Netflix has conquered many facets of the entertainment industry and they show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. That being said, the streamer wants to take center stage in creating content for a global audience and they want to do that by having their own giant franchises in the same vein of HARRY POTTER or STAR WARS.
During an interview with "The Hollywood Reporter", Tendo Nagenda, VP of original film at Netflix, spoke of their ambitions to bring the next generation of huge franchises to their format and to the world:
"We're looking at big, broad-audience, PG-level adventure films as something that we want to get into. Something along the lines of the first Star Wars, or Harry Potter 1 and 2. A lot of family live action, fantasy, spectacle movies that we think are big and can play great. A Jumanji-type of story. That is the next frontier …We want to encourage great talent to think that way. George Lucas created Star Wars – it wasn't based on a book. If you have that kind of imagination – like the Wachowskis with The Matrix – we feel like we're the place to take the chance on those types of innovative ideas and filmmakers."
A decade ago, it would've been a ridiculous idea to think that a streaming platform might be able to compete with Hollywood when it comes to franchise IP but a lot has changed. This year in particular has shown the power of streaming services, especially as movie theaters had to shutter their doors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some theaters are gradually reopening, their overall power is in question, especially when it comes to them being the main player in the game.
Streaming services were once viewed as a dumping ground for films and shows that were of too low quality to be given the theatrical treatment but Netflix was at the forefront of changing that image. The streamer offered Oscar-caliber directors like Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee a combination of big budgets, complete creative freedom, and the promise their movies would get limited theatrical releases to lure them away from traditional studios. Hollywood studios are known for middling in the creative process and almost every performer and filmmaker has said that Netflix lets them create without interference and that has to be enticing to anyone looking to break away from the trappings of the Hollywood system.
Netflix has already greenlit a slew of projects that they hope to turn into franchises featuring the likes of Blake Lively, who is set to lead DARK DAYS AT THE MAGNA CARTA, and Jessica Alba, who is gearing up to lead the action-thriller TRIGGER WARNING. Movies like EXTRACTION and THE OLD GUARD have already proven to be very popular on the streamer and are on their way to becoming franchises as well. Those films aren't on the level of a HARRY POTTER or STAR WARS in scope but if you find a creative mind that wants to create a new encompassing universe, they may go to a service like Netflix over a traditional studio to have the freedom they desire. At this point, anything is possible for Netflix and I would not count them out.
Do YOU think Netflix could create the next big Hollywood franchise?