Netflix COO Thinks 'Oppenheimer' Would Have Done Just As Well On The Streaming Service

If you are not listening to or reading the Puck Newsletter from Matt Belloni, you are missing out on a ton of very interesting Hollywood news. This week, Belloni spoke with Netflix CCO Bela Bajaria, who talked about the streaming behemoth's future and the future of the industry as a whole. In this interview, Bajaria revealed that she thinks a lot of the movies that do well theatrically would do just as well on Netflix. That includes Oppenheimer. Yes, the Christopher Nolan epic that made almost a billion dollars theatrically and swept many of the Academy Awards. Bajaria said, "Yes. We would have done an amazing qualifying run. So many people obviously would have watched it. It was a great movie. And I think it would have had that." After Belloni disagreed, she continued, "We’re going to totally disagree about this. And here’s the thing: There’s a lot of people who love going to the movies. I love going to the movies. It’s just, we want to make great movies on Netflix. This idea of, Everything theatrical is bigger and lasting, you have to think about all those other movies except for the four or five we just talked about." This is an interesting quote because it's hard to think of any Netflix movie having the kind of cultural impact as Oppenheimer, Wicked, or Barbie. Part of going to the movies is a shared experience you talk about with other people. When things just appear online, they don't seem to have an impact because people have to find them on their own. And as far as a qualifying run goes, that's only a few weeks. Oppenheimer stayed in theaters for a long time because people kept going to see it. And there was a level of artistry you could only take in on the big screen, or even if it was projected in 70mm.Netflix is fine. It's nice to watch something at home and just turn on your TV. But it's also nice to go out and enjoy the world and be among people. And to see something a filmmaker worked on put it on the biggest screen of all time. It's hard ot believe Oppenheimer would have the same impact on the small screen being released and watched by people alone. Feel free to share your opinions with me here.

Feb 15, 2025 - 01:50

Netflix COO Thinks 'Oppenheimer' Would Have Done Just As Well On The Streaming Service

If you are not listening to or reading the Puck Newsletter from Matt Belloni, you are missing out on a ton of very interesting Hollywood news.

This week, Belloni spoke with Netflix CCO Bela Bajaria, who talked about the streaming behemoth's future and the future of the industry as a whole.

In this interview, Bajaria revealed that she thinks a lot of the movies that do well theatrically would do just as well on Netflix.

That includes Oppenheimer.

Yes, the Christopher Nolan epic that made almost a billion dollars theatrically and swept many of the Academy Awards.

Bajaria said, "Yes. We would have done an amazing qualifying run. So many people obviously would have watched it. It was a great movie. And I think it would have had that."

After Belloni disagreed, she continued, "We’re going to totally disagree about this. And here’s the thing: There’s a lot of people who love going to the movies. I love going to the movies. It’s just, we want to make great movies on Netflix. This idea of, Everything theatrical is bigger and lasting, you have to think about all those other movies except for the four or five we just talked about."

This is an interesting quote because it's hard to think of any Netflix movie having the kind of cultural impact as Oppenheimer, Wicked, or Barbie.

Part of going to the movies is a shared experience you talk about with other people. When things just appear online, they don't seem to have an impact because people have to find them on their own.

And as far as a qualifying run goes, that's only a few weeks. Oppenheimer stayed in theaters for a long time because people kept going to see it. And there was a level of artistry you could only take in on the big screen, or even if it was projected in 70mm.

Netflix is fine. It's nice to watch something at home and just turn on your TV. But it's also nice to go out and enjoy the world and be among people. And to see something a filmmaker worked on put it on the biggest screen of all time.

It's hard ot believe Oppenheimer would have the same impact on the small screen being released and watched by people alone.

Feel free to share your opinions with me here.