By Ben Pearson/Sept. 14, 2018 4:30 pm EST
Is a Netflix IMAX Deal In The Works?
Instead, he said that his company is “in active discussions with all of the streaming [services] about an IMAX release”, so we may be looking at more than just a Netflix IMAX partnership, but a team-up between the large-screen exhibitor and every streaming service out there – assuming these talks lead to deals. Gelfond called out the fact that many of the streaming services’ original films are lacking an “opening day,” and implied that IMAX was the best way to cut through the clutter of the entertainment marketplace, saying “the number one way to event-size the size [of a movie] is in IMAX.”
“But over time, to me, it’s inevitable that these big blockbusters that people are spending all this money on, are going to have a theatrical release and I think almost certainly an IMAX release.”
Does this mean something like Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma could debut on Netflix’s streaming platform and then come to theaters some time afterward? How many subscribers would pay to see a movie like that on a huge IMAX screen when they’ve already paid to see it at home? Maybe this deal would work in favor of the streaming services around Oscar season, when any of its potential nominees have already been available on streaming but could be given an IMAX run to boost interest and give people a chance to see them presented the best way possible. “As the world changes, we have a duty to experiment with different things,” Gelford said in 2014. Looks like he’s still in the mood to try new things, but we’ll have to see if any of the streaming services are on the same page.
