Netflix is coming in line with more of the traditional norms of theatrical distribution, by pledging to this week to report box office grosses for six of its upcoming releases: “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “La Bola Negra,” David Fincher’s “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,” “The Mosquito Bowl” and “Ink.” These movies will all begin their distribution with an exclusive run in theatres, ranging from 40-60 days, before becoming available to watch on streaming.
In the past, Netflix has been averse to theatrical distribution, with its Co-CEO Ted Sarandos having clearly stated the company is a streaming-first provider and that playing movies in theatres is outdated and inefficient, both the for the company and the audience. On the other hand, the company may have released the theatrical distribution genie from the bottle when it was pursuing a high-profile purchase of Warner Bros. and sought to reassure investors and film industry professionals that it would continue to operate Warner Bros. studios in the traditional manner, distributing its moves to theatres first. Even though Netflix did not win the bidding war to acquire WB, its leaders saw the strong objection that many in the industry had to the company in its pursuit, largely because of its long-standing position against theatrical distribution.
Reporting box office is another indication that the company is taking steps to play by the rules, allowing the ticket sales for its releases to be included in the industry’s weekly reporting, and benefit from the publicity surrounding the movies highlighted in the “Top 5” pronouncements published by news outlets every Sunday afternoon.
