place but with vision instead of hearing) is not an Oscar contender. However, it may be a test case for slight theatrical releases for Netflix “blockbuster” titles. It’ll open on Dec. 13 in the same four markets as Ballad of Buster Scruggs and will also expand in North America and Europe after its Dec. 21 Netflix debut.
Roma is the big one, as that acclaimed black-and-white early 1970’s drama would be an even more likely Best Picture contender if it was coming from the likes of Fox Searchlight or Focus Features. They clearly don’t care about making money in theaters, since the first two weeks of December are nearly empty anyway. No, this is about going for the gold, even if it’s just Netflix’s first Best Picture nomination (and possibly their first Best Foreign Language Feature win for the Spanish-language drama), and waiting until mid-to-late December hasn’t worked since Million Dollar Baby. The King’s Speech and The Artist opened over Thanksgiving weekend while The Shape of Water and Slumdog Millionaire opened just before/after Thanksgiving.
We’ll see if voters feel any differently about Roma being a kinda-sorta theatrical release. It’s not Netflix has gone all Christmas Carol and rediscovered the glory of theatrical exhibition. This is a means to an end, but it’s good news for folks wanting to see Netflix’s bigger and more prestigious movies in an actual theater. Bird Box is arguably about testing the waters for limited theatrical releases as a carrot to tempt bigger filmmakers and performers. If Netflix can promise both the kind of movies Hollywood doesn’t make anymore (or that moviegoers no longer see in multiplexes) along with a limited theatrical engagement, then that may be the ballgame for any number of esteemed holdouts.
As such, we can expect a limited theatrical run for Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman when the time comes. A limited engagement is a different beast than, for example, Netflix releasing Bright 2 in 2,500 theaters a week before its streaming debut. That may be a pipe dream for movie lovers outside of New York and LA, since I can’t imagine AMC or Regal allowing such films to play in their theaters under such conditions. Still, as long as a relentlessly grim and hyper-violent drama like Paul Greengrass’s 22 July can nab at least 14.5 million viewings in its first three weeks, Netflix can view theaters as a variable to be used or ignored as they see fit.
I’ve studied the film industry, both academically and informally, and with an emphasis in box office analysis, for 28 years. I have extensively written about all of said subjects for the last ten years. My outlets for film criticism, box office commentary, and film-skewing s…
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