Netflix, this American troublemaker that French cinema loves to hate

Professionals in the industry believe that the platform at best ignores them, at worst the leses. They would like the group to finance the 7th art.

Time to Reading 3 min.

Subscribers article

Few happy, many discontented. The rare directors who work with Netflix, like Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh, Bong Joon-ho or Alfonso Cuaron, praise this group who finance their films without flinching. But the movie theater operators and most of the community are still standing up against this video-on-demand platform that at best ignores them, at worst, they say, leses them. The films produced by Netflix are more or less skipping the cinema box – and the classic liturgy of cinema exploitation in television, DVD, and so on. after the room, to be directly offered to more than 158 million paying subscribers in the world.

Article reserved for our subscribers Read also Apple, Disney, Netflix … In video streaming, the war for the throne is declared

Martin Scorsese has every opportunity to rejoice: for his latest opus, The Irishman, which was to be released in some American theaters onst November before being online Nov. 27, Netflix has disbursed $ 160 million (144.1 million euros). A drop of water in the $ 12 billion he devotes to series, documentaries and the sixty films produced this year.

Despite all his talent and recognition in Hollywood, the author of Casino was rejected by the studios before turning to Reed Hastings, the director of Netflix. The latter gave him carte blanche for this mafia gangster movie which required 117 filming locations and the use of a process that would bring screen rejuvenation to at least three decades Robert de Niro and Al Pacino …

Article reserved for our subscribers Read also How France wants to force Netflix and Amazon to finance the French creation

Netflix is ​​now broadening its palette by funding horror movies like Eli, from Ciaran Foy, or comedies like Dolemite Is My Name, from Craig Brewer. Stupid data on its hearings, Netflix was nevertheless very pleased with the success of commuters, co-directed by Leila Sy and rapper Kery James (2.63 million households between October 12 and 19). The filmmakers prefer that their projects be born with a global audience, even if it means giving up the room.

Accumulation of rewards

While Hollywood studios are focusing on the exploitation of superhero licenses and the latest suites of their blockbusters, Netflix moved into this cinema that they abandon: that of independent filmmakers.

If, for some movies, Netflix makes express theatrical releases in Los Angeles County, it is only to get the sesame required for the Oscar race. This rule will not change and, for this reason, Reed Hastings has been negotiating since May the acquisition of the mythical cinema The Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here