Netflix has been churning out films in recent years, but they have often been mediocre and quickly forgotten. The streaming service now wants to change that.
Damsel: The Netflix fantasy film with “Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown. (Source: Netflix)
In 2017, Scott Stuber was named head of Netflix’s film division. His task was clear: Until now, Netflix had hardly played a role in the world of films, but that should change. Stuber then turned to actors and star directors with bags full of money and big promises.
They were offered creative freedom, in return they just had to get used to the idea that their film would only be released on stream and not in the cinema. Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuarón and Bradley Cooper followed this call, as did Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Gosling.
This is how films like “The Irishman”, “Roma”, “Maestro”, “The Gray Man” and “Red Notice” were created, which briefly brought Netflix good viewing figures (or Oscar nominations, although hardly any profits). But was this system worth it?
quality not quantity The Irishman (Source: Netflix)
In 2021, Netflix’s film production reached its peak with the promise of releasing a new film every week. They stuck to this, but internally Netflix was not satisfied with the results.
In April 2024 there was a change in leadership. Scott Stuber was once, now the streaming service has all its hopes in Dan Lin. Lin previously oversaw Disney’s live-action remake of “Aladdin” and Warner’s “IT” and “Lego” film franchises. Now he should use his knack for success on Netflix and he won’t let anything go wrong.
After laying off 15 people from Netflix’s 150-person film crew, Lin unveiled his new plan, the New York Times reports. Stars are no longer paid handsomely in advance, but receive more money later if their film is a success – a practice that has always been used by traditional film studios.
In addition, the focus is no longer on expensive action films; instead, the offering should be more broad and address every possible interest of subscribers. A big budget doesn’t necessarily mean quality, and under Lin, Netflix’s sole goal is no longer to make big blockbusters or smaller Oscar hopefuls.
However, one thing will not change: Netflix films will remain streaming films. Even though some titles have been shown on the big screen for a short time in the past, the streaming service is still not planning any cinema releases lasting several months.
Can you recognize these 13 films from just one picture?
(Source: Themoviedb.org)
An easy start
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