In the past, when Netflix brought a new original film to theaters, it came with about a week or maybe 10 days of theatrical exclusivity. It would be positioned to arrive at the end of a press tour, a major triumph for fans who can’t wait to stream it at home for another week and need to see something like…Red notice On the big screen. Other films from the streamer have also received theatrical releases, typically for films awaiting an Oscar run man or Roma. Now it seems the streamer can give theaters what they want, an actual exclusive release window.

A new report from Bloomberg reveals that “Netflix executives have been discussing the possibility of some of their films having a theatrical release window of up to 45 days.” The two titles they are reportedly considering are the knife out Sequel and a new film by Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu. The outlet notes that if the test is successful, whatever film it might be, Netflix could end up releasing “up to a dozen titles in theaters in the future.” As noted by Bloomberg However, Netflix experimented with theatrical exhibitions without partnering with AMC and Cineworld, the world’s largest cinema chains.

The past few weeks have shown that Netflix is ​​facing a sharp slowdown in subscriber growth, and it could actually lose a large chunk of its paid subscribers over the next quarter. As a result, Netflix cracked down and began saving money, updating internal documents to advise employees to “spend our members’ money wisely,” and launching layoffs across the company. A major hurdle for Netflix to become a big player in theatrical releases are the costs associated with marketing feature films for films that can be prohibitively expensive for big blockbusters, something Netflix doesn’t typically invest in to the same extent as Disney or Warner Bros Given that and their recent financial misfortune, it’s unclear how likely Netflix is ​​to target a major release for a movie if it won’t be available on their platform for at least six weeks.

Anyway the knife out The sequel is due out later this year and could prove to be the perfect guinea pig for such an experiment. The first film to be released by Lionsgate in 2019 grossed over US$310 million at the global box office. Netflix reportedly paid more than double what Lionsgate could offer for rights knife out 2 and 3, so confidence in the title and willingness to spend money is definitely there.

(Cover photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)