Rian Johnson denies Netflix CEO claims cinemas are “outdated” and “not for everybody”
American filmmaker Rian Johnson has hit back at remarks the Netflix co-CEO made about film-going, in which he stated that cinemas are “outdated” and “not for everybody”.
The Netflix boss Ted Sarandos recently attended the TIME100 Summit, where he stated that the streaming platform are “saving Hollywood.”
In the same interview, Sarandos also admitted that he personally loved the theatre, but the experience may not be as favourable a pastime as many think. “I believe it is an outmoded idea, for most people—not for everybody,” he clarified. The world was quick to react negatively to this sentiment.
Reacting to these comments, Johnson told Business Insider: “Obviously I don’t [agree]. I love movies. I love going to see movies. But also, I have a feeling talking to Ted, it would be a different thing than one quote taken and kind of tossed at me in this context. So, I don’t want to phrase this as I’m having a proxy discussion with Ted right here.”
He continued, “I think theatrical is not going anywhere,” using the unprecedented blockbuster success of movies like Sinners and A Minecraft Movie. Johnson added: “We’ve seen if you put a movie people want to see in the theatres, they are going to show up for it, and 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.”
Johnson made these comments while promoting Poker Face season 2, an American crime comedy-drama television series starring Natasha Lyonne.
He also mentioned wanting the next Knives Out movie, titled Wake Up Dead Man, to be released in as many movie theatres as possible. Netflix owns the franchise’s rights, so whether Sarandos and team will allow this is yet to be seen. He stated: “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.”
Johnson will write and direct Wake Up Dead Man. Daniel Craig will return as the detective Benoit Blanc in this new mystery, which also features cast members Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. The film is set to debut in Autumn 2025.