A Netflix executive claims thatOppenheimercould have done just as well on Netflix as its theatrical release. The Best Picture winner received rave reviews and was widely considered the magnum opus ofacclaimed director Christopher Nolan. It was released on the same day as Greta Gerwig’sBarbiein 2023’s infamous Barbenheimer event. WhileBarbiecame out on top in that box office battle,Oppenheimer’s gross was still nearly $1 billion. It brought in $975 million worldwide and was the third-highest-grossing movie of 2023.
Speaking withPuck, Netflix’s chief content officerBela Bajaria now argues thatOppenheimercould have done just as well on Netflix. The interviewer asked a prompt question, “would Oppenheimer have been Oppenheimer had it aired on Netflix?” Bajaria argued that “yes,” explaining the streamer would have done “an amazing qualifying run” and many people would have watched. Check out Bajaria’s full quote below
Yes. We would have done an amazing qualifying run. So many people obviously would have watched it. It was a great movie. And I think it would have had that.
Following a disagreement, the executive elaborated thatthey “want to make great movies on Netflix"and that most movies do not necessitate theatrical treatment.
We’re going to totally disagree about this. And here’s the thing. There’s a lot of people who love going to the movies. I love going to the movies. It’s just, we want to make great movies on Netflix. This idea of, everything theatrical is bigger and lasting, you have to think aboutallthose other movies except for the four or five we just talked about.
What This Would Have Meant For Oppenheimer
Nolan’s Films Are Known For Spectacle
Oppenheimerbeing a Netflix film would have enraged several audience members. FromInceptionandDunkirktoThe Dark Knighttrilogy,Nolan’s movies are known as big-budget, spectacle-based movies. The director regularly shoots his films using IMAX cameras, thus designing the movies for the biggest and best screens possible. They fall into the category of “Everything theatrical is bigger and better,” making them less desirable to watch on the small screen en masse.
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Bajaria’s implication that a theatrical release is overrated will have interesting ramifications for future Netflix films. Most notably, Netflix has the rights toGreta Gerwig’sNarniamovies, the first of which has been confirmed to have an IMAX release. The streamer has been known to give movies, such asGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, theatrical release before hitting Netflix, butthese windows are typically limited. With the priorities outlined by herOppenheimerstatement, Bajaria and her Netflix team may not see the need for a huge theatrical focus for this and other films with brief theatrical runs.
Our Take On Bajaria’s Oppenheimer Statement
Watching At Home Is Not The Same
Anyone who has seenOppenheimerin IMAX will immediately disagree with Bajaria. While movie experiences can fluctuate as they recover from the post-pandemic and Hollywood strikes, streaming is increasingly becoming a threat to the theater industry. This is not to say that all streaming films are bad or unworthy of praise, but the theatergoing experience is still unique from watching movies at home, and should not be dismissed. Plus, many factors led to Nolan’s movie becoming a massive blockbuster hit that couldn’t be duplicated if it had been released on Netflix, such as the Barbenheimer effect.
