Netflix is giving theaters homeowners a Thanksgiving current.
The streaming big introduced on Thursday that “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Thriller” might be launched in round 600 theaters throughout the US for one week starting on Nov. 23 earlier than changing into out there to stream world wide on Dec. 23.
The most important theater chains — AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark — have all agreed to the deal, a primary for the highest exhibitors. Cinemark has screened Netflix movies up to now. However Regal and AMC have beforehand refused to work with the corporate as a result of it might not conform to the unique theatrical launch durations and monetary phrases which might be often supplied by conventional studios. Phrases of the deal for “Glass Onion” weren’t disclosed.
But the information now comes as a welcome aid to the trade after the previous month, which noticed theaters generate simply $328 million in ticket gross sales. That was the bottom quantity in September for the reason that similar interval in 1996, except for the pandemic yr of 2020. The unique “Knives Out,” starring Daniel Craig because the quirky detective Benoit Blanc, was a sleeper hit n 2019. It price $40 million to make and grossed $165 million in North American theaters and $311 million worldwide. It was thought of a main instance of how studios may efficiently launch movies primarily based on unique concepts in theaters.
However the possibilities of replicating that theatrical success appeared to be squashed final yr when Netflix plunked down $465 million for the writer-director Rian Johnson to maneuver his star-studded franchise to the streaming service for its subsequent two iterations.
“I’m over the moon that Netflix has labored with AMC, Regal and Cinemark to get ‘Glass Onion’ in theaters for this one in every of a sort sneak preview,” Mr. Johnson mentioned in a press release. “These films are made to thrill audiences, and I can’t wait to really feel the vitality of the gang as they expertise ‘Glass Onion.’”
The raucous reception for the movie at its debut on the Toronto Movie Competition final month impressed Netflix to pursue a extra expansive theatrical technique than it has for different movies.
Whether or not this growth implies that Netflix is prepared to take a extra conventional strategy to theatrical distribution going ahead stays to be seen. The streaming service mentioned it additionally didn’t plan to publicly report how the movie did on the field workplace throughout its weeklong run.
Additionally, Netflix has no intention of reporting its field workplace grosses for the stunt on the finish of its one-week run.