Netflix needs to open movie theaters, not malls
Netflix has announced their plan for new in-person experience venues, and it’s one big step in the wrong direction.
Netflix’s newly-announced “experimental entertainment venue” plan makes big promises. Replicas of sets, show-inspired restaurants and IP-specific stores will all be waiting, ready to make “that fan fever dream a reality.”
Yes, the clinically-namedNetflix Houseaims to do a lot, except the one thing that the brand really should be doing, which is winning back its audience.
Netflix is a business that wants all the ease of digitally releasing movies, while still earning the prestige from producing award-winning content. Which is why I simply don’t understand why they don’t make the ultimate move and open their own movie theaters.
A special Netflix theater subscription
General audiences love to blame Netflix for the death of the movie theater, and that’s fair. When brilliantnew moviespique interest only to go straight to streaming platforms, it’s like a shot in the heart of anyone who’sgaspingto pay $30 for a movie ticket and popcorn.
It’s like Netflix sees value in some sort of communal space where people with common interests can get together to be entertained.https://t.co/YjtX3MVo2W
Subscription prices have already gone up and are forever shifting. They are the tectonic plates of the streaming landscape, always threatening to send shockwaves into people’s bank accounts. But imagine this: you have the option to pay for a gold-tier membership that will allow you early previews ofNetflix moviesinNetflix theaters.
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If there was a Netflix theater near me, and I had the option to pay a little extra on top of my subscription in order to watch big releases early on the big screen (maybe even a discount at the concession stand), then I would seriously consider it at the very least.
Netflix spends a lot of time making themselves look like the arch nemesis of theatrical distribution. Why not become a part of it? It was, after all, the first major streaming service to produce a movie that earned an Academy Award nomination (2014’s The Square). There’s skin in the game to be had, and they could play.
If the platform is so intent on having limited theatrical releases as it is (and holding back on physical media), they should monetize the concept and earn back some modicum of respect from general audiences.
For many moviegoers, if they had the chance to see the newest Alfonso Cuarón, Martin Scorsese, or David Fincher movie (which, lest we forget, are all big-time directors who’ve had subpar theatrical releases thanks to the streaming model) earlier than other theater chains, they would probably pay up to do so.
Netflix movie theaters would go hard
By opening a movie theater chain, Netflix could also cash-in on the biggest want from movie-lovers: a good cinematic experience. It doesn’t need to be a chain with thousands of locations — but one or two well-built theaters with good sound and nice picture all underscored by the platform’s signature black-and-red visage might just appeal to many.
You want to sell merch? Sell merch! Limited edition popcorn buckets or t-shirts could still be found behind the counter. Only this time, it’s not in a theme park slash strip mall where one can get a “Bridgerton Breakfast Bash” platter and then go sit in the “Squid Game 3D Experience!”.
Netflix opening a giant retail space that looks on the outside like a cineplex, calling it an “experience venue”, and not putting theaters in it is really funny. Solid bit.https://t.co/BZG7PndyBa
Not only does Netflix’s “mall” experience fail to add anything valuable to its legacy, it’s really a waste of time. Nobodywantsthemed restaurants or special stores — we already have them. We already have live-action experiences for hundreds of films andTV shows, and guaranteed, they’re better and more considered than whatever this will turn out to be.
Netflix says, “there’s a shop that sells that Hellfire Club T-shirt you’ve always wanted.” There’s not a single Stranger Things fan in the world that doesn’t already have a Hellfire shirt. This is the kind of thing Etsy was invented for.
Put that mall back where it came from or so help me
I’m no business mogul, and I’ve never opened up a theater chain, so I know I’m probably reaching for the stars on this one. But maybe I’m not. Maybe I’m just asking that a company worth just under $300 billion put a little aside to make something with purpose.
Oh, you thinkBarbenheimer would have done just as well on Netflix? Put your money where your mouth is and show us. Get some big screens of your own, and then we’ll talk.
Netflix House isn’t a house, it’s a church of cheapness. If you want to expand your brand, there’s at least a half-meaningful way of doing it. Make it elite. Make it a connection between viewers and the thing they’re viewing.
Make it an investment into the industry you’ve helped build then burn.
For more film features, check out our guides to thebest movies of 2024 so farand all themost bingeworthy TV shows. You can also take a look at thehighest-grossing movies of all timeto see what did well in theaters.
