(Los Angeles) Online streaming platform Netflix, long accused of being the gravedigger of cinema, has just forged an unprecedented alliance with three major networks of darkrooms in the United States, giving them the first to produce the second work from Knives Out show franchise.
Posted at 6:54 p.m
Glass Onion: A Daggers Drawn Story, a mystery film starring British star Daniel Craig as the astute detective, will hit theaters for a week from November 23-29, according to a statement released Thursday.
The online distribution giant has reached an agreement with three major American cinema networks, Regal, AMC and Cineworld, to grant them this exclusivity: subscribers to the platform will have to wait until December 23 to see the film at home.
The feature film will be shown in only 600 cinemas, mainly in the United States and in other markets such as the UK, Spain, Australia or Germany, but not in France.
This connection between Reed Hastings’ group and cinemas is a small revolution: Until now, Netflix has allowed itself to invade dark rooms during festivals for marketing purposes or have its films compete for the Oscars, but had never made such a deal.
” I’m so happy […]. These films are designed to engage audiences and I can’t wait to feel the energy of the crowd,” director Rian Johnson said in the statement.
Netflix spent more than $460 million last year to buy the rights to the blockbuster Knives Out.
Cinemas are currently trying to bring back part of the audience that deserted after the pandemic. On the other hand, fierce competition between platforms (Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max) is causing growing pains for Netflix. The industry veteran lost nearly 1.2 million subscribers in the first half of the year, a first in a decade.
In this context, the cinema network AMC welcomed this marriage of convenience.
“Cinema halls and digital distribution platforms can continue to coexist,” said her boss Adam Aron, who is quoted in a press release and wants “more cooperation between AMC and Netflix”.
By coordinating the release of a blockbuster like this, “theaters make more money by being able to show more titles, and thanks to the greater cultural resonance these films can get from a theatrical release, they eventually get released to a wider audience. They will, too.” viewed on online streaming platforms,” he said.