Rian Johnson Defends Movie Theaters

The main frustration I've had with Netflix over the years is that it leaves a ton of money on the table by not releasing its films in theaters. It feels like directors have to beg or be incredibly famous in order to get these movies to show theatrically. That makes no sense because movies like The Irishman, Knives Out 2, and The Killer all did well in their limited theatrical windows. If they had lasted longer and hit more screens, that's a lot of money Netflix could have made. That's why I was excited to see that Greta Gerwig's Chronicles of Narnia was going to get an IMAX release with Netflix, but then I was immediately annoyed when I saw Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos say he thought the theatrical experience was 'outdated'. It feels like the corporate Netflix has a very different stance than its filmmakers. Recently weighing in is Knives Out director Rian Johnson, who signed a deal to make the sequels with Netflix but has expressed the desire to get them onto the big screen. When asked if he agreed with Sarandos's comments, Johnson said, "Obviously, I don't," the director went on to tell Business Insider, "Because I love movies. I love going to see movies."He continued, "I think theatrical is not going anywhere. I think we've seen [that] if you put a movie people want to see in the theaters, they are going to show up for it," Johnson said. "That experience of being in a full house and having that experience is so important. It's something that I love and I want more of in the world."With the third Knives Out, Wake Up Dead Man, coming out later this year, he's hoping to get that in front of as many people as possible, including in theaters. "I want this in as many theaters for as long as possible," Johnson said. "We’re going to push for everything we can get in terms of theatrical, because I want as many people as possible to see it in that form."It's great to see directors with power coming out in defense of movie theaters. We need these exhibition houses to stay open and continue to show movies for people. If they remain open and more titles go to them, they can make enough money to continue showcasing the art form to future generations. The more filmmakers who put pressure on places like Netflix to go back to theatrical, the better. Let me know what you think in the comments.

May 7, 2025 - 00:34

The main frustration I've had with Netflix over the years is that it leaves a ton of money on the table by not releasing its films in theaters. It feels like directors have to beg or be incredibly famous in order to get these movies to show theatrically.

That makes no sense because movies like The Irishman, Knives Out 2, and The Killer all did well in their limited theatrical windows. If they had lasted longer and hit more screens, that's a lot of money Netflix could have made.

That's why I was excited to see that Greta Gerwig's Chronicles of Narnia was going to get an IMAX release with Netflix, but then I was immediately annoyed when I saw Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos say he thought the theatrical experience was 'outdated'.

It feels like the corporate Netflix has a very different stance than its filmmakers.

Recently weighing in is Knives Out director Rian Johnson, who signed a deal to make the sequels with Netflix but has expressed the desire to get them onto the big screen.

When asked if he agreed with Sarandos's comments, Johnson said, "Obviously, I don't," the director went on to tell Business Insider, "Because I love movies. I love going to see movies."

He continued, "I think theatrical is not going anywhere. I think we've seen [that] if you put a movie people want to see in the theaters, they are going to show up for it," Johnson said. "That experience of being in a full house and having that experience is so important. It's something that I love and I want more of in the world."

With the third Knives Out, Wake Up Dead Man, coming out later this year, he's hoping to get that in front of as many people as possible, including in theaters.

"I want this in as many theaters for as long as possible," Johnson said. "We’re going to push for everything we can get in terms of theatrical, because I want as many people as possible to see it in that form."

It's great to see directors with power coming out in defense of movie theaters. We need these exhibition houses to stay open and continue to show movies for people. If they remain open and more titles go to them, they can make enough money to continue showcasing the art form to future generations.

The more filmmakers who put pressure on places like Netflix to go back to theatrical, the better.

Let me know what you think in the comments.