Netflix CEO: Theater Visits Outmoded, Saving Hollywood

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos asserts that the streaming giant is "saving Hollywood," and he believes that the traditional experience of going to the movies is becoming outdated for most people. During the Time100 Summit, Sarandos emphasized that despite the challenges faced by the film industry, including production shifts away from Los Angeles, reduced theatrical windows, and declining box office performance, Netflix remains a savior for Hollywood. "No, we're saving Hollywood," he declared, highlighting Netflix's consumer-centric approach. "We deliver the program to you in a way you want to watch it."

Addressing the decline in cinema attendance, Sarandos posed a rhetorical question: "What is the consumer trying to tell us? That they'd like to watch movies at home." While he expressed personal enjoyment in going to the theater, he also suggested that for many, the idea of theatergoing is passé. "I believe it is an outmoded idea, for most people," he stated, acknowledging that it's not a universal sentiment.

Given Sarandos' position at Netflix, it's understandable that he would advocate for streaming over traditional cinema visits. The film industry has been grappling with various challenges, with family-oriented films like "Inside Out 2" and adaptations such as "A Minecraft Movie" helping to buoy the industry. Even Marvel movies, once considered sure-fire hits, have become less predictable in their success.

The debate over the relevance of movie theaters continues. Last year, actor Willem Dafoe lamented the shift away from communal cinema experiences. "Which is tragic, because the kind of attention that people give at home isn't the same," Dafoe said. He highlighted the loss of social interaction and deeper engagement with films that theaters provide. "More difficult movies, more challenging movies can not do as well, when you don't have an audience that's really paying attention. That's a big thing. I miss the social thing of where movies fit in the world. You go see a movie, you go out to dinner, you talk about it later, and that spreads out. People now go home, they say, 'Hey, honey, let's watch something stupid tonight,' and they flip through and they watch five minutes of 10 movies, and they say, forget it, let's go to bed. Where's that discourse found?"

In 2022, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh shared his perspective on the future of movie theaters in the streaming era. He believes there's still an allure to the cinematic experience but emphasized the importance of engaging younger audiences to sustain the industry. "I think people still want to go out," Soderbergh noted, pointing out the unique appeal of movie theaters. "There's still an appeal to seeing a movie in a movie theater. It's still a great destination. And it really depends, I think, on our ability to attract, to convince the older audiences to continue to come out [...] It has nothing to do with windowing." Soderbergh stressed the need for thoughtful programming and engagement to keep the cinema-going tradition alive.