There's a war brewing, movie fans, and it will change the landscape of how movies are distributed around the world. Already we've seen the impact video-on-demand services have had in expanding the reach of independent cinema, giving a home to films that otherwise would never be seen at all. And streaming service Netflix has taken things to a whole new level by going out and acquiring high profile projects, including a whopper $12M deal for Cary Fukunaga's potential Oscar contender, Beasts of No Nation. While fans of movies may be happy to have more options than ever before, major theater chains aren't too pleased about the competition, and now they're striking back.
According to THR, major exhibitors including AMC, Regal, and Cinemark won't show Beasts of No Nation because it will be made available in select theaters worldwide and on Netflix the same day. That means it could only appear in a couple hundred art house chains at the most, which would obviously hurt box office. This isn't a new problem for Netflix who faced the same problem with their upcoming Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon sequel.
As long as Netflix continue down this path it's going to be a recurring issue, but if there's one thing The Interview proved it's that the right film can do incredibly well digitally. Having a possible Best Picture winner in the house could do great business for independent theaters.
