Netflix Announces a Major Theater Strategy Change

Netflix is changing its long-running relationship with movie theaters. After years of keeping box-office results private, the streaming giant will report theatrical returns for six upcoming films, according to Variety. The movies are La Bola Negra, arriving Oct. 16, The Mosquito Bowl on Oct. 30, The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth on Nov. 25, Ink on Dec. 11, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew on Feb. 12, 2027, and Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory on Nov. 5, 2027. The move comes after Netflix briefly considered acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery. It also follows KPop: Demon Hunters becoming Netflix’s first movie to receive a reported box-office number one. One executive at a rival studio told Variety the Warner Bros. deal may have forced Netflix to rethink its position. “The real question is ‘What does Netflix want to be now?’ Having almost bought Warner Bros. Discovery, you get the sense that they can’t put some of that toothpaste back in the tube.” Several of the films will receive theatrical runs lasting more than 45 days, which has become the new industry standard. The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth will be Netflix’s first movie released in IMAX. Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: Th...