NFLX Is Opening Up Box Office Numbers For Six Upcoming Films, Says Report — Is Netflix Rethinking Its Movie-Theater Strategy?

• La Bola Negra will reportedly get Netflix’s longest theatrical rollout yet, with a 46-day run before its streaming release.
• Narnia is set for a nearly 50-day wide run, including IMAX, in 2027, while Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will play wide for 47 days at Christmas.
• Netflix has historically favored limited theatrical releases and did not disclose box office figures, drawing resistance from cinema operators over its theatrical strategy.

Netflix (NFLX) will report box office grosses for six upcoming films as the streaming giant expands theatrical runs for several releases, according to a Variety report. The move comes as the streaming giant appears to be moving closer to longer theatrical windows, after years of relying primarily on limited cinema releases before bringing films to its streaming platform.

At the time of writing on Tuesday afternoon, NFLX stock was trading 2% down.

Six Films To Report Grosses

Two Netflix insiders told Variety that the company will report box office grosses for “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “La Bola Negra,” David Fincher’s “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,” “The Mosquito Bowl” and “Ink.”

Netflix has historically used limited theatrical releases, particularly for awards contenders, and has declined to report box office figures. Competitors and cinema operators have pushed the company to follow the industry practice of reporting grosses and giving films a standard theatrical window.

Longer Theatrical Runs

“La Bola Negra” will receive Netflix’s longest theatrical rollout yet, with a 46-day release beginning October 16 before arriving on Netflix on December 2, stated the Variety report. The film, starring Penélope Cruz, was acquired by Netflix for $5 million after its Cannes Film Festival run, where directors Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo won the jury prize for best director.

Netflix is also planning longer theatrical runs for its 2027 releases. Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew” will receive a wide release, including IMAX screens, for almost 50 days, while the animated “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” will play wide for 47 days at Christmas, according to Variety.

Netflix’s Theatrical Strategy

The developments come as industry executives increasingly view Netflix as moving closer to traditional theatrical exhibition. In an interview with Bloomberg, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said he could “see us doing things that we haven’t done before” with movie theaters, but insisted the company was streaming first, as always.

Cinema owners have historically resisted Netflix because it refused to provide standard theatrical exclusivity before films moved to streaming. The current industry standard is a 45-day theatrical window.

Netflix insiders, however, are downplaying the broader significance of the longer runs, saying theatrical windows remain a bespoke decision based on what is right for each film. 

NFLX Stock: Stocktwits Retail Sentiment

On Stocktwits, the retail sentiment for NFLX remained ‘neutral,’ unchanged in the past 24 hours, while message volume was ‘high’ at the time of writing.

NFLX stock has lost over 18% year-to-date.

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