Netflix stands by limited theatrical releases, unlimited Dave Chappelle specials
Netflix boss Reed Hastings is fine missing out Glass Onion box office dollars, is happy to spend more on Dave Chappelle
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Netflix is nothing if not faithful to its strategy, even when it’s struggling with subscriber numbers. In a recent conversation at the New York Times DealBook conference in NYC, the streamer’s founder and co-CEO Reed Hastings acknowledged that the service should have adopted an advertising model like Hulu’s sooner. Otherwise, though, he was steadfast about the Netflix model, even when admitting that they left “lots” of money on the table surrounding the theatrical release of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
“It’s a promotional tactic like film festivals, and if it works well we will do more of it,” Hastings said of the film’s limited release (per The Hollywood Reporter). “We are not trying to build a theatrical business, we are trying to break through the noise.”
Glass Onion director Rian Johnson has been an advocate for seeing the movie in theaters, despite entering a deal with a company that is not super friendly to theaters. In a previous THR interview, the filmmaker pointed out the deal was made during a time when “[the] big theatrical release just didn’t exist” (during the pandemic). However, he said he hoped that a successful theatrical run of the film would prove “to everybody, most of all Netflix, that these two things can coexist.”
What Hastings envisions sounds less like a coexistence than a sort of parasitical relationship, wherein the service that helped kill theaters is now taking advantage of the theaters only to further boost the service. Whether this helps Netflix’s own declining numbers remains to be seen. But Hastings is fully devoted to The Netflix Way, which includes the company’s support for its relationship with the “very entertaining and provocative” Dave Chappelle. “That special was one of the most entertaining watch specials we’ve ever had,” he said of The Closer. “We would do it again and again.”
Passing up millions of dollars and supporting without reservation an increasingly controversial entertainer is certainly a visionary strategy. By the way, at the same event, Hastings called Elon Musk “the bravest, most creative person on the planet” and said he’s “100 percent convinced that [Musk] is trying to help the world in all his endeavors,” so you can definitely trust his judgment!
57 Comments
Good, Chappelle is worth it. Can’t wait for more specials! They are always great and well received by audiences.
He’s really not worth it. Definitely not culturally (Chappelle is basically flushing his own reputation down the toilet at the moment), and certainly not economically.This Bloomberg article actually sums up the problem quite well (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-13/netflix-staff-raised-concerns-about-dave-chappelle-special-before-release), but to summarize: “The Closer” cost more than “Squid Game”, but one of those was critically-acclaimed and began a new franchise for Netflix, and one of them was instantly viewed by many as regressive and unfunny.Before you ask: I did watch “The Closer” all the way through. There’s one good joke in there, and that’s it.
Oh good, we had all been waiting for you to tell us how many good jokes there were.
Critics hated the Closer. Audiences for the most part loved it. It got huge ratings. Twitter consensus isn’t reality believe it or not…
Hey your opinion is noted, thanks! Your article doesn’t prove your claims, just shows netflix employees are hypocrites.
“They are always great and well received by audiences.”Including the guy who tried to stab him?
Ever wonder which username on here that attempted stabber had?
Especially that guy! What says “superfan” more than “I’m willing to go to jail for you?!” /s
Who said everyone in the audience was a superfan?I said he is well received by audiences, and he is. One worthless motherfucker who tried to get violent doesn’t represent the entire audience.
Nothing you said negates my point son, you wanna try again?
It was a question, dad. I’d ask if you want to try again at answering it, but I really don’t give a shit what your answer is. Have a nice night.
Lil’ homie is trying to “destroy liberals” or whatever. Because online scrums between random strangers? Totally something that someone can “win.” They send you a trophy and everything.Also, Hi, chest! You’re still a weird lil’ shit who legitimately thinks that “cancel culture” is an existential threat to the country (it isn’t – at all). ;-*
You forgot to mention Ben Shapiro again kiddo! You’re slipping.Let us play a fun game: show me where I said it is an existential threat. I just correctly noted it does exist. Keep going, kid?
Concession noted.
Well, they’re consistent.
Just here for the usual “cancel culture” whinging on the part of people who do not have any sense of perspective whatsoever.
Yeah, it’s definitely believable up there when you pretended you’re a happy person.
whinging?
So, just to recap, you clicked on this comment section just to hate-read the complaints of some people that you dislike, and then felt the need to inform us of that with this post that’s absolutely dripping with unearned smugness? Sounds like a very fulfilling life that you lead!
Ah, I love when hit dogs holler. 😘
“Reed Hastings praised Elon Musk and said Dave Chappelle will keep coming and coming”What an absolute piece of fucking dogshit trash. I hope his children die of leukemia.
I was hoping you were joking, but ugh:And he also heaped praise on Elon Musk, calling the Tesla CEO and Twitter owner “the bravest, most creative person on the planet.”While admitting “his style is different” than his own (“I’m trying to be a respectable leader, he’s just out there”), Hastings said that “I am 100 percent convinced that he is trying to help the world in all his endeavors,” and that the Twitter deal was driven by his desire to enhance free speech online.
Which is even more interesting given that The Glass Onion has some, uh, shall we say, pretty pointed things to say about people like Elon Musk, and those who think their eccentricities and madness are really just brilliance.
Nah. I hope his children murder him.
That’s because you’re a terrible, hateful person. Consider going to therapy.
Does anyone remember the days when we were all happy and laughing? You’d wake up in the morning, watch the TV a bit, eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and slowly get ready for the day… Then you’d see all your friends, talk about the coolest things in pop culture, learn some stuff, get some work done, and at the end of the day you’d just go home, relax with some video games, music, movies, or maybe some more TV.But here we are… Doing whatever this is…
I mean…do you not still do that? I do. I think people vastly overestimate the amount of time people (any, all) spend legitimately worrying about this shit. It’s a drop in the bucket. The Internet just makes it have a louder “PLOP!”
I know, but all of this used to feel good. Maybe it still does to a lot of people, but I can’t help but wish things were different.
I feel ya. It’s been a rough modern era. On many fronts.
I too long for the days when nobody confronted affluent white men like me with all the things we do that marginalize and abuse women and people of color.
What a cuck.
Oh I’m sorry I’ll go back into my time machine and find an era in history where eveything was hunky dorey and there wasn’t some big issue that overshadowed the casual aspects of life. Was it Aids for the 80s? Oil crisis in the 70s? Nuclear Armageddon in the 60s? Or was it Civil Rights in the 50s? Its only this laid back if your ignorant or a literal child.
you’re*And what about the 90s?
Gulf War, race riots, militia movements, growing terrorism, fall of the Soviet Union, Bosnia, genocide, take your pick.
I’m gonna pick the Gulf War, because we technically won that conflict, Militia Movements, because that doesn’t mean anything—there’s been a militia movement somewhere in the world just about every month since the dawn of war, and The Fall of the Soviet Union, because that was a good thing.I get your point in basically saying: “No decade in history has ever been good.” And while I would love to cynically and pessimistically agree with you… on a historical and economical front, you have to admit that the 90s kinda ruled.
Well with militia movements that’s a general way of saying Ruby Ridge, Waco and eventually ending with Oklahoma City, a lot of those movements are still around and were involved in January 6th. Fall of the Soviet Union was “good” for the US but brought a lot of instability to Eastern Europe and the ramifcations are very much felt with the Ukraine war. Also eh, every decade has its ups and downs. Lot of my favorite films are from the 1990s, but I can’t give a blanket this decade was good statement.
Then by an engrossed understanding, no decade or year could ever be described as good—a notion that means there is nothing overwhelmingly positive. But that would be a matter of perspective or privilege, and not ignorance or infantilization.For example, if I say that the year 2021 was a great year because it was the year I got married (January) and had my first child (November), then those that respond by angrily to reminding me that it was also the year that seditionists tried to overrun the US Capitol and subvert an election—they tend to lack perspective, which is also a form of ignorance. Of course I will remember that day, I don’t need anyone to remind me, but it’s not nearly as important as my wedding or the birth of my child, so all in all, that doesn’t make it a bad year to me. Some could accuse that level of optimism as being the product of privilege, but I’m not at all the first or only person to get married and have a child that year (an uncountably common occurrence). I’m also not a white person and I didn’t grow up well off, so the accusation of “privilege” is an odd choice.If I remove my Nostalgia Goggles, then yes, I can see the 90s as a somewhat problematic time. But regardless, like many children from the 90s could acknowledge, that was a great time to be alive—considering how to 2000s would play out (practically worse in every way imaginable).Gulf War? Iraq War…
Growing terrorism? Al-Qaeda and ISIS…
Ruby Ridge, Waco, Oklahoma City? 9/11…
Race riots following Rodney King? Race riots following Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Sylville Smith, Keith Lamont Scott, DeAndre Harris, and George Floyd…
Fall of the Soviet Union? Russian annexation of Crimea…
Bosnia? Russo-Georgian War and Russo-Ukrainian War…
Genocide? The Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka, the Uyghur Genocide in China, and the Rohingya Genocide in Myanmar…And what about mass shootings? Well, we have Las Vegas, The Orlando Nightclub, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and The Sutherland Springs Church… Those are the Top 5 Deadliest in US history and they all occurred after the year 2007. Statistically, the 1990s only have 2 mass shootings in the Top 30 Deadliest (The Luby’s Shooting in 1991 and Columbine High School in 1999), while the post-2000s have 20 mass shoots in the Top 30.So yeah… while not great, the 90s were much better than the decades that followed.But that’s my opinion.
I don’t know, I think for a lot of LGBTQ kids, the 2000s are objectively better than the 90s. Only in the last 20 years did we get legalized gay marriage, the end of don’t ask/don’t tell and more widespread acknowledgement and acceptance. Things aren’t great everywhere now (and I’d argue that it seems especially terrible BECAUSE the increased mainstream acceptance is making fascists double-down) but as someone who teaches in public schools now and who attended public schools in the 90s, things have gotten significantly better for queer kids in the major cities over the last 20 years. Way more knowledge, resources, support and acceptance. But also: “I’m not white so you can go ahead and put that privilege card away,” is so fucking gross. Yikes, dude there are many kinds of privilege, that you seem to be willfully ignorant about. Class is the first one I thought of when reading responses to your post. Clarence Thomas, for example, frequently speaks from a position of privilege and uses his platform to advance white supremacist arguments, despite not being white. And if you’re arguing that things were better before marginalized groups had a voice via the internet -I don’t care what race you are. No one is saying that you shouldn’t enjoy your life. No one said “there is nothing overwhelmingly positive” – jesus, what a melodramatic reach. But if you want to label a time when millions of people were suffering as the “good” or “better” years, you shouldn’t be surprised when people argue with you about it. I think it’s insane that you’re fighting this hard on this, maybe just accept that no one else is as rosy about the 90s as you are and move on?
Sir I’m a trans woman, I’m not ashamed of that fact but its what I am. The current decade is shit but its still a marked improvement in LGBTQ rights compared to the 1990s. I’ll take Euphoria over the Crying Game and Ace Ventura when it comes to cultural depictions. Every decade has its advantages and disadvantages for certain groups. Saying one is better for personal reasons or some specific event is absurd. Its akin to saying 1710 a pretty good decade because of all the piracy. Look, I had good personal events happen to me in 2016. Was it a good year overall? Nope. Look beyond ones self.
Hello there! I also really enjoyed the 90s. It’s okay to have enjoyed the 90s. Congratulations on your marriage and your child, and you have not said anything wrong or even objectionable from a reasonable standpoint. Peace to you and yours!
The 90’s were racist, misogynistic and homophobic as fuck. Your privilege is showing
I’m not white so you can go ahead and put that privilege card away.And what? Do you think now is better? After we just had a racist, misogynistic, homophobic, AND seditionist asshole run the country for 4 years with the nightmarishly looming prospect of another presidential run/win…
Yes, I do remember being a well-off child.
I see you’re now just adjusting to adulthood.
I blame Kinja. And E.Buzzmiller.
I don’t, but I’ve been clinically depressed for the majority of my life, so that probably has something to do with it.
Glass Onion was playing at the theater near my house (one of only three in town showing it). My Monday night screening was almost sold out. They actually added a screening for the next day because demand seemed to be so high. It seems like they could’ve at least kept it around for a second weekend without blowing their limited release model (still would’ve only been 11 days total).
Two weeks for limited engagement is pretty standard yeah. That’s what I was hoping, foolishly.
It’s baffling that this man went to an interview and thought “you know what’s really gonna go well in this exact moment? Praising Elon Musk”
Just like how so many theatrical bombs nowadays are the ambitious projects greenlit pre-pandemic, this seems like part of the panic-pandemic-dealmaking that’s now stuck where it is.
Shades of greenlighting 5 Fantastic Beast movies, although at least that seems to have died finally.
Netflix has a bunch of stuff I don’t care about, and a very few things I want to watch. To the extent they feel more and more compelled to push the few things I want to watch to theatres for increasingly longer theatrical runs, they increase the incentive for me to stop subscribing to the service and just wait to pay the cost for seeing it in the theatre (which is both cheaper than a monthly ad-free subscription and allows me to see it before subscribers to boot). Hastings as the right idea to limit theatrical exposures.
This doesn’t really seem like “news”. Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
I on’t think I need to add anything more insulting then saying this man praised Elon Musk. You think this guy has the clout and understanding to see trans issues? The fucker probably thinks Trumps a real billionaire and that billionaires are smart purely because they have the word billionaire attached to their name like cement. Frankly, Hastings and Chappelle deserve each other.
All you need to know is that the CEO of Netflix is an Elon Musk fanboy.
I notice that while Hastings praised Musk, he still took the time to mention how he does things very differently to him. Don’t want to suggest you’re following the man’s example unless you want to see stock prices tumble.
Chappelle is more famous now for who he’s decided to rep, rather than his content. I’m fine letting him go inhabit the same sad little hill with the TERFs and Chick-fil-E, and hopefully the better creators will drift to other platforms so I can pitch Netflix too.