Netflix is Planning To Make Big Marvel and Lord of the Rings-Style Films and Build More Prestige
Netflix produces a lot of great TV series, but the films that develop have been hit and miss... mostly miss. Netflix is known for buying up film projects that studios don't want, and some people feel that Netflix has become kind of a dumping ground for bad and mediocre films.
Netflix is looking to change that, though! They are looking to change the way that people see their original films. To do that they are going to start producing more big blockbuster-type films and films that have more prestige.
According to Netflix film division chief Scott Stuber, they are looking to create what they call a "watercooler movie" which they hope will build the Netflix original movies to the same level as what they have been doing with Netflix TV.
It's not impossible! All they need to do is find the right kind of content and creative talent. According to THR, they are looking at making big Marvel-style superhero films and epic Lord of the Rings-style fantasy movies.
His team now is telling agents and producers they want movies as big as Marvel superhero pics and Lord of the Rings-style fantasy fare or prestige projects they can campaign for awards. Netflix is also planning more rom-coms (like the buzzy Set It Up and The Kissing Booth), a genre that internal metrics show is massively watched and has been largely abandoned by major studios (save the current Crazy Rich Asians, which Netflix bid on but lost because its creators wanted the buzz of a theatrical release).
Can they start making films that people will love as much as Stranger Things or award-winning prestigious films that carry the prestige of something like The Crown? Of course, they can! They have the resources, they just need to invest those resources in the right projects and people.
Some of the upcoming high-profile projects that Netflix is currently working on include The Coen Bros. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, Paul Greengrass’ 22 July, and Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. We'll also eventually see a lot of comic book movies based on the work of comic writer Mark Millar, who the streaming service partnered up with. There's also a sequel to Will Smith's Bright in development. The first film may not have revived a lot of critical acclaim, but, it was Netflix's biggest success. So, of course, they'll want to produce more films like that.
Chief content officer Ted Sarandos went on to tease that they are "also doing a lot of the big event films with A-list directors" but it will take a year or so to get those projects rolling. One of those films includes Michael Bay and Ryan Reynold's Six Underground, which they are giving a $170 million budget.
There are big things coming to Netflix and it going to be interesting to see what the future will look like for the streaming service. It certainly sounds exciting, and hope that they can pull off what they are trying to accomplish.
