The streaming platform Netflix, long accused of being the gravedigger of cinema, has just forged an unprecedented alliance with three major networks of dark rooms in the United States, leaving them the scoop to project the second opus of the franchise. At daggers drawn.
Glass Onion: a story at loggerheadsa mystery film starring British superstar Daniel Craig as a sagacious detective, will hit theaters for one week from November 23 to 29, according to a statement released Thursday.
The streaming giant has reached an agreement with three major American cinema networks, Regal, AMC and Cineworld, to grant them this exclusivity: platform subscribers will have to wait until December 23 to see the film at home.
The feature film will be screened in only 600 theaters, mainly in the United States and in other markets such as Great Britain, Spain, Australia or Germany, but not in France.
This union between the group of Reed Hastings and cinemas is a small revolution: so far Netflix has authorized incursions into dark rooms for marketing operations at festivals, or to allow its films to compete for the Oscars , but had never made a deal like this.
“I’m in heaven (…). These films are made to thrill the public, and I can’t wait to feel the energy of the crowd”, responded director Rian Johnson, quoted in the press release.
Netflix had spent more than $460 million last year to buy the rights to the franchise At daggers drawnwhich was a huge success at the box office.
Movie theaters are currently trying to bring back some of the audiences who deserted after the pandemic. On the other hand, the fierce competition between platforms (Disney +, Apple TV +, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max) is causing a growing pains at Netflix. The industry veteran lost nearly 1.2 million subscribers in the first half, a first in ten years.
In this context, the AMC cinema network welcomed this marriage of convenience. “Movie theaters and streaming platforms can continue to co-exist”estimated his boss, Adam Aron, quoted in a press release, wishing “more cooperation between AMC and Netflix”.
By coordinating the release of a blockbuster like this, “theaters will make more money by having more titles to show, and, thanks to the greater cultural resonance these films can derive from a theatrical release, they will eventually reach a wider audience when they will also be viewed on streaming platforms”he estimated.