Netflix's Next Big Move

Feb 7
2 min read

Updated: Feb 12

Netflix in 2023 began cracking down on password sharing due to ongoing issues with growth. Netflix as a publicly traded company has a responsibility to increase value and growth for its shareholders. When it inevitably begins showing significant signs of struggle once more Netflix may very well begin having wide theatrical releases or day-and-date releases in which films premiere on Netflix and in-theaters simultaneously— easily able to outperform Mubi’s business model on a whim.

As BoxOffis previously reported, Five Nights at Freddy’s in 2022 generated $297M worldwide when released day-and-date on Peacock; therefore, as troubled as the movie going experience may be, the experience of seeing a film at the movie theaters offers.

Movie theaters have even changed in their function acting more like showrooms for a diverse including concert films, live events, and now album release parties. Theatrical events have even began to mimick a streaming model with television-like episodic projects such as Angel Studio’s The Chosen, Kevin Costner’s Horizon, and even the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become an episodic saga in which installments depend on one another.

With the final season of Stranger Things being released this holiday season in three separate phases (4 episodes, 3 episodes, 1 episode), imagine the insane amount of profit from a wide theatrical or even a limited release similar to KPop Demon Hunters.

Even Netflix as the most successful streamer is no stranger to arthouse cinema. Back in 2018, Netflix premiered Roma by legendary director Alfonso Cuarón at Venice and in 2024 purchased Emilia Perez at Cannes, a musical which follows the journey of a powerful drug lord transitioning to a woman.

Note: This small feature was saved as a draft on September 29th and originally intended to be a complementary piece for “Who Be Mubi”. I regretfully chose not to include this because it made the article too convoluted and Netflix would in fact chose to give Stranger Things a theatrical release as I anticipated—even more interesting considering the sale of the legendary Warner Bros studio.