Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos firmly believes that the streaming giant is the savior of Hollywood, despite the industry facing challenges such as the exodus of production from Los Angeles, the shrinking theatrical window, and declining audience experiences in cinemas. Speaking at the Time100 Summit, Sarandos asserted, "No, we’re saving Hollywood," emphasizing Netflix's consumer-centric approach. He elaborated, "We deliver the program to you in a way you want to watch it."
Addressing the downturn in box office sales, Sarandos rhetorically asked, "What is the consumer trying to tell us? That they’d like to watch movies at home." While he expressed a personal fondness for the theater experience, he also suggested that it is "an outmoded idea, for most people," though not universally.
It's understandable that the CEO of a leading streaming service would advocate for streaming over traditional cinema-going, as it aligns with Netflix's business model. Hollywood's challenges are evident, with family films like Inside Out 2 and video game adaptations such as A Minecraft Movie helping to sustain the industry, while even reliable Marvel blockbusters have become less predictable in their success.
The debate over the relevance of cinema-going continues. Actor Willem Dafoe highlighted a shift in viewing habits last year, noting that people increasingly prefer watching movies at home. He lamented the loss of the social aspect of cinema, stating, "Which is tragic, because the kind of attention that people give at home isn’t the same. More difficult movies, more challenging movies can not do as well, when you don’t have an audience that’s really paying attention. That’s a big thing. I miss the social thing of where movies fit in the world. You go see a movie, you go out to dinner, you talk about it later, and that spreads out. People now go home, they say, ‘Hey, honey, let’s watch something stupid tonight,’ and they flip through and they watch five minutes of 10 movies, and they say, forget it, let’s go to bed. Where’s that discourse found?”
In 2022, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh shared his perspective on the future of movie theaters in the streaming era. He acknowledged the ongoing appeal of cinema, stating, "There's still an appeal to seeing a movie in a movie theater. It's still a great destination." Soderbergh emphasized the importance of attracting and retaining younger audiences as they age, and stressed the significance of programming and engagement to keep the cinema experience vibrant. He concluded, "It has nothing to do with windowing," indicating that the timing between theatrical and home releases is not the core issue.
