Netflix and Amazon aren’t playing it safe anymore. The two streaming giants are throwing huge incentives around—either to secure top talent or keep major filmmakers loyal—as the race for content supremacy intensifies.
The Big Picture
Hollywood’s consensus is forming—movies need that theatrical moment to truly become cultural milestones. Whether it’s for box office bragging rights or streaming buzz, the allure of a big-screen debut adds a level of prestige that a straight-to-streaming release just can’t match. As a result, filmmakers are increasingly rolling the dice on theatrical releases, and streaming platforms are scrambling to stay competitive by sweetening their offers.—movies need that theatrical moment to truly become cultural milestones. Whether it’s for box office bragging rights or streaming buzz, the allure of a big-screen debut adds a level of prestige that a straight-to-streaming release just can’t match. As a result, filmmakers are increasingly rolling the dice on theatrical releases, and streaming platforms are scrambling to stay competitive by sweetening their offers.
Streaming Behind the Curtain
According to Bloomberg, two high-profile projects are poised to disrupt the streaming model entirely. that two high-profile projects are poised to disrupt the streaming model entirely.
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Greta Gerwig, fresh off her success with Barbie, is negotiating to release Netflix’s adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia on IMAX screens before it becomes available on the platform, as reported by Bloomberg. Essentially, Netflix is bending its own rules to ensure that Gerwig’s vision gets its due moment in theaters.
- IMAX has expressed interest, but the ball is in the court of exhibitors like AMC and Regal, who are demanding a substantial exclusive theatrical window before committing.
- Wuthering Heights: On the other side of the battlefield, Amazon made a bold play for Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights (with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi), according to Bloomberg. Amazon offered a one-month theatrical run and an innovative pay-per-stream residual model to entice Fennell.
- In this model, residuals would have varied, offering higher payments for new subscribers compared to existing ones—a potentially massive financial incentive. However, Warner Bros. Discovery ultimately nabbed the project by promising a major marketing spend.
What Lies Ahead
Longer theatrical windows and performance-driven paychecks are shaping the future of how streaming deals are made. The days of churning out endless content are over—it’s about making fewer but bigger splashes now. In this cost-conscious climate, that “less-is-more” strategy involves spending wisely on fewer but more impactful releases. and performance-driven paychecks are shaping the future of how streaming deals are made. The days of churning out endless content are over—it’s about making fewer but bigger splashes now. In this cost-conscious climate, that “less-is-more” strategy involves spending wisely on fewer but more impactful releases.
As more high-profile filmmakers opt for deals that prioritize theatrical exposure and creative compensation, these approaches are likely to become crucial talking points in upcoming union negotiations. For streaming platforms, it’s all about securing top-tier talent like Greta Gerwig or Emerald Fennell—and paying whatever it takes to keep them creating magic.
