Nicolas Winding Refn says the theatrical experience has lost meaning

Last Updated on December 30, 2022

Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn has helmed both theatrical and streaming releases, so he knows enough about the state of each to give proper commentary. And in a world where there are more streaming titles every year, he has some thoughts on what can be done when it comes to the theatrical experience.

“The theatrical market is in its own re-definition of existence,” he said in a recent interview with Deadline. “For cinema to survive, we need to go back and make films again. There also needs to be an ecosystem that reflects the opportunities.” Regarding streaming and its relation to theatrical releases, Nicolas Winding Refn added, “Streaming has forced the theatrical market to reinvent themselves as well…I don’t think theatrical will ever go away. I think theatrical will always exist, but it needs to be challenged in order to become better, more sufficient and more meaningful.”

Nicolas Winding Refn is currently promoting his upcoming Netflix series Copenhagen Cowboys, which tells of an “enigmatic young heroine, Miu. After a lifetime of servitude and on the verge of a new beginning, she traverses the ominous landscape of Copenhagen’s criminal netherworld. Searching for justice and enacting vengeance, she encounters her nemesis, Rakel, as they embark on an odyssey through the natural and the supernatural. The past ultimately transforms and defines their future, as the two women discover they are not alone, they are many.” Copenhagen Cowboy arrives on Netflix on January 5th.

The six-episode series Copenhagen Cowboys isn’t Nicolas Winding Refn’s first venture into the streaming realm. In 2019, he directed the miniseries Too Old to Die for Amazon. Refn hasn’t directed a theatrically released feature since 2016’s The Neon Demon. In the aforementioned interview, Refn assured fans that he will direct a feature film next year. And here’s wishful hoping that he’ll take his Maniac Cop remake out of the television equation and tweak it into a film.

What do you think? How can the theatrical experience become more “meaningful” in the coming years? Is Nicolas Winding Refn capable of being a pivotal voice in this? Let us know your take below.