Netflix knows people don’t take its movies seriously. The streaming giant has earned a reputation for taking projects that other studios have passed on or were too nervous to bring to theaters.
While the streaming giant is the reigning champion when it comes to television, their original films haven’t quite hit the same note with viewers, something that they’re hoping to change with a series of upcoming projects and a new strategy. Insiders at the company told The Hollywood Reporter that Scott Stuber, the former Universal executive who has been the chief of Netflix’s film division for nearly two years, is hoping to steer his division to be more selective with projects, though he is aware that the film unit currently has a reputation for taking on the discarded projects that other studios were throwing out the door.
Netflix film division chief Scott Stuber is looking for a “watercooler movie” that will launch Netflix original movies to the same level of prestige as Netflix TV. Something that will rival the pop culture clout of Stranger Things or the award-winning streaks of The Crown. But how does he plan to do it? According to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter: more tentpoles. Oh, and more prestige movies too.
The team is informing producers and agents that they want blockbusters: Movies as big as the hits churned out by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or the Lord of the Rings franchise. They are also looking for prestigious projects that could be marketed for awards — a clear push to build their film division to the high standards of the TV side of the company. Netflix’s original TV shows have a whopping 112 Emmy nominations going into this fall’s award show, edging out HBO for the most nods from one network.
The report lists high-profile projects such as Ethan and Joel Coen’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, Paul Greengrass’ 22 July, and a reconstructed version of Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind, as the vanguard in Stuber’s Netflix film strategy. With Netflix backing buzzy projects from acclaimed, award-winning directors — and premiering all of them at the esteemed Venice Film Festival, no less — it could land the company that sought-after “watercooler movie.” Or they could fall by the wayside like Netflix’s other award-bid movies (justice for Mudbound).
Chief content officer Ted Sarandos reportedly teased “we’re also doing a lot of the big event films with A-list directors” but “it will take another year or so as we get into it.” That includes committing between $150 million and $170 million for Michael Bay’s next big film, Six Underground, an action film starring Ryan Reynolds. Netflix is also spending big on Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, which is said to have a budget between $120-150 million. And of course, there’s the big-budget Bright 2.
So what does the future of Netflix movies look like? It’s too soon to know for sure, but expect bigger names and even bigger cash-loads as Netflix aggressively woos filmmakers for its dream of a “watercooler movie.”
(Excerpts) Read More at: SlashFilm.com and CBR.com
