Netflix Exec Has A “Good Friendship” With Christopher Nolan Despite His Lack Of Interest In Streaming Movies

Netflix executive Ted Sarandos has a “good friendship” with Christopher Nolan despite the director’s lack of interest in streaming movies. One of the leading filmmakers of the 21st century, Nolan’s latest movie Oppenheimer made nearly $1 billion and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and he is currently filming his next project, The Odyssey. Nolan is also one of the most outspoken advocates of the theatrical experience, and has stated that he would never make a movie directly for streaming, whether it be for Netflix or any other service.

During a recent interview with Variety, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos opened up about his “very good friendship” with Christopher Nolan despite the director’s lack of interest in making movies directly for streaming. Sarandos says he totally respects the director’s desire to make movies for theaters, and he always looks forward to seeing them, too. Read his full comments or watch the portion of the video below:

I talk to Chris all the time. We have a very good friendship, and I totally respect his desire to make movies for theaters and his lack of interest in making them direct-to-streaming. And I look forward to going to see them too.

His Stance On Streaming Is Widely Respected

Christopher Nolan has stated his opinion on direct-to-streaming releases loud and clear and, despite his candor on the subject, his stance remains widely respected across the industry, even by those who make their living on direct-to-streaming movies like Netflix’s Ted Sarandos. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nolan publicly disagreed with Warner Bros.’s decision to release their entire 2021 film slate simultaneously on then-HBO Max and in theaters. Nolan slammed the decision in a statement, saying:

Some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service.

Nolan’s own movie, Tenet, wasn’t even affected by the release strategy, as it had already been released in 2020, the first Hollywood tent-pole to open in theaters after the pandemic shutdown. Nolan disagreed with Warner Bros.’s decision so much that he took his talents to Universal for his next film, Oppenheimer, leading to WB’s attempt to counterprogram with Barbie, and creating the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. Based on his comments, it sounds like a decision that many inside the industry agree with, even one of streaming’s biggest supporters in Sarandos.

Could He Come Around To Christopher Nolan’s Stance?

Nolan is one of the most outspoken advocates of the theatrical experience, specifically IMAX, shooting all his films for the format since The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan specifically shot Oppenheimer for 70mm IMAX and urged audiences to see the film in the highly exclusive format, leading to sold-out theaters for months. Netflix’s stance couldn’t be more different. Other than Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery getting a one-week limited release, the widest ever for a Netflix film, the streaming service is ardently against releasing their movies in theaters.

Related

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However, the streaming service could be coming around to Christopher Nolan‘s stance. There are reports that Netflix is prepared to give Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movie an exclusive two-week run in IMAX ahead of its release on the streaming service. It’s a sign that Netflix could be changing its stance on releasing their movies in theaters, even just slightly.

Source: Variety

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  Netflix

  Netflix is a global streaming service offering on-demand access to movies, TV shows, documentaries, and original content. Founded in 1997 as a DVD rental service, it transitioned to streaming in 2007 and now operates in over 190 countries.

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